To think interview expenses should be reimbursed?

[Polarbearflavour]

I’ve been invited to interview for a Civil Service Department role - it’s a mass recruitment campaign with a few jobs going at several offices across the UK.

Only catch is - interview is in Birmingham which is 4 hours away and the train fare is £125 for an off peak return!

I think this should be reimbursable. I’m not applying for a job in Birmingham, I’m applying for the job in my home city and ticked that box on the application form.

I have asked them and they don’t reimburse interview expenses end of. I completely expect to pay my own expenses for interviews in a city that a live in or would be commuting to. But not to a completely different place!

[Camomila]

So let me get this straight...it's a national recruitnment campaign but the interviews are only in one place? In that case yes I think they should reemburse the interviews.

Ages ago I had an interview/training day for the census and that was reembursed.

DBro got offered flights and a hotel room to Germany recently! Private sector obvs.

[Polarbearflavour]

Yep national campaign but interviews for the region (south west, Wales and the Midlands) all being done in Birmingham!

[SallySangFroid]

That’s rubbish and I’d also expect them to either reimburse or let you interview a bit closer to home. Obviously, if you want the job you’ll have to find the money, but I do think that’s unfair on people who can’t afford to go.

I used to work in recruitment for an engineering company and we always reimbursed travel expenses for interview if requested.

Have you asked about potentially interviewing by Skype? I’ve done that before too.

[MrsStrowman]

I had to go to an assessment centre, panel and interview for the MOJ in Manchester, civil service, they reimbursed expenses even for those candidates that were unsuccessful. They paid for my hotel for one of them (early start, the other two were in the afternoon). So it's not an across the board civil service policy. Have you looked at Megabus? They can be really cheap, I used them a lot as a student.

[Bombardier25966]

It's a big expense but the they interview hundreds of people. I don't think it should come from the public purse.

Some departments do cover expenses though, for instance the Fast Stream do.

[Lazypuppy]

When i applied for the civil service they did reimburse, no issues, just asked for receipts and gave you a form to fill out. Have you even asked?

[Lazypuppy]

Sorry just seen you have asked, i'd ask again

[LittleMissedTheSunshine]

Yeah, that is shit. They are relying on people being so desperate to get the job that they'll put up and shut up.

My former boss did this for a role based in another part of the country, made candidates come 200 plus miles to see her as she couldn't be arsed to travel, despite the fact that she would get her travel paid for! Made them pay for travel on the basis that 'it shows they're really serious'

[SallySangFroid]

Made them pay for travel on the basis that 'it shows they're really serious'

Ugh classic and then only one person maximum is going to be successful. It’s twatty hiring managers like this who made me hate recruiting for them. My personal favourite was when a man said the engineer he had just interviewed would be fully committed because she was a mother to young children. So was he! Idiot.

[AuntBeastie]

They should definitely reimburse or it’s not fair on applicants from low income backgrounds.

[SallySangFroid]

*would not

[Polarbearflavour]

I work part time at the moment so that’s a lot of money! I do have the money but that’s two weeks of groceries for us! I don’t want to spend it on a job I may not even get.

There was nothing on the job advert about travelling to Birmingham for an interview.

[LittleMissedTheSunshine]

polarbear would it be cheaper to get an off peak ticket and a really cheap air B and B at all? If you can stay over the night before that is

[carbuckety]

I believe that the civil service has a general rule not to pay expenses for recruitment any more except in exceptional circumstances. Your financial circumstances may be 'exceptional '. You can ask. They won't judge

[Neshoma]

I don't think they should reimburse for a standard interview. If there was something exceptional like a 5am start, were you really need hotel accommodation, then they should.

[SallySangFroid]

Ask about interviewing by Skype? Just for the first round, employers will often let you, as most people won’t get the job iyswim.

[LittleG69]

I've just found out I've got an interview for the Department of Education and it specifically says they don't cover interview costs. I'm lucky in that I had a choice of locations and my home town was one of them.

As others have said, could you get a bus? National Express can be cheap ish

[TattyCat]

Hmmm.... my first thought was to disagree that they should pay expenses because it's publically funded. However, if they are running 'hundreds' of interviews then it's actually probably cheaper to pay expenses for those who ask than it is for the interviewers to run up and down the country (fuel, hotels, meals etc, plus their paid time), so on that basis I'd ask.

Not unreasonable to hold interviews in one central location, imo, because it speeds up the process.

[serbska]

Could you get a coach?

I agree travel expenses should be covered if the interview is in a different location to the city you apply to.

[Wonkypalmtree]

Try looking at a pre booked cheaper ticket? I wouldn’t ask for reimbursement

[LittleG69]

The interviewers will be serving civil servants and they will probably be in their 'home office'. I work for HMRC and have interviewed before.

If your interview is with HMRC let me know if you want any advice and I'll try to help

[Ghostontoast]

Is it Mr Gove's ministry - he's the sort of twat who would impose such stupidity! If it is his darling wife at the DM would run a puff-piece saying what a good idea too!

[VimFuego101]

In the scenario you described, it's very unfair that they expect you to pay the cost of travelling to the interview.

[Polarbearflavour]

It’s for the VOA.

[bridgetreilly]

I think they should be reimbursing for an interview that is not being held in the same location as the job. That's ridiculous.