To go for a second interview when they said their is no flex working in the first interview?

[Thisismynewname123]

I'm looking for a new job due to upcoming redundancy. I work in an industry that I have never seen a job advertised as part time. However, in my current position I have good flexible working arrangements - my hours are shifted to start early and finish early, and I work from home whenever I want (officially a couple of days a week).

I have been advised to not mention flexibility until the offer stage, at which point the company are invested in you. If I tell them early on, they are unlikely to bother interviewing, if there are other candidates that don't need flexibility. I've had a couple of first interviews. This particular one is a role that I am interested in, however, the interviewer ended the interview by saying that the job is office based. You are expected to be in the office 9-6 every day. Working from home only in exceptional circumstances on occasional days. He hinted at a second interview, and I'm waiting to hear back. I didn't comment when he made the point about lack of flexibility.

So, would it be unreasonably in this case to go for a second interview and potentially waste everyone's time as he has been clear it's onsite? Or go to the interview and if they make an offer, tell them then that I need flexibility? On the one hand, I see it as good interview practice as I've been in my current job for many years so I need to build up my confidence for interviews. I was interested in the job until he spoke about flexibility. On the other hand, I can't do 9-6 in an office 5 days, no matter how good the job offer. It just won't work around child care responsibilities.
What should I do?

I’ve just been in exactly the same situation. I was open and honest about my need for flexibility from the start. If they can’t do it, I don’t want to work there. My job can be done flexibly, without impacting on business. If a company chooses not to allow it, that’s not the kind of mindset I want to work with.

I would go for a second interview and ask them outright. If you are the best candidate by far, they may be willing to be flexible. If they say no, thank them for their time and wish them all the best.

Or, if they offer an interview to you, ask them at that point if it is something they might consider.

I presume they are going to tell other applicants they have been unsuccessful in their application if they're offering you a second interview.

They won’t tell other candidates until the position is filled. If they let anyone go it is because they are entirely unsuitable, not because OP has pipped them to the post. There is no limit on how many they recall, they will bring back as many as they think are great candidates. This isn’t a valid reason for the OP to make her decision at all

As someone who worked in HR I would be pissed off if I knocked good people out of the process and gave you a second interview only to then be told you needed flexi hours when you had clearly been told they were not available. Not good if you ever wanted to apply to the company again in the future.

OP, I work at a university, and our IT team do generally work in the office, as you need to be around to attend meetings, go to people's offices to trouble shoot etc. I can see why they'd expect you to be on site. It may also be a nuisance to set up a VPN, display screen assessment etc. to work from home.

Our IT team do have loads of people who start at 7.30 or 8amam though, so it might be worth pushing back on why you have to be around 9 - 6. Ask if there are any key meetings to ensure you're in for those, but it might be your post would be the "core hours" filler role, around existing staff who have the earlier / later hours that suit them.

I know is highly unlikely to be replicated elsewhere

I thought that, but have found another job that offers the same.

I would personally raise it if you get a call to go for a second interview that way they can decide if they’re willing to flex. I work in a tech company and we appear to be very forward thinking - all gadgets, games, lovely decor in office, but your request would be an absolute no from us so it would save both of us time to know in advance.

As someone who worked in HR I would be pissed off if I knocked good people out of the process

That would be a poor decision on your part. Knocking anyone good out of the process too soon is a mistake.

@Brefugee, yes, I've been in my current position for 15 years, so I'm getting a good package from it. I could stay off work from 6-12 months if I wanted to, but I'd rather have the money to spend on doing stuff to the house! I am seeing these interviews as good early practice at the moment, but I don't want to piss off the agency to the point that they won't contact me in future. The fact that it was explicitly mentioned makes me feel now that I'm being dishonest if I don't mention it at this point

Personally I would't go to a second interview. Your potential line manager has made it clear there is no flexibility and I think you'd be wasting your own time as well as theirs by going back knowing full well you cannot accept the role if it was offered to you.

If you agency call with a second interview, tell them why. They will know their client and know if there is any leeway.

As they specifically mentioned it already, it seems less likely they'd agree to what you need. I would probably be upfront and ask if they invite you for a second interview.

As an aside, have you considered setting up as a freelancer instead of finding another position? As you are in IT this could work very well to give you as much flexibility as you like.

I think you're worrying too much. No one is obliged to take a job they are offered, or stay in a job. Interviewing is a two-way process and the very last question you are asked could make you realise that this is not the company for you. None of this is wasting anyone's time. If that was the case everyone who didn't get the job wasted their time, they didn't, they learned from the process and got better at it.

I appreciate all the comments, although they seem to be split about what to do!

I think I will probably tell the agency at this point, as it was so explicitly said in the interview.

He gave the impression there isn't a large pool of candidates. I don't think there isn't currently anyone else that he's interviewing for the role (he didn't outright say, but it was implied). I know the area I work in is not inundated with people with similar skills to me, so it's reasonably sought after. I don't think I would have a problem finding a position if it wasn't for the flexi working. I guess if I get desperate because I can't get the flex working anywhere, then I'll have to reconsider later in the process.

