AIBU to ask this at an interview?

[FriendshipsAreHardForMe]

I have an interview coming up for a full time position (37hrs).

I'd ideally like to work part-time but was finding the right opportunity hard to come by so decided to apply to some full-time positions in hopes to negotiate down.

Anyway.... In terms of asking them if they'd consider me working part time...

Am I being unreasonable to not say anything about hours until I receive a job offer (if I do of course)? So as not to put them off too quickly. But maybe they'd be annoyed I've potentially wasted their time.

YANBU - wait until job offer to ask for P/T
YABU - mention P/T hours at the interview

Thanks 😊

I've written in my cover letter in the past I'm looking for part time if they'd consider it, saves some time for everyone. I got a part time job doing this, even though it was advertised as full time.

How part time do you want? I think that makes a big difference. If you want 0.8, for example, and you’re applying for roles you’d be so competent at you’d still be able to fulfill the role in that time then fair enough. If you’ll only consider half time or school hours then not so much.

The proper way to go about it would be to call ahead and ask if they’d consider the kind of arrangement you want. If yes, apply. If not, don’t.

But you’re right that occasionally an applicant will be so amazing that you’d be accommodating for them (or, I hate to say it, the field is so poor that you feel you have to) so it’s worth a punt as long as you accept that you could well be wasting your time and theirs. If you do this, wait to receive an offer. Don’t say it at interview.

Hiring manager here, I wouldn’t be annoyed as long as what you were proposing was still quite full time - so for instance once I advertised for 37 hours a week and the successful person asked if they could do 34 hours over 4 days - that was a yes. Someone who came for a full time post but then asked for 3 short days would irritate me.

I was recently advertising for an assistant role in a specialist area full time. It was proving really hard to recruit for. The applicant I liked the most then tried to negotiate down to 20 hours per week.

Well no... the role you have applied for was clearly advertised as full time.

Don't waste their time if you can't fulfill the conditions advertised.

So few jobs are offered as part-time, I think it's worth waiting until an offer.

Both DH and I have recruited people for full time professional jobs but would have been happy to go part-time for the right person, and I wouldn't have minded if it hadn't come up until very late on. But maybe I'm more open to that because I've had similar challenges myself, and also work on increasing diversity.

If they're recruiting multiple jobs then there's definitely more potential for negotiating a part-time role. If it's a one off and a small organisation it can be harder to accommodate as it means finding another person who can do a job share.

I have done this 3 times and been successful in them accepting part time each time. On 1 occasion I mentioned upfront and the other 2 after the first interview.
I think it depends on how open their culture is to part time (which you may or may not know until you meet them) and also how in demand your skills are/ how much you fit what they are looking for.
There may be an element of ‘convincing’ them, in which case you’d want to introduce/ pitch the idea at the right time. Each time I ‘sold’ it as an advantage. Don’t forget they get all your knowledge and experience but it costs them less!!
You need to judge yourself how and when in the process to raise it.
If they really want you, they will be flexible. That is my experience anyway, but I know that will vary depending what industry you are in

Surely if you leave it until they offer, they have already rejected all the people asking for part time, so your opportunity to job share is reduced. I would have thought that it would be better to mention it before interview so they can ask other candidates whether they'd consider a job share.

Unless we put on the advert that we would consider job share applicants or that the hours are negotiable I would be very unimpressed
I am constantly amazed at the number of people who apply for jobs or even accept them and then try and change things to suit themselves
When I work out what I’m looking for it’s to meet a need the business has - not a need of the employee
Recent examples were for a receptionist who had to cover a reception area open between 9 and 5 who requested working 10-3 around child care - who also wanted term time only!!!!

how many hours are part time?

how many are you proposing? i work 32 hrs and its called 'part time'

I did this at interview and so did another candidate. So they offered us both part time roles, both of us accepted. The organisation were pleased with the additional flexibility it gave them

Following because I also want to bring up this question about p/t hours

I'd definitely wait until you have an offer.

They might just say no, and move to the next person. No harm done.

They might consider you the best candidate in spite of reduced hours - but they wouldn't know that until they've interviewed everyone.

Whether or not you'll get it would depend on the hours you're asking for and whether it fits with their business needs. Just work out how to phrase it....you'd love the role, would it be practical to work x hours etc

In my last interview I didn’t ask about part time until I was offered the job - I asked for 25 hours then we compromised with 30. They wanted me for the job and were happy to compromise. I still work there 5 years on. If they weren’t happy with me working part time they would have offered the job to the reserve, so nothing ventured…

I waited until I was successful then said that A bit brazenly that would take the job if I could work compressed hours over 4 days. They were very supportive and agreed. Nothing to lose once you have been offered the job.

