"Bot" interviews is what I am calling this, but what is it, and what do I do about it?

[bucolic_frolic]

A major major retailer that everyone has heard of sends me a link and asks me questions - duties, times, pay rate - about a dozen questions, at which point it says "... we offer you a job ... Do you accept this offer of employment?"

WTF? THAT is a job offer? No one to answer questions, no come in to talk to us, no one to discuss duration, other job leads with other employers?

The real question is ... if I say yes to this, how obligated am I? Can I continue looking for other work? They have to know most employees would be gone in a heartbeat given a better opportunity. It almost sounds like they lack sufficient personnel to conduct an interview. Easier to just have someone show up for work and run with it. It could be ok if it leads to something higher. Or it could be temporary.

What am I missing?

[tulipsandroses]

1. Are you positive it's from the retailer?

Lots of employment scams out there. Is this being done on the official company site? If it’s all legitimate, unless you sign a contract, I don’t think you would be obligated to do anything.

[bucolic_frolic]

2. You confirm my suspicion, and yes it's legitimate

thought the online job offer is a new wrinkle. Schedule an interview I understand. You're hired by screening questionairre is a puzzle.
My inclination is to go with it and try to make something of the interview. But will there be one? This feels more like scab labor in a parking lot than an actual job application.

[Scrivener7]

3. I'd go with it. You are never obligated to go to a job against your will. If you go to

the job and find you hate it or it is not what you were led to believe, you can simply walk. But if it turns out OK, you got yourself a job.

Congratulations.... I think!

[relayerbob]

4. Few major corporations are bothering with HR any more

Really not cost effective, since basically it's going to be some person asking you the same questions and running the same instant background check they probably ran based on the asnwers to your questions. Unless it's a management type position, and is for something likes sales or seasonal work, then this is not a particular surprise to me. Since you haven't specified what the job opening was, it's impossible to comment further.

[bucolic_frolic]

5. The whole thing proved just too weird for me

I have to wonder if they're using this system to trick candidates into accepting the sub-standard pay rate. They ask you to "accept" a job offer before meeting them, taking a drug test, and the background check. So if you pass those it's no longer an offer of employment, it's already accepted, for an erratic, unknown, part time position. It's committing to something unknown and unknowable. So if you decline at that point, you've quit a job you never worked at. And there are no actual people to talk to about the position, scheduling, future benefits, permanent employment. I understand they put no time in it because time is money and there is no HR. But what presentation to the working public!