I applied online. The process took 1 week. I interviewed at Eight Oaks (Leeds, England) in Mar 2022
Interview
It was a very well put together interview that answered all questions i had. The person delivering both seemed very informed and knew exactly what to say. Overall a good professional experience.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
5 skills i would bring to the company?
What is my background?
I applied online. The process took 1 week. I interviewed at Eight Oaks (Leeds, England) in Sept 2019
Interview
I can't even begin to describe how horrific this company is. It is truly the worst kind of scam against vulnerable people and new graduates trying to gain some experience in their first jobs. This is in no way shape or form a marketing position and I would bet my life savings on any positive review of this company being from the company owners themselves. I actually went as far as to report this company to Joe Lycett's Got Your Back.
Its taken me three years and 2 professional positions to fully realise the extent of how horrendous this experience was, the job advert stated things such as "no experience needed", "salary - £20,000 - £26,000/ annum and said that the position would include general marketing tasks, supporting a marketing manager etc..
As mentioned, there is no marketing involved in this position, it is door to door canvasing. I was then tied up in a 12 hour, unpaid shift, which involved 5 stages of the "interview" process, all which seemed closer to a cult initiation ceremony than anything resembling a job interview. Everything was a "great opportunity for progression" and your reward for working for 90% of your life was the annual pool party at the directors mansion (paid for by your suffering no doubt).
Upon arriving at the offices (on call lane) and completing the initial interview stages, I then had to immediately get on a bus with a new 'team member' (all the team members were new - shock) and observe (for 9 and a half hours in the cold) while the team leader made door to door sales in a rough area. She claimed this was in no way door to door sales as it wasn't actually selling something it was simply getting people to hand over their details so we could switch their energy provider to a cheaper one (by pushing them into something they didn't fully understand).
We broke for lunch (a tesco meal deal next to a skip) while they explained the 'business model' - (pyramid scheme where you move through the 5 stages in the first year and then open your own 'marketing agency' to do the same horrible things to other people and make profits from their door to door sales). By around 8pm I realised my day would not be ending at 8pm as promised as we were still knocking on doors in an area I didn't know leaving me very little options in terms of terminating the interview early.
What they don't tell you until half way through the day at the lunch time propaganda speech is you don't earn a single penny, this is an entirely commission based job (sounds illegal to me) and don't worry, all of this money is tax free as the director 'used to be an accountant' and you can claim everything back in business expenses. I think this company and everyone involved should be sued and should be entirely ashamed of themselves.
Upon returning back to the office at around 9:15 pm (after beginning the day at 10:45am) I began to ask questions about the job. The mentor said the hours were 10am-9pm Monday to Friday (heading out to door to door sales at around 12) and an optional 10am to 6:30 on Saturdays (although frowned upon if you don't work Saturdays...). This would constitute a 62.5 hour working week with no guaranteed wage at at all. I asked how they were reimbursed for the time spent in meetings in the morning and they said they hadn't really thought about it, but they guess it all comes as part of the commission.
10 hours into my day at around half 9 after completing the "final assessment" they called me to one side and said they would love to offer me the job and they think I would be the perfect candidate but I would only be allowed to interview if I didn't attend my other interviews the next day. Due to the sheer cheek and unprofessionalism of that request I then left after wasting 10 hours of my life. Although all the people were very friendly (takes a certain personality to be able to convince people into this in the first place) I believe the way these job adverts are written and the job itself is described is preying on the vulnerable and desperate and should not be allowed. Some people would be more than willing to do door to door sales but this is not the job that is being advertised at all. This company is targeting people who are recent graduates, need work, and who will do anything to get paid.
DO NOT APPLY TO THIS JOB!!
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
They asked me to TURN DOWN other interviews I had that week as the CEO "thought I was perfect for the position and wanted me to show loyalty to the company and I needed to grab the opportunity" - truly the most unprofessional request I've ever had in an interview setting.
Included memorising 10 'sales facts' such as law of averages, and some strange cultish mantra.
Both a pre and post interview with the director, a questionnaire, an informal chat, them watching you throughout the day, testing you on the weird 'marketing' facts they've made you remember.
I applied through other source. I interviewed at Eight Oaks
Interview
They contacted me and asked me to call back and arrange a time. I called and emailed and they never got back to me. Left a bad taste in my mouth as they first contacted me.
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