Working at a company after they mistreat you

Lucy1 on 26/07/2021 - 01:11
Last edited 26/07/2021 - 12:50 by 1 other user

Should you ever work at a company after they have mistreated you? I have a 40k job at the moment as a graduate engineer, which will go up to 70k in Oct. I'm due to move to a much higher paying position at another more prestigious company next Feb (140k). I've signed the contract.

I'm thinking about changing my mind, simply because they have treated me so badly throughout the recruitment process. I was meant to start last march but they messed up by putting me in the wrong team, which was found out too late (HR is located overseas and have no (profanity) idea what they are doing). It was then a huge ordeal to find a new team as numbers are very tightly controlled. Took 6 months of calls and interviews, I was so stressed and angry because I was the only graduate it happened to.

I eventually got given a start date in the correct team, but I am still so angry. I want to move past it because it was not a malicious mistake, but it will delay the start of my career by a year and has caused me so much stress and so many sleepless nights. Would you go back to a company who has, unintentionally, screwed you over just beacuse of the money/ prestige?

Education & Work

Comments

  • Hybroid on 26/07/2021 - 01:19
    +20

    The mess-up of recruitment/HR/management may not be symbolic of the rest of the company or immediate team you'll be in. That's quite significant jump up and as a graduate, I would take it and see how it goes.

    You'll have your probation period to assess whether you're comfortable and happy within your team and immediate line manager. If so, great, stick it out for 2-3 years, get your Engineer's Australia Chartership and move on up in the world.

    If not, there's always other options to explore in a market that's high demand and low supply right now.

    This only applies to sheer incompetence/slow/lazy of the hiring team. If it was mistreatment such as discrimination, racism or sexism etc then different story altogether.

    Based on what you've mentioned so far, if I were you: go for it and good luck!

    • Lucy1 on 26/07/2021 - 01:33

      Thanks, 140k package might be generous. 90k base, 27k sign on and 80k stocks vested over 4 years. Think a company like google. I was a previous intern there.

      I secretly hate the company because of how I was treated and what the stress of that did to me. I ended up on anti-depressants due to the constant 'Will I or will I not have a job'? I know I should forgive as it can't be changed, but I am still so angry.

      • Hybroid on 26/07/2021 - 01:39
        +6

        I feel for you but it's actually not uncommon in large companies. There's so much bureaucracy and decision-making hierarchy that needs to happen, alongside everything else everyone's busy with, that everything takes forever. I've been through that frustration too.

        That doesn't excuse it, but as long as it's not targeted at you personally, I would let it go for your own progression.

        You need to have the mindset that first few years of your career are all about working hard to obtain the experience, knowledge, accreditation & networking to give you an easy ride for the rest of your career. You'll get there.

        • Lucy1 on 26/07/2021 - 01:41

          I was the only graduate this happened to.

          Also I'm 35 so I don't have lots of time to waste.

          • Hardlyworkin on 26/07/2021 - 07:39
            +4

            @Lucy1: Better hope the Australian based staff don't read Ozbargain. You may not need to worry about having a choice then.

          • HelpMeiCantSee on 26/07/2021 - 08:41

            @Lucy1: Know your worth and ready to settle down hey? The ship might have already sailed lol.

          • SF3 on 26/07/2021 - 09:14
            +1

            @Lucy1: With all you've been through

            Sounds like, you are getting cold feet and throw in the towel now? Because of some "random" error (that's been there all along)?

            Imagine the pressure you'll be under and expectation you'll get with a 350% increase in your salary. But, that comes with a job at that next tier.

            IMO, you should think about the long game you are looking to pursuit, if this is what you want to do, then this "random" error is just a speed hump.

      • Icecold5000 on 27/07/2021 - 19:28
        +1

        It’s clear that this company (a multitude of disparate consciousness somehow acting in a Borg like fashion simply to screw you over apparently) have such a hold over that you’re mentally and emotionally weak enough to think your actions will have any effect over it rather than act in your own self interest. Such egoism, delusion and self sabotage is certainly an interesting mix. Please keep us updated.

  • p1 ama on 26/07/2021 - 01:55
    +6

    Should you ever work at a company after they have mistreated you?

    "Mistreat" is a very broad term - it depends on the nature of the mistreatment and why it occurred.

    I have a 40k job at the moment as a graduate engineer, which will go up to 70k in Oct. I'm due to move to a much higher paying position at another more prestigious company next Feb (140k). I've signed the contract.

    Worth bearing in mind that $140K is a tidy sum for what is essentially a job a year or two after a graduate position.

