Confused. Offered a subject matter expert/consulting role for $15/hour!!

[Anonymous]

My rate is 75, if you are looking for 15 I suggest you go the route of advertising it as a volunteer job--you may have more luck.

best,
xy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP: I wouldn't respond. Your expectations (rightly or wrongly) are way off from what is being offered. It's not worth your time to even discuss it.

For a 13 year old that's too high.

For an adult its barely minimum wage.

Why would the age of the babysitter determine the compensation? The service being provided is the same, regardless. Why would the value of the service be different?

NP and an older babysitter will, on average, be more mature/responsible and maybe more experienced so you're paying more for that. An older babysitter will probably also have less limitations like they can stay later or they can drive themselves to/from the job vs having to drive home a 13 yr old.

[Anonymous]

It is a pretty insulting offer. Do you know what the competitive rate is? If you do quote that plus $10 so you have zoom negotiation room.

[Anonymous]

Do you know if they have people from other countries working for them? That is usually where I see those ridiculous low rates: $15/hour is not that low if their recruits are coming from Columbia or Romania. Yes, the expertise and quality would drastically different but that is unfortunate side-effect of globalization and caring only about the bottom line.

[Anonymous]

You probably already gave them a lot of intellectual property in your interviews. They have taken that already and aren't really interested in hiring you and so have given you an insultingly low offer.

Consulting firms are the worst for endless interviews they mine for the interviewee's ideas that they steal.

[Anonymous]

You should be offended, because that is indeed offensive.

I do substitute teaching and it pays 22 dollars an hour in my school district, if you are looking for yet another data point on how absurd this is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They want you to counter with 45 thinking they can get you down to 35. It’s just business figure out exactly what it’s worth to you and tell them that number and that it’s non negotiable. Don’t bother to get emotional about it / ‘insulted,’ ‘embarrassed’- it’s just business.

They are really stupid for doing this. It might be "just business" to them but they are dealing with human beings and they should know that an offer that low is insulting. It's even bad form to low-ball on an offer on a house.

[Anonymous]

ask them what are the other perks? May be 2X rate if they ask you to do overtime though that's unlikely if it is 1099 job.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Update:

I wrote a.polite worded diplomatic response. Basically declined and said it doesn't align either industry standard for sme which is $58/hr national average. I said my expertise is worth more than minimum wage and I wish them the best. I did say they should re evaluate their compensation model.

They responded back that I have to look at this as an altruistic opportunity for professional development and that I can be a part of something greater and help.propel the industry further. My expertise is valuable and I should share. They then ended the email with a nice please reconsider phrase.

Um.....this industry is healthcare. This company profits on the products they develop. This is not an industry where we are spreading the good word or.digging wells in Africa. I will never work for $15/hr doing sme work. I'd rather take my time and give time freely to a non profit helping battered women. (I recently attended a fundraising event and want to get more involved. That's altruism and I don't want to compensation for it. It's to help women and community.

The altruism and something bigger than yourself doesn't sit well with me in the case of a healthcare organization.

[Anonymous]

Wow OP. Some people have no shame.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the follow up. I didn't expect that response! You are right to walk away.

[Anonymous]

They are utterly without shame.

[Anonymous]

Have not one of you considered that whatever position the OP allegedly applied for is actually worth only $15 an hour? Of course not. you need to all pile on without thinking

[Anonymous]

Lol people are insane! I wouldn't respond, but I'm genuinely curious:

So does that mean the project and courses I work on would be given at no cost to participants?

At no point, did altruism or volunteer come into that first discussion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have not one of you considered that whatever position the OP allegedly applied for is actually worth only $15 an hour? Of course not. you need to all pile on without thinking

Op here.This company is for profit and sells content for hundreds of dollars depending on module. Wheelhouse is healthcare accreditation, insurance enrollment, policy, best practices, healthcare leadership, etc. The sme role is doing and creating this specific content. Customers in industry are country wide. This type of work is definitely worth more than 15/hr.