How to convince potential new boss I can do a full time job in less hours

[mammasmadhouse]

Potential new boss has said that the workload of the role requires full time (36 hours) but is keen to support flexible working and open to discuss options. I currently work 27.5 hours per week in what originally was a full time role (Different area to potential new post). In my current role my hours fit around the school run, where I have a late meeting I make alternative collection arrangements for my dd, I quite often respond to emails etc on an evening or when I am away from work. So how can I best make a case for reduced hours.., without automatically removing myself from the recruitment process?

I swung it this way when I went for a promotion: 28 core hours in the office, 7 hours working flexibly with the demands of the business, which works out as working through my lunch break, working for a couple of hours in the evenings twice a week and a project telco in the middle of the night every week.

What might work depends hugely on the responsibilities involved in the role. Can you give a bit more information about what you'd be doing ?

It will be a finance based role, looking after budgets (income & expenditure) and expenses etc for a team of approx 10, who work as training consultants.

There must be a reason why it requires full time, I think you need to get the job then prove you can do it in the times you want, or go for a different role

You'll only know how busy it is when you do the job.

My last job was 35 hours and I pretty much stuck to those hours. Current job is 37 hours but workload is crippling so working much longer.

The trouble is, unless you're doing the job, or know it well, it's always going to be hard to identify which aspects of the job don't need doing, or can be done in a more efficient way, allowing the hours to be reduced.

You need to make a case for how the job can be done in fewer hours, fine. In that case presumably you do genuinely think it can be done in fewer hours. What is it that makes you think that yourself? How do you think it will be possible? Identify that, and then it's a case of working out how to frame that to make it sound attractive to the employer.

Is it something you can do from home for a few hours, and maybe do compressed hours on another day to minimise the impact on the school run? Alternatively, I'd do breakfast clubs so I could be there for the pick ups.

I would get the first interview under your belt, if you get asked back for a 2nd interview, or if you get offered the job, that's the time to ask if there is any flexibility in hours.

You may need to get in there, work for 6 months to prove yourself and then make a case for reduced hours, because you will be doing it with the benefit of knowlege on the job. Trying to get your hours reduced before interview is likely to rule you out of the process before they see how good you are!

Pp who said some core hours in the office and then some from. Could you suggest 2 days from home for example? I work 3 in office and 2 from home and the amount of work l get done when there are zero distractions is amazing.

I can also chuck on a load of washing, clean the house etc. It works really well.