Um... yeah. Good luck finding someone for this...

[www.amusementadvantage.com]

This is the first job posting/job description I have seen for a scheduler. Has anyone seen others? The pay is low and the time requirements are high. Take a look at the time frame they are expected to check email: "system and email checks at least once every 2 hours 9am-10pm."

No thank you.

That has got to be the worst job description I have ever seen.

I couldn't imagine working like that. Geez!

They even require a dedicated landline (not VOIP) phone. Sheesh!

Yep. Good luck with that.

Great gig for a masochist!

Minimum wage in my state is $14.52/hour.

This is a ridiculous amount to offer.

I may have a skewed view of pay rates, being in CA, but it seems to me someone with those qualification would be worth considerably more on the open market.

Back when I was hiring MS staff in the early 2000's, I was offering $18/hr to start and hiring Canadians, since the pay rate was better for them. I currently start interns right out of school at $25/hr for remote work (not MS work).

And you can somewhat read into the issues they have had with previous schedulers based on the posting, which makes me feel that the "human resources" component of this MSC is extremely out of touch with reality. I seriously doubt the company is large enough to have an actual Human Resources department, and probably just sets aside the HR@ email for job postings. I also quit working for the MSC in question long ago due to their expectations of contractors, so this doesn't surprise me, and makes me feel like it was good decision.

I do feel like there's a large reset on the horizon for the MS industry. With unemployment reaching an all time low and the cost of living being considerably higher than in the past, MSC owners with 'old school' mentalities are going to be forced to update their business model, or go out of business. The current pricing and pay structures of the industry are based on a very different economy, and I have been doing this long enough to remember when it was more generous. I started at a time when MSC's had to pay a decent wage and offer a generous reimbursement for services in order to attract a talented workforce.

‘Individuals need to be resilient and able to stay positive despite discouraging situations conducting the same mundane tasks repeatedly.’

They forgot to add posting this ad all over creation as part of the job duties. Jean Valjean had a better gig.

No wonder some of them are cranky.

Do most schedulers make this little?

Just...WOW!

@NinS wrote:

Do most schedulers make this little?

I think "scheduler" is kind of a catch-all term for many companies. This particular position goes being Scheduling IMHO and I would consider the overall job as Operations. I was making over $60k + benefits for roughly the same job 20 years ago, so take what you want from that. I know many schedulers who are paid per-piece as contractors, but don't have near those responsibilities.

My point in my post above is that it's going to become increasingly difficult to find someone with the required level of desperation. One could drive Uber less than full time and make that much in many locations. Workers have options these days, and many with low-paying full time jobs need the space in their life to have a second job, which this position would probably not allow time for. Outside of the short time in my life when I worked for a MSC, mystery shopping has always been my sideline job. I'm much happier with that setup.

SteveSoCal,

What many people fail to take into account is that when people's unemployment benefits expire, they are no longer counted as unemployed. They still aren't employed, but they are no longer counted as such.

In some circles, that is called job creation.

@wrosie wrote:

SteveSoCal,

What many people fail to take into account is that when people's unemployment benefits expire, they are no longer counted as unemployed. They still aren't employed, but they are no longer counted as such.

I'm not claiming that the current low unemployment rate is accurate, but simply that it is nearing a record low. There was a drop in unemployment that represented exactly what you refer to around 2021, and that was largely due to people timing out of benefits, due to pandemic job loss. What the current number basically tells us is how many people have most likely lost a job in the past 6 months, and are looking for work. When you combine that with new job offering numbers, the result is essentially that someone looking for work can most likely find a job, but there's no guarantee it will be in the field of their choice, or within the desired pay rage.

Job postings like this confuse the issue further, and I think that may be closer to your point. Many people looking for work and returning to jobs are being required to take pay cuts in comparison to previous employment, or work a second job to get by. While many of us here are fully qualified for the position in question, one could find themselves living below the poverty level if they accepted it, and without the free time needed to take on a second job. This job is offering is part of the problem IMHO, and not necessarily a solution to unemployment.

As far as my point about the change that I think is coming to the industry goes, when you factor in the current business and profit level of the clients we shop, and the apathy in the overall workforce for low-paying jobs, the clients in question will probably need to rely on mystery shopping more than in the past to stay competitive, but the structure of the MS business needs to make sense in the current economy. Relying on the "what the market will bear" approach may no longer bring in the results they previously received if job growth continues upward.

@SteveSoCal correct. The job market is currently terrible and hyper competitive. People are absolutely going to have to take lower paying jobs and jobs they don’t want.
This is why I’m question why you don’t think the same is happening with MS? We have seen people that are taking jobs at record low pay on the boards.
We also know a few people who aren’t super mobile and live fairly remotely. This might be for them.

The unemployment rate is low because people are taking low-paid jobs and gig work to survive high inflation.

I guess someone will take the position because it is better than nothing.

Daycare costs are astronomical; my son and daughter in law paid $2800/month for a couple of years when their children were little. Luckily, they both have solid careers with good income and could afford the bills - but many cannot.

