Think work-life balance is overrated? You're hired!
Solace, a healthcare marketplace, tells job seekers: 'If you're looking for work-life balance, this isn't it."
A job posting for a senior engineer at software company Rilla urges applicants 'please don't join" unless they are eager to work 70 hours a week—in person.
If you think free time is overrated, this is the job market for you. Corporate job listings this summer stress long hours, a competitive business environment and the importance of hustle.
It might seem impractical to recruit applicants with a pitch that loosely translates to 'This is going to hurt." But we're a long way from 2022.
Americans are facing monthslong job searches and competition from laid-off workers as companies shrink headcount. Though the U.S. is still adding jobs every month, the pace of hiring has slowed and some of the country's largest employers are cutting their white-collar workforces.
In the tougher environment, many applicants find that managers are taking a harder line. They're not just reining in flexible schedules, remote work and perks that became staples of the previously tight job market. They're warning prospective and new employees to get ready for the grind—and they're not afraid to say it out loud.
Google co-founder Sergey Brin in February told employees that 60 hours a week was the sweet spot of productivity. The federal government warned staff this year of a new 'performance culture," insisting on 'excellence at every level." People are logging into more meetings after 8 p.m. than they did a year ago, new Microsoft data show.
'They're testing the limits of what they can ask of their employees, knowing how hungry people are to work, and knowing they're in the driver's seat," said Lori Reed, president of Reston, Va.-based recruiting firm Schechter Reed. 'The pendulum has swung, and companies are in control again."
Reed said the tough talk can also lower turnover, since applicants are well aware of what will be required of them, as well as reduce the number of applications at a time when recruiters are overwhelmed by résumés.
After candidates interview at Rilla, which makes AI-powered coaching software for sales reps, they receive a culture statement that outlines several core principles. 'We don't have any strict work policies, but we tend to work 60 to 80 hours every week," reads one.
When Will Gao, Rilla's head of growth, sends it to candidates, he tells them that they should read each of the eight statements carefully. 'Don't lie to yourself if you have a gut feeling that you don't agree with the culture," he says.
Will Gao ribbed employees for not sleeping in the office, as he did for about 10 days in June.
Gao, 26, said he urges applicants to 'ghost" the company if they aren't on board. He recently ribbed colleagues for not sleeping in the New York office, as he did for about 10 days in June.
'We're very clear with people who we are," said Sebastian Jimenez, Rilla's CEO, who before his honeymoon this summer hadn't taken a vacation in eight years. 'If you align with this—and there's a lot of people that do—come apply."
Rilla subsidizes employee rent in New York City if they minimize commute time by living closer to the office, Jimenez said. He added that he hopes every employee at the company becomes 'insanely wealthy" and that workers in sales make an average of $350,000 annually.
Users on a Reddit forum about hellish recruiting experiences picked apart the Solace Health ad that said work-life balance was a no-go. Some posters said they admired the company's honesty. Others said they would expect more pay for the hustle required. The company didn't respond to requests for comment.
'If I were going to work 70 hours a week, you would have to pay me $1 million-plus," said Brett Terpstra, a software developer in Winona, Minn., who has applied to about 60 jobs since April. Terpstra said he is picky when he applies: 'I automatically opt out of anything that seems like they don't respect a work-life balance."
It's not only startups telling applicants to expect a challenging atmosphere. McKinsey now explicitly says associates must 'attend meetings outside of traditional business hours" or 'take on projects with limited or no notice."
'Driving lasting impact and building long-term capabilities with our clients is not easy work," language in job postings reads.
Blair Ciesil, a partner leading talent attraction at the consulting firm, said it had noticed newer hires who were caught off guard by certain realities of the job, like working with people in different time zones.
McKinsey now purposefully describes that management consulting is hard and the difficulty spurs professional growth, she said.
'The reality is, there is a level of rigor here," she said, adding that being honest is important because some applicants will self-select out of the process. 'That is good for them and good for us."
Write to Lindsay Ellis at lindsay.ellis@wsj.com
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