CEO Asks if It's 'Insensitive' to Charge $20 Job Interview Fee to Deter Underqualified Applicants

A CEO's proposition to introduce a non-refundable $20 fee for job interviews has sparked a lively debate online. The reasoning? To discourage underqualified applicants and save time.

While the sentiment behind this idea is understandable, it raises a question: Is this a practical solution or an insensitive barrier to entry for candidates?

The £20 Job Interview Fee

The debate was ignited by a November 2023 LinkedIn post from Mike Cuthriell, the CEO of an Arizona-based cannabis company, Grow Sciences. He suggested a non-refundable $20 interview fee to save time and deter unsuitable candidates. Still, he later clarified the idea was merely a 'thought exercise' and not a policy he intended to implement.

The CEO's stated goal was to save time and discourage unsuitable candidates from applying. While his reasoning is understandable, it prompts a key question: Does this approach actually work or does it simply create an unfair obstacle for job seekers?

The Controversy and the Reply

The controversial post on Cuthriell's LinkedIn account drew widespread criticism from people in the workforce. In the post, the CEO posed a direct question to his followers: 'Am I insensitive to the world if I think people should pay a small fee ($20?) to apply for a job as a means to prevent an overwhelming quantity of underqualified or mismatched submissions?'

Cuthriell's post ended with a clarification: 'The fee will guarantee an in-person interview, but not the job. The fee could be $1 and is not a means of generating income for the company. To those who took a moment to contemplate the question and answer productively and professionally thanks. Exchange ideas and avoid the vitriol.'

Weighing In on the Proposal

The proposal was widely criticised as a way for Cuthriell to make more money from applicants, since the fee only secured an interview and nothing else. In the comments, Nathan Girad, the CEO of Bloom Brothers, responded with a sarcastic suggestion: 'Mike C piling it on why not charge $1000 and then give them a $1000 bonus if they pay when they get the job.'

Recruiting Manager Amy Miller questioned the guarantee in her response: 'The fee guarantees an interview? So I could apply, upload my nana's chicken pot pie recipe as my "resume" and because I paid the fee I'm in for at least an interview?'

The proposal's impact on entry-level hiring was questioned by graphic designer and photographer, Jessica O., who asked: 'Does this address mine and millions of others' inability to get an entry-level job in a field we have education but technically no experience in, due to high expectations?'

The conversation surrounding a potential job application fee unfolds against a challenging backdrop, as thousands of people in both the UK and the US report applying for numerous jobs daily with little to no success.

The Wider Job Market: A Look at UK and US Unemployment

Data from Trading Economics shows the US unemployment rate recently stood at 4.2%, a slight rise from the previous month's 4.1%. The UK's rate remained unchanged at 4.7% over the last two reporting periods.

This figure marked its highest point since the three months to July 2021, as the number of people unemployed for between six and twelve months and for more than a year increased compared to the prior period.

While all categories of unemployment — for up to six months, between six and twelve months, and over twelve months — rose on an annual basis, the number of employed individuals climbed by 238,000 to reach 34.21 million. This was the highest employment figure since September 2024, driven by gains in full-time jobs.

The US unemployment rate inched up to 4.2% in July 2025 from 4.1% in June, a change that was in line with market forecasts. According to Trading Economics, the number of people without a job increased by 221,000 to 7.236 million. At the same time, the number of employed people fell by 260,000 to 163.106 million.

The labour force in the US shrank by 38,000 to 170.342 million. This was reflected in key metrics, with the labour force participation rate slipping by 0.1 percentage points to 62.2% — its lowest level since November 2022 — while the employment-population ratio also dropped by 0.1 points to 59.6%, its weakest point since December 2021.

A Complex Problem, No Simple Answer

What began as a single controversial LinkedIn post highlights a much larger, more complex issue in the job market. While the CEO's idea aimed to solve a problem for his company, the data reveals a challenging landscape for millions of job seekers.

The debate over a simple fee ultimately brings to light the difficulties of a labour market where unemployment is on the rise and many are struggling to find work, regardless of qualifications.