Travel costs to interview.

[admylin]

When you are invited to an interview do you always get travel costs? How do you ask for it if it isn't mentioned? Dh had his travel costs returned for the job he is in now but the interview before for which he didn't get the job, the people never replied to his request for travel costs - now he has an even more expensive trip to an interview because he has to fly to the UK from Germany and stay 2 nights in a hotel. How would you ask for the costs?
We can afford this trip easily but if he doesn't get the job and he has to go for two or three more interviews eleswhere it will start getting expensive.

TBH, I don't think it's the norm for companies to be paying interviewees travel costs.

what business is it?

When I run a recruitment dept, we paid for interviews if there was a flight involved, but only if the candidate agreed it with us in advance. We would tell them to fly low cost.... nothing hacks you of more at an interiew than being presented with a bill for top flights and hotel costs.

Agree with the company first what they will pay.

If they are recruiting expats then they would normally pay some expenses. If locally then probably not.

Ask about it at the time the interview is being arranged. This is easier is a recruitment agent/headhunter is involved.

After the event (if unsuccessful) it comes across as sour grapes.

Dh is a research scientist and we live in Germany but the interview is in the UK and is a job which has been advertised world-wide so I hope the flight and hotel will be taken into account even if not to full - other germans we know got flight and hotel money. How would you formulate such a question before going to an interview? I would think he would be handed a form to complete and send to their office with reciepts of payments which he would only have after the interview.

..just ask them if they will pay expenses and if so do they want receipts, boarding cards, etc.

Some companies will book and pay bills directly.

Its not a big deal to ask and won't be seen as negative by the company.

When I worked in HR we paid only students costs unless agreed in advance. As it involves flights etc I would ask.