Red Flags, Warning Bells. Declined.
Some important facts I found out during the interview:
- You will not be an employee of Start360, but self-employed on their behalf.
- You're expected to work 8am-6pm Monday-Saturday.
- You're not paid hourly, or have a base salary. You are paid only if you secure a new customer.
- Start360 will not cover your travel expenses.
- Your job is to sell Shell energy contracts and similar to customers directly [face-to-face] at 'events’.
- Events are the stands you see in supermarkets and shopping centre corridors etc.
I was first contacted via indeed for the customer service role, I did not apply for this role directly. The interview consisted of 2 stages.
The first stage was a one-way video interview in which I recorded myself answering 4 generic interview questions, each with a 2 minute time cap. Almost instantly after submitting the video I received a glowing email saying my personality was great on top of a fantastic CV, and that they would like to have a second email via Zoom the following day, approx 60-90minutes long.
The second interview. The gentleman interviewing us [there was two of us being interviewed at the same time, odd] was sat in his car. Instantly that made things seems slightly off. The interviewer introduced himself quickly as a Junior Executive Manager. He went on to give a solid 40 minute presentation which seemed more of a beginners guide to marketing that any specifics about Start360. The power point presentation was noticeably poorly put together; dated, bright pink with old clip-art illustrations and stock images. This presentation was a stark and unflattering contrast to Start360’s relatively smart white and red website.
Consistently, 'fast progression', 'motivation', 'breaking records', 'hitting targets' were mentioned. The interviewer stated a girl who had only been with the company 3 weeks had advanced to a role where she now educating the newest recruits & was now in a leadership and management position - bizarrely fast progression it seems.
In terms of earnings, he said that we would earn £50 per customer, & would expect to secure 3 customers per day, averaging £300-400 per week. Hours would be 8am-6pm. However, it is worth noting that this important information was mentioned extremely quickly & briefly.
The 'interview' felt more like a sales pitch than an interview. Myself & the other interviewee were barely given a chance to get a word in other than nod. We were not given time to ask questions, but rather he added us back to the 'waiting room'. He then brought me back in alone to asked if I "could not be taught and succeed at this role?" This appeared to be a loaded question.
1 hour later I received a follow-up call for me to ask questions:
Almost instantly when I asked these questions, his tone changed to become a lot more defensive & frustrated compared to his more chummy, laddish tone previously. My questions were as follows:
Q. If for any reason foot-fall was low at one of the events, or for any reason I made no successful sales one day, would my time or transport be paid for?
A. "In my entire time working here I have never had a member of my team secure less than 3 customers a day, so that has never been problem, so we don’t have a strategy for that. Nobody struggles." [So that is a no].
Q. Are transport or petrol costs to and from events covered by the company?
A. "I have always driven, so I would just ask my team to chip in for petrol money. You can claim mileage back."
Q. My response to this: Claiming mileage back alarmed me. So I asked if I would be an employee to Start360 or self-employed.
A. "You would be self employed. If you were an employee that would mean you would be paid hourly or on a salary. Whereas when your self-employed you can be paid on your performance. This means you will pay less tax, less national insurance and stuff. It is just a much better way of working." [As a self employed person you do not any of the insurance of if were actually an employee. For example; sick pay, if you are assaulted on job, if you are injured on job, employee rights].
After these questions, the interviewer said that all the other applicants had been asking about progression, whereas I had been asking about making no sales and how I would earn money. This, to him this reflected I had no confidence in myself or think I would be ineffective at this job. I would have thought anyone person with a brain would ask their potential employer how they get paid, what they get paid, and what hours they are expected to work?
There was a whole host of red flags during this interview. The interviewer made Start360 seem slimy and untrustworthy. The fact you are not actually employed but self-employed with no base pay or salary screams of all the controversy Uber has had in the UK.
I declined this job. It seemed to me like you’ll end up selling your soul as well as a few Shell contracts.