Unless the post has been advertised as PT or job share, then I think YABU. If the role has been advertised as FT, the duties probably can't be performed on PT hours. If an interviewee asked me for PT hours for a role advertised as FT, I would feel as if I'd wasted my time. I think it was be fairer all around if you asked them in advance of the interview via the recruitment consultant if you are unable/unwilling to do FT hours.

You ask before you apply for the job. If they advertise for full time then they are probably looking for someone full time funnily enough.

I think you run the risk of pissing them off to be honest.

What type of job is it? Could you temp or contract? That's a great way of getting yourself in the door and negotiating what you want if they like you.

Someone I work with did this, interviewed for the full time post and when offered it said they were only willing to take it of it was reduced to 30 hours. He got what he wanted with his 30 hours but he also got all our backs up at the cheekiness of it.

Opposite criteria but our positions are mostly part time, we clearly state the hours in all the adverts (they're fixed) and then we get to interview and they say 'I'm really looking for a full time job, is there any chance it could be full-time' NO - IF WE WANTED A FULLTIME PERSON WE'D ADVERTISE FOR ONE!!. Seriously annoying and excludes them because we know they're going to be looking for a fulltime job so not worth putting time and effort in to train them.

I'm surprised so many people appear to be almost insulted by someone asking to negotiate.

People negotiate all the time. Salary, location, even job title. So why not hours?

I know so many men who have asked for a higher salary and no one blinks.

A woman who wants to work 0.8 is chastised for "wasting time".

Employers waste candidates time all the time. I've known LOADS of occasions where people have gone out to interview when they have someone internal lined up but they do it because of HR process.

I don't feel guilty for applying for full time jobs. It's my only way in (well, apart from maybe 1 PT job every few months) so I'll take it. I have mouths to feed and as others have said, luckily some employers are wise enough to at least consider it, even if it's not possible for all roles.

I suspect they need someone full-time given the role and organisation. That's ok, I may well still accept it. I'd just prefer part time and wanted some advice on how to go about asking.

Thanks all, think I will hold fire, do as well as I can at interview and if offered the job, will request then. Who knows!

I did it at the interview stage. Mentioned that I didn’t want to waste anyones time or mislead them by accepting a f-t job if it was offered to me and then apply to work part time after a few months. In the spirit of honesty and openness, I wanted to let them know that I needed to work part-time (I also, very briefly, explained my reasons). One employer appeared to take it badly but the next employer took it well and I worked there (part-time) for many years.

It's a bit sad you'd feel someone wasted your time. Rather, see it that they really want the job and are hoping you may like them enough to take a punt (where possible).

But it’s still a waste of the hiring manager’s time. They’re not looking for a mate; they need to fill a role. If that’s a full time role, someone who only wants part time is of no use, no matter how much they might want the job.

As others have said, recruitment takes up a significant amount of time - and for a lot of managers, they’re not only trying to fit it in around their own job, but also the work that has created the vacancy.

Employers waste candidates time all the time. I've known LOADS of occasions where people have gone out to interview when they have someone internal lined up but they do it because of HR process.

Yes - and it’s a fucking pain in the arse. If you know this, why take the ‘tit for tat’ approach?

If I was interviewing you and you asked for part time in a clearly stated full time role, you certainly wouldn't be getting the job!

@FriendshipsAreHardForMe I think you are maybe being unnecessarily harsh on employers here.

In my case I needed a 40hr per week person. It's been almost impossible to find someone qualified for this role because the offices are in quite a rural location with no public transport.

I would not have been able to agree to part time due to the workload and the lack of suitable candidates so couldn't agree to a job share etc.

@WomanStanleyWoman

Employers waste candidates time all the time. I've known LOADS of occasions where people have gone out to interview when they have someone internal lined up but they do it because of HR process.

Yes - and it’s a fucking pain in the arse. If you know this, why take the ‘tit for tat’ approach?

Me wasting their time is annoying but at the end of the day, they're still all getting paid. Most companies can afford the odd wasted interview (after all, there are other candidates, no one's forcing them to take me PT)

Them wasting candidates time is expensive. Costs to prepare for interview (maybe clothes, travel costs etc). Then using annual leave to attend. Even costing childcare to cover.

So it's not tit for tat in my eyes, it's much worse employers wasting individuals time and money (and often multiple people's when they're interviewing for a job that in reality isn't actually available) than one candidate asking for flexible hours 🤷🏻