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?

How many prospective employers offer candidates a role, it's accepted and then they drop the 'oh by the way' bombshell.

It's no different to you waiting it out for a second interview to test the water on flexibility.

Remember you are interviewing them as much as they are you

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.

It would a greater concern to me that we were losing good candidates because of the lack of flexibility. The OP is right, a large element of the IT market now offers greater amounts of flexibility and I suspect this will just increase.

Been in IT for 20 years and don't know a single person in the industry who works 5 x full days in the office, with the exception of specific on-site roles such as support staff contracted to be onsite for a customer.

OP, considering where you are at, I'd mention it at this stage. Something like 'I'd love to come and talk to you more about the role but suspect the lack of flexibility will be an issue for me so if there is no chance of this changing it might be better if we stopped here'.

I'm an HR Manager and recruiting good people is exceptionally hard at the moment!

I'd suggest you speak to the agency and explain your situation. Either 1 of 2 things will happen:

• the company wont budge and you will withdraw from the process
• the company like you so much that they will work around you (or at least negotiate something).

9-6 are long hours and I suspect will be a hinderance to their recruitment anyway.

If it's a hard no from you and them at this stage then there is not much point in continuing. Presumably the salary offered is full time at 9-6 so you would need to do 8-5 to remain at that salary. If you want to drop 5 hours a week to do 8-4 with the associated drop in salary they may not mind. If you drop to 2 days a week it may be impossible to find someone to pick up the slack. They may struggle to allow home working for whatever reason so I think it is best to be clear about what you would and wouldn't be willing to negotiate on.

I think they are unreasonable as they are completely ruling out a lot of parents who have children at nurseries that finish at 6pm. Can't imagine they would be a very family friendly company to work for.

Don't waste their time. A second interview often involves pulling in senior staff and it is more than annoying to find someone isn't really interested in the job that was advertised. I am surprised the Agency didn't warn you against doing this. I teach interview skills and one thing we stress is that the company is only interested in what you can do for them, not the other way round. You really should have asked about this when they invited questions at the first interview. Even worse - as en employer - is when you breathe a sigh of relief as you think you have found the perfect person for a job then they turn the job down when you offer it. {confused} and you have to start the whole process all the time. Happens all the time.

I'd mention it at the second interview (if you get one).

I don't recruit anymore but when I did, the hours on offer were to fit around existing staff. E.g. Jo had been told that once the new person was in place she could start & finish early. We would still need the same hours covering so that same flexibility would not be available to a newcomer at that time.

There is almost always wiggle room if you are an outstanding candidate.
If you are just a short nose ahead of the competition, no so much
Only one to find out
Go to the interview

I wouldn't bother. Also it's best to be honest with the recruitment agency, so they can match you as best possible. It's in their interest to secure you a role

I suggest you go for the second interview, its better to have the option.

If the office is open from 8am then I think offering to work the same hours in the office but a different pattern (8 to 4.30 with only short lunch break) might be worth trying.

I think it'd be deceitful to go to a second interview without having mentioned the flexibility question.

I think it'd be deceitful to go to a second interview without having mentioned the flexibility question.

FFS get a stream of people at work doing this. Nothing too much trouble at interview then soon as they get a job the demands start.
all working is done on need of the business.
If they were upfront and said no why waste everyones time .Granted another interview is just a few hours to you but for them it's restarting the selection process.

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

I agree. And a lot of the people saying that their work became more flexible are saying either they mentioned it at the end of the second interview and it was allowed, or that it was allowed once they'd worked there for an hour or two, both of which are quite different for you. It has been explicitly mentioned already.

Maybe the agency could advise on how strict they are on this?

If the day from home isn't vital to you so really you just need to start earlier and take less lunch, that might be more doable, but if you want somewhere truly flexible, this doesn't sound like the manager for you.

If they have explicitly said no flexible working then I doubt there is the ability to negotiate. They are being up front so candidates can decide whether to apply giving their personal circumstances. You could go to the interview and if they offer you the role take it FT and after 26 weeks (as per government guidelines) you can make a formal application to work flexibly. They have to consider it but can turn you down on one of 8 statutory reasons. Unfortunately some companies believe working flexibly is not a right but a privilege

Yes I'd check with the agency on flexibility, too. It's a shame that they might miss out on you as a candidate but best to be upfront and hope they can come through!

I think I would contact them, get confirmation as to whether there is definitely no flexi (just in case that was a rogue manager). If they confirm I would decline the interview so not to waste your time. No flexi is an absolutely no-go for me not just for the lack of flexibility but I'd wonder what they were like as an employer more generally also. At least then by turning down the second interview they are seeing the impact of such rigid employment practices.

My DH interviews for his company as part of his job. He frequently spends up to 6 hours driving to do a first or second interview. Can you imagine the frustration he feels when he arrives to find that the applicant is only interested in desk based roles when he’s asked for a home based candidate, or someone who isn’t willing to travel when the job has specified travelling to clients! It’s frustrating for all, especially as he’s done a 6 hour round trip for nothing, and wasted his day. This usually comes about because the applicant and agency haven’t been honest with each other. Even if you were a perfect fit for the role he wouldn’t be taking you on if you want something he can’t offer. Be honest!