    I'm thinking about changing my mind, simply because they have treated me so badly throughout the recruitment process. I was meant to start last march but they messed up by putting me in the wrong team, which was found out too late (HR is located overseas and have no fking idea what they are doing). It was then a huge ordeal to find a new team as numbers are very tightly controlled. Took 6 months of calls and interviews, I was so stressed and angry because I was the only graduate it happened to.

    I sympathise with what you're saying here, but my advice would be to let it go. Any errors that have been made are a result of the HR team(s), not of your colleagues, your direct managers or anyone that you would be working with. In any case, it doesn't hurt at all to give the job a go, you don't lose anything by seeing how you will like it there.

    If anything, I would rather make my decision of where to work based on whether I think the work is enjoyable/valuable, whether I get to work on interesting projects, whether the team I work with is great, whether I have a good relationship with my direct manager and line of reporting…etc.

    I think it would be quite silly to quit a job based on one criteria (i.e. whether you had an issue with HR) that is not at all representative of what you may be doing for work.

    I eventually got given a start date in the correct team, but I am still so angry. I want to move past it because it was not a malicious mistake, but it will delay the start of my career by a year and has caused me so much stress and so many sleepless nights. Would you go back to a company who has, unintentionally, screwed you over just beacuse of the money/ prestige?

    I don't understand your point here - read what you've said again (let me phrase it in a different way) - "I'm so angry this company has wasted my time that I am going to waste even more of my time just to stick it to them". Does that make sense to you?

    What do you get out of not going to work for this company? Some insignificant sense of self-satisfaction that you managed to "stick it" to the HR person who wronged you? That doesn't sound completely illogical to you?

    • Lucy1 on 26/07/2021 - 02:04
      +1

      It was kind of my managers fault as he forgot to arrange my return with HR then the mistake occurred. He never took an interest in me so I can't say I was surprised he forgot about me.

      Anyway I will not be going back to his team anyway.

      But I agree with everything you said. Thank you.

  • netjock on 26/07/2021 - 01:56
    +9

    If a company gave me $70k in a year's time they'd taking their time doing whatever they want.

    I'm not much old than you but what is the deal with wanting everything now and on your terms? It isn't like they screwed up and cost you $70k.

    • Jugganautx on 26/07/2021 - 03:29
      +2

      "millennials"

      • [Deactivated] on 26/07/2021 - 08:01
        +1

        Zoomers.

        • emrifusion on 26/07/2021 - 08:27
          +1

          Neurolinkers.

  • ascorbic on 26/07/2021 - 02:20
    +4

    You seemed desperate to get the job in a previous post where you mentioned the "administrative errors" that occurred. Now that you have the contact, you're not sure you want it anymore. Maybe it is indeed better for both you and the company to rip it up if you're going to be resentful off the bat.

    I was meant to start last march

    In a previous post, you said you missed out of the 2022 graduate program due to "administrative errors". Which is it?

    Either way, they have not delayed the start of your career by a year. You have already started your career at your current company. Perhaps you mean they've delayed your $140k salary by a year.

    • Lucy1 on 26/07/2021 - 02:32

      Yeah sorry it was confusing there was an option for me to start in the 2021. It has been a comedy of errors. I think I am not resentful without good reason.

      As for the money, yes I have lost of year of what would have been a good salary (with stock). I also quit my job to do the internship and was unemployed afterwards. It has cost a fair bit this mistake.

      • ascorbic on 26/07/2021 - 02:42

        Maybe you'll forgive the errors once you start receiving the paycheques. If not, you can quit. Of course, you'll need to find another job.

  • ChunkyToast on 26/07/2021 - 02:43
    +9

    First world problems. Take the job, great pay and assuming it's a good company to have on the resume and get over it.

    • Hardlyworkin on 26/07/2021 - 07:37
      +2

      Exactly. Think of the last 18 months OP as an opportunity to build some resilience.

      • Icecold5000 on 27/07/2021 - 19:33

        What resilience? OP has the attitude of a spoiled child. People are out there trying to survive on $350 a week Centrelink payments and she thinks she has stress?

  • morse on 26/07/2021 - 03:44
    +3

    Take the job, but you need to stop being resentful about the error. If you start with that attitude/feeling, it will show whether you want it to or not, you’ll get a bad reputation and won’t thrive there. If you take the job, let the past be the past and get stuck into your work and building rapport with your colleagues.

  • ShannonN on 26/07/2021 - 04:43
    +5

    be thankful you have a job esp. during covid

  • Porker on 26/07/2021 - 05:32

    Really, there would be few that really 'love' their job. We do it because it's a means to an end.

    There are wins we get along the way, but as others have said, be thankful a job is being presented to you.