Schedulers may be choosing to WFH after doing the math on commuting, daycare, and all the associated expenses of a traditional office job.

I think the first paragraph was enough to turn me off it. Generally, any job description that includes the word "tirelessly" is "Please kill yourself and have a horrible work/life balance for our very low rate of pay."

The schedule and requirement to check emails at night (after you've logged a full day already) is also a huge turn off.

As a scheduler, and as a person who has hired schedulers before, when I read that I could tell that they are having problems finding someone to fit their needs, and I would guess that they have been going through schedulers more rapidly than they like. On the other hand, the position of scheduler can be rough, and they have probably decided to tell it like it is so that anyone applying at least knows what is accepted. It sounds like an independent contractor job that really wants an employee that they can set the hours, etc. In times when I didn't have much work I have taken scheduling jobs that I just felt were going to be not so great, but I wanted the work.

They’ve had the same scheduler there for decades. As far as I know, nobody else sticks around. I think that some of their shops are really difficult to fill.
I do feel that their methods are overkill. I did not need a “mystery shopping 101” phone call that lasted more than a few minutes. It wasted both of our time.
I have had many positive interactions with the owner over the years.

@BayShopper22 wrote:

They’ve had the same scheduler there for decades. As far as I know, nobody else sticks around. I think that some of their shops are really difficult to fill.
I do feel that their methods are overkill. I did not need a “mystery shopping 101” phone call that lasted more than a few minutes. It wasted both of our time.
I have had many positive interactions with the owner over the years.

The owner is very nice. I think the problem is that some of their shops give you tickets in advance, and then if the shopper messes up they have to go to the client and ask for more tickets to send ANOTHER shopper. That looks bad. And even shops where you have to pay, then be reimbursed (like a usual shop) if a shopper doesn't follow guidelines and they have to reject it there is the frustration from shoppers for $$$ lost, scheduler & editor for time lost and the additional headache. I think this is their attempt at trying to avoid that. Although, if you have completed several shops with them I think you should be exempt from the call.

I feel like they have had a high turnout and are listing their business desires because of what they have gone through in the past. But, I think this may open up a can of legal worms they don't want. It sounds like an independent contract job by being paid per shop. Having to check emails and calls throughout the night is still working, and you should be paid. Especially, if it is over time and in certain states. Some schedulers may want that type of job though.

And yes, some schedulers do get paid minimal amounts. So be kind to schedulers and editors! <3

I think my main issue with the offer is that it is MORE than just scheduling. It's managing a group of contractors, recruiting, etc.

I personally feel like someone with those qualifications is worth a lot more on the open market. I'm not looking for remote work right now, so I cannot say for sure, but I made more than that as a scheduler long ago, and so it feels low to me, especially in a world where remote jobs have become more of the norm.

These days you are also saving your employer a lot of money by not having them host you at an office, and you should be compensated for that. My current job shifted to be completely remote in the pandemic and may never return to a situation where I am required to be there in person. Anyone I work with who feels sick or or has somewhere else to be just works remote and attends meetings on Zoom, and it's not questioned. That said, you are also expected to still have someone else taking care of your children, and not have interruptions. It can happen occasionally, but office jobs turned work-from-home jobs are generally not a good fit for stay-at-home parents, as you are probably on the hook for more output than at an office, and subject to being called into a 'meeting' at any time.

Everyone at this MSC was very nice back when I worked with them. I just thought the work was too demanding and underpaid for what was required. If you tell me that this MSC is making the highest possible fee and barely staying profitable with these pay rates, then my opinion is that the business model is flawed. If they are making bank while underpaying shoppers and schedulers, then their business model simply sucks. Either way, something should change.

We often come down on shoppers here who take low fees and thusly bring our pay down. The same applies for the MSC employees. They perpetuate the problem by agreeing to to the poor pay rate. If the MSC could not get a scheduler for what they were offering, they would simple have to pay more. If they could not be profitable paying more, they would be forced to reevaluate their business plan.

Low pay, no benefits, and I provide my own equipment? Why would I work like a dog for them when I can make twice as much just MSing?

I wonder how many people have applied for the job since this thread has been opened.

@stormraven73 wrote:

Low pay, no benefits, and I provide my own equipment? Why would I work like a dog for them when I can make twice as much just MSing?

For some not having to leave the house is invaluable. I'm not saying I would take it. But if you don't have transportation (or a skilled craft/ degree) working 100% from home with nothing more than a phone & computer might one of the few choices you have.

Has anyone seen how much they pay for their shops? We’re talking $10 for spending hours at a crappy entertainment center followed by a lengthy report. They’re asking the impossible of the schedulers to fill these shops. It’s just pure greed and an insult to both the ICs and the schedulers to assume that anyone would want to be their slave. They’ve got nothing to offer.

and dont forget the additional one weekend a month, AND work 50% more (so 20 more hours per week?) for many more months. And you only get paid if you schedule a job? Thats how I read that. $2000/mo is only $24000 a year.