Go for the second interview . You may be much more impressive than the alternative candidates - give yourself the chance to impress in a second interview. If you get offered the job - negotiate .

I would go along just for the interview practice - and also you could maybe use it as an opportunity to show how well you worked when you did flexi and how your productivity didn’t suffer, you were more motivated etc etc? You might end up convincing them because you’re so utterly persuasive and brilliant.

As PP said, the people who have been “knocked off” the second interview list might have been knocked off anyway. There isn’t necessarily seven spaces only, or whatever.

It sounds like it’s early days for you then, I’d definitely be honest if they over you a second and then you’ll know where you stand. As you’ve got a bit of time, it’s worth holding out for the ideal position I’d say! They are definitely out there in tech though.

Is your linked in profile up to date and open to offers? I’ve got a lot of interest through that of late.

I'm going through a recruitment agency. I haven't told them either that ideally I want part time, or at the very least flexible hours with some work from home.

and people wonder why recruitment agencies have a bad name.

If you don't tell them what you are after, HOW do you expect them to find the right job for you and help you?

This attitude pisses me off so much. Do you know how many people REALLY want to work part-time? Actually very little. They think they do, but what they mean is part-time with a full time salary. Or they don't mean part-time, they mean exactly school hours with school holiday off.

When you look for part-time, you are (or should be) ask to prove WHY you want to work PT. When you look a bit deeper into it, honestly there are not that many candidates.

I am digressing, but that annoys me so much, waste of time for everybody AND you might not have been put forward to the one job who needed a part-timer...

I’ve just been in exactly the same situation. I was open and honest about my need for flexibility from the start. If they can’t do it, I don’t want to work there. My job can be done flexibly, without impacting on business. If a company chooses not to allow it, that’s not the kind of mindset I want to work with.

Absolutely agreed. Applications are a two way process, and if a role and organisation CAN be flexible, then I consider it a black mark if they aren't. It's a sign of poor innovation, backwards-thinking, limiting attitudes that I will have no truck with so long as they can be avoided.

Our organisation is very flexible, but I lay out the extent to which we can be flexible from the outset, and take a poor view of CF who assume that we will go further for them (they are usually unremarkable candidates, to be honest).

I disagree-it must be important for them to mention theres no flexi time otherwise why would they bother so early on

@BusterTheBulldog yes my LinkedIn profile is up to date. I actually haven't proactively applied for anything yet because I was going to wait until I finish in my current job, but I've had recruiters reach out to me through LinkedIn, which is where this one came about from

The fact that it was explicitly mentioned makes me feel now that I'm being dishonest if I don't mention it at this point

Sounds sensible to me. The point here is that there's no way of knowing why the line manager won't consider flexi; there may be a good reason - even if it's just that they've been thoroughly burned in the past - or there may not, but that's something you could legitimately ask about if they contact you again

@EarlGreyOfTwinings I think you're being a bit harsh. I was contacted through LinkedIn by the agency about the position. I haven't actually even seen a job description but it's a very well known company. I dont think some flexibility is unreasonable. I currently work for a large global organisation where everyone is given a laptop rather than desktop computer when they start, and meetings are all through Zoom. Very rarely face to face. This is all my normal!

I don't think Hands up was being harsh. I am currently running a recruitment campaign and have offered one of the roles to a candidate that keeps coming back with more and more demands - about location, hours, onboarding etc. All of these were covered in the interview by us and if he had been more honest when he was given the opportunity to discuss his needs then we could have made a fully informed decision. As it is we have rejected other candidates in favour of someone who is now making increasingly unworkable demands as we get closer to his start date. None of us are keen to work with him now as we feel like he's not been entirely honest.

@ABoozedMoose I understand that, but so far I've just had the first interview and there have been no previous discussions around hours expected so I dont think I've messed them around at this point. I do understand that it is s bit cheeky to go beyond this now that it has come up, without mentioning it at this point.

Go for the second interview, you won't know unless you ask.

I went for an interview, job was central London (didn't want to work in London anymore) with fixed 8am - 6pm hours. Given I live about 30 miles outside of and would be driving in my day would be more like 6am to 8pm.

I got a second interview, it went well, at the end I said thanks but I don't think the working hours will suit me......

Three years on with the same company, I have secured an office just half hour from home. I work 9-3, at home when I need to and this is all provided my work doesn't not suffer as a result of the flexibility. Which it doesn't.

My employers view flexibility on an individual basis but certainly do not mention it being a possibility at an interview.

If they want you they will try to accommodate the best they can

I really appreciate all the comments, but there is a definite split on opinions of whether whether I should say something now or not!

To add, granted the flexibility wasn't immediate, it took about 12 months to secure it. But it was worth a 12 month wait and hideous daily journey into London