    I would guess the other option is to not take it and not work at the place you have such resentment for. Win for them, win for you, but I believe not working may impact you in other ways.

    Maybe you just want validation that you've been screwed around, and provided they've apologised for the error (being non-malicious as you've said), move on from it and just continue with your career.

    The definition of loving one's job that I've applied is if they'd do that job for free (ie without payment).

  • Melencir on 26/07/2021 - 06:18
    +4

    If the alternative is having no job and no pay at all, with no way to pay for living expenses or debt - chin up and ignore it.

    Wished I had a 140k job waiting for me

  • garetz on 26/07/2021 - 06:55
    +4

    You have already gone through all the bullshit, now accept it and move on then reap the rewards. You seem to be hung up on being wronged, however you make the choices in your life, take comfort in the job you got and look foreword to the 140k paying job in feb, which isn't that far away.

    • HelpMeiCantSee on 26/07/2021 - 08:47
      -2

      This. If the hiring company got wind of this attitude they would rescind the offer fairly quickly. Maybe OP can just claim harassment after taking the job and get a nice fat payout and never have to work again? Seeing they don’t have much time left and all…

  • samcro on 26/07/2021 - 07:19
    +19

    Try working in retail. Get a hell of a lot less than $140k and still get mistreated.

  • TrumpisKing on 26/07/2021 - 08:13
    +1

    This is a perfect example of over entitled first world problems.
    Literally go watch videos on people working at Amazon, for example, there's a lady who has to live in her car because she Can't afford rent and yet she has a full time job.
    You whinge and moan about how hard your life is, yet you have literally the best future in front of you. Most people would kill to be in your position, so what they wasted a bit of your time, big deal. You got stressed out this early? Mate how are you going to handle things when it really gets serious and you need to actually work hard? Holy moly. Good luck.
    Go exercise and eat a healthy diet instead of getting on medication for your "depression" and stress

    • fantombloo on 26/07/2021 - 09:57
      +9

      This is a perfect example of destroying a somewhat worthy argument with an uninformed final jab.

  • TheBilly on 26/07/2021 - 08:28

    It's a very simply question. How much do you love money? depending on where you sit on the scale is whether you take this job or not.

  • deme on 26/07/2021 - 08:34
    +4

    OP all corporations are (profanity) just let that sink in now. Go for the money and aim to keep going higher. No company gives a shit about you.

    OP have you been diagnosed with some sort anxiety? If not you should speak to a doctor.
    And lastly join your union it's the only way things will get better. Massive corporations have lobbyists that's what a union is for you.

    http://www.professionalsaustralia.org.au/join-now/ ignore their shit looking website, they are actually very good in what matters.

    For those that go hurr durr union for 140k job enjoy the bootlicking, actors getting paid multi-millions have a union https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAG-AFTRA

    • p1 ama on 26/07/2021 - 10:40
      +1

      actors getting paid multi-millions have a union https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAG-AFTRA

      Most actors get paid peanuts…

    • jellykingdom on 26/07/2021 - 11:59

      I think the actors union requires you to be a member of the union, or you can't work on filmsets. Something like that. The snake eating its own tail

  • Traveller107 on 26/07/2021 - 08:43

    I'm confused about why you are on just 40k right now and being offered 140k? I'm guessing that would be from grad engineer to a senior position. Did they ever ask you your current salary during the recruitment process? Did you get to meet the team after you final interview?

    Just be cautious you don't end up being the new guy who's the workhorse and get treated bad coz they think they are overpaying you and therefore push you extremely hard to earn every bit of it. Might be best to do s bit of homework into the team dynamic to figure if it's a somewhat respectful dynamic. Peace of mind at work is a lot more important than most people realise.. especially at 35. I know a lot of fifo people who have voluntarily left 250k jobs and happily settled for 80-100k and call it the best decision they ever made.

  • MS Paint on 26/07/2021 - 09:02
    +4

    In decades to come you can reflect on all your ozbargain posts to reminisce your career journey.

  • brendanm on 26/07/2021 - 09:18
    +3

    For someone apparently so career focused, you don't seem to know what you want.

  • TheMindsetTraveller on 26/07/2021 - 09:18
    +8

    If you have gained stress and lost sleep over an unintentional mistake, I will be a bit concerned. Most people spend 40 or so years of their life working and there will be plenty of idiots, jerks and losers, plus frequent inequity, favouritism, and potentially unsavoury and harassment conduct along the way. There will be days when you want to quit a job because you do not get along with someone, or you feel that this is the only way because you see no other option other than it is greener once you quit. I have been there, many times. Sometimes I have to remind myself to "put on my big boy pants" and get on with it until I sit down and work out a workable plan to be better or find better. I am fortunate to have worked 20 years now, put in the hard yards, but also gained plenty of experience, but know and want to learn much more - for my own personal development and pursuit of self-fulfilment. I don't want to leave anything or have any regrets when I depart from the world one day.

