Can I pressure prospective employer to confirm job offer (or rejection) by a certain date so I can still have time to apply for voluntary redundancy at current job?

[voluntaryredundancy]

I wasn't looking for a new job but have been headhunted and they seem very keen to see me so am going along for an interview/chat next week - 16th May. It sounds like a good opportunity so am flattered to be considered and will most likely take it if they offer me the job.

My current employer has just announced a voluntary redundancy scheme whereby you apply to be paid to leave the company. The deadline for applications is 24th May.

Ideally, I'd get offered the new job and still have time to apply for and be accepted for redundancy at current work, leave with 6 months salary and walk straight into a higher paid job :p There's no guarantee I'd get redundancy and if I didn't, I'd just hand in my notice. If I don't get offered the new job, I won't apply for redundancy.

Would it be reasonable of me to ask the new employer for a deadline of any final decision/offer of 23rd May? I've never been so bold to ask anything like that before... Or would it be totally naff? If they ask why the deadline, how much do I tell them?

Given that they approached me for the new job I don't know how much I can call the shots or should tell them! There will likely be another round of interviews, so time is v v v v tight.

I know I want my cake and to eat it, but would be great if I can make it work.

Any advice? Thanks!

[flowery]

Not pressure, but you can certainly ask whether there's a possibility of a definite answer by your deadline. If you make it clear that you plan to accept the offer either way then no one is going to be irritated by the question.

if you do apply for voluntary redundancy, are you really committed at that stage to accepting it if your current employers then offer it to you? Check the details of the scheme, because often initial applications wouldn't actually be binding.

[annh]

Just because you apply for VR does not generally mean that the company has to accept your application. If they receive too many applications or too many from one area, they might decide not to accept yours. What I don't know is what the deadline for letting people know about their applications will be? Someone knowledgeable in HR could hopefully advise? The difficulty there is that you have asked the new company to offer you a role within a certain timeframe but there will be a limit to how long you can wait to hand in your notice at the old company, while waiting to hear about VR.

[voluntaryredundancy]

Thanks for your quick replies.

Good idea flowery to combine the request with confirmation that I'd be happy to accept. The annoucement stated that by virture of applying that would be taken as my agreement to leave should my application be successful.

annh - I'm aware that I might not get VR, and I won't apply unless the new job is a dead cert. The VR announcment also stated successful applicants would end their employment on 30 June. Them telling me whether I've been successful for VR is irrelevant because if I don't get it, I'll just hand in my notice - and - I've told the prospective employer I'm on 3 months notice which might be negotiable... I'm actually only on 1 months notice.