Taylor Byrnes was excited about the new job opportunity she was exploring with SkipTheDishes, a Canadian-based food delivery service is similar to America’s GrubHub.
Byrnes was interviewing for a position in menu development with the growing company. After doing well on an initial phone interview, she was extended an offer for a second interview.
Byrnes sent a follow-up email asking about salary and benefits, after which she was curtly told that she was not a good fit for the company and they would no longer be pursuing a second interview with her.
“Your questions reveal that your priorities are not in sync with those of SkipTheDishes. At this time we will not be following through with our meeting this Thursday,” a representative of the company replied.
The company reiterated its position in a second email, saying that SkipTheDishes is a startup that believes in “hard work and perseverance in pursuit of company goals as opposed to focusing on compensation.”
Wait, what?
Byrnes took a screenshot of the exchange and posted it on Twitter.
Applied for a job at @SkipTheDishes. They cancelled my interview b/c I asked about wages/benefits @CBC @CBCNews @ctvwinnipeg #boycottSkip pic.twitter.com/CjBdnFvY1P
— . (@feministkiljoyy) March 13, 2017
People were upset at the story and strongly disagreed with SkipTheDishes’ decision. They took to Twitter to voice their outrage, writing tongue-in-cheek messages such as, “We’re really looking for more of a one-sided relationship where you care about us and we don’t care if you starve and die.”
"we're really looking for more of a one-sided relationship where you care about us and we don't care if you starve and die" https://t.co/Ye8cYqwQ4w
— raina douris (@RahRahRaina) March 14, 2017
Another Twitter user posted: “I guess wanting to eat is overrated these days.”
https://twitter.com/FluffyMonoceros/status/841563843444764672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Brynes’ tale of rejection didn’t end there, however. The story went viral, with thousands of people retweeting her story and calling out SkipTheDishes for their reaction to her questions.
The company later apologized and offered Byrnes that second interview after all.
While Brynes likely won’t follow up with SkipTheDishes on their offer for a second interview (um, how awkward would those office lunches be?), it seems like a smart move for the company to respond so quickly and address their mistake.
(1/2) The email to Taylor does not represent #SkipTheDishes team values. We have followed up to offer heartfelt apologies & a 2nd interview. pic.twitter.com/XKYWsHXj7P
— Skip (@SkipTheDishes) March 14, 2017
(2/2) We do share compensation & it’s OK to ask. We are coaching internally to ensure this doesn’t happen again. @CBC @CBCNews @CTVWinnipeg
— Skip (@SkipTheDishes) March 14, 2017
Some people are saying that Brynes might have been a bit out of order in asking about salary and benefits so soon.
Some career experts say that you should wait until a job offer is seriously on the table before inquiring about compensation, though advice on this topic is a bit mixed. Other experts say you should get salary and benefits on the table right away—no one wants to waste their time (or the employer’s time) if the salary range is too low to be feasible.
But many companies, including Whole Foods and Buffer, have decided to make all salaries public in an effort to increase transparency and pay equity among workers.
Here’s hoping that stories like this start encouraging people to talk more openly about money.
Bridget Sharkey is a freelance writer/ghostwriter with a background in publicity. As a ghostwriter, she conceives, researches and composes original content for clients in the fields of business, hospitality, lifestyle, technology and relationships. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with her husband and children, Maeve and Malcolm. You can reach her at http://bridgetsharkeywrites.com/. More.