  • Thinkscape on 26/07/2021 - 10:09
    +2

    From my experience recruitment (and HR) is usually a separate structure in mid-sized and big companies. If you read online there's heaps of horror stories with recruiters and onboarding people screwing up formalities, visas, putting people in wrong teams, forgetting to call back, mixing up offers between candidates, misspelling people's names etc.

    Do not create an image of the company from how it's interviewing your or recruiting. Usually it's not a reflection of how the company operates or the culture. That goes both ways however - you might have a jolly good time on interviews, and then it might be a nightmare to work for.

    Network with people working in the company - use linkedin and facebook to find people (formerly or actively) employed and spend some time with them, try to get a better view of how it feels to work there (do not watch the recruitment videos that they send you, that's pure marketing and fiction)

    As a bonus, I'd spend some time considering the product itself - is it remotely ethical? is it making the world a better place? is it helping or hurting people? how are the emissions offset? etc. As much as people reduce places like Facebook or Amazon just to the (unusually high) salary, there's a conversation to be had in terms of what you'd be helping build and what impact it has. If you're young, you might shrug it off initially, but with time you might come to hate/regret daily working on something very boring, mundane, redundant, or outright harmful to the world.

  • AndyC1 on 26/07/2021 - 10:43
    +4

    Yet another rave from OP. Check out posting history.

  • wongcr on 26/07/2021 - 11:34

    I agree with you all - lucy1 - many otherwise decent companies have "catberts" running HR. I had a similar process to your experience (though not engineering - IT!) but the actual company and my immediate team were great. Everyone in the company complained about HR, who saw their goal was to impede and interfere whenever possible. But our manager (and his manager) knew the tricks to get around the catberts! So go for it!
    Just remember that you can move on in 2-3 years once you get stage 2 competencies and get your chartered engineer status.

  • Drakesy on 26/07/2021 - 13:01

    From my experience in engineering the HR team in many of these places are next to useless (i've been through 3 private companies).The recruitment process was terrible, either the recruiter didn't understand what they were recruiting for or didn't now the industry. Every time they came across as quite arrogant gatekeepers, similar to real estate agents. Stand between you and the job yet add nothing to the process.

    I'd stick it out, go to the new place see how you go. IMHO HR think they run the show but in many cases cause more harm than good in employee retention/onboarding.

  • freefall101 on 26/07/2021 - 13:25

    You weren't mistreated by the people you'll be working with, just the overseas recruitment team. How often will you be working with the overseas recruitment team?

    I'd just chill, there's absolutely nothing you can do about the recruiting team being crap but that doesn't mean the job is bad. It sounds an awesome job and you'll be kicking yourself forever if you don't take it.

  • OzHunterNSW on 26/07/2021 - 14:42
    +1

    You just don't do it… do you

  • brad1-8tsi on 26/07/2021 - 15:03
    +2

    140k is good money. I worked in engineering for 40 years to get in that region. I'd at least give it a shot. It actually sounds like the problem is in the mirror

    The whole "I'm 35 and need to get a move on" makes me lol

    • Icecold5000 on 27/07/2021 - 19:36

      In female years she has hit the wall so i think that’s seeping into it despite having no real relevance to the situation. She put up another post asking about how to get into senior management. Sounds like she just chases the titles rather than wants to put in the work.

      • brad1-8tsi on 29/07/2021 - 09:21

        I know a lot of female senior managers. Generally they don't get there until their 40s.

        It's good to have a 5-10 year plan/strategy but you need to focus on step 1 which is getting your foot in the door and performing and building networks.

  • HeWhoKnows on 26/07/2021 - 15:33

    And start the ordeal all over again with another company?

  • cheapisgood on 26/07/2021 - 15:43

    140k is amazing. I would take the job and see how you go. Would be fairly hard to find a similar pay for a recent graduate.

  • greatlamp on 18/08/2021 - 17:23

    It depends, is this a company with a good reputation that you need on your resume, or are you giving up the opportunity to work for a well regarded firm to take a job with a startup that might not be around in a few years?

    It sounds like a multinational, take the job, get the experience. you can then look to move if the place is as bad as appears from the outside

  • [Deactivated] on 23/08/2021 - 12:05

    I've had so much shit happen in my career that this seems like nothing worth dwelling on. I'm probably not the right one to say anything on this matter as I won't have an answer that you'd like to hear.

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