Is there any point applying for a FT job when I want to work PT hours?

[IDontLikeMondays88]

I currently work 4 days. I’ve seen a job I like the look of but it’s FT. Is it a waste of time applying?
I wondered if it would be worth applying and were I successful asking for PT or compressed hours.

Send in your CV with a covering letter saying that you feel this is the perfect job etc and asking if they will consider part time hours.

Don't waste their time by leaving the question until interview stage or beyond. That has the potential to just annoy the hell out of them!

Send in your CV and say you’d be prepared to work compressed hours or job share. Can’t do any harm. Definitely mention it up front as PP said.

I second this, nothing wrong with asking on application

No harm in asking for compressed if you're successful. Just don't bring it up until salary negotiations etc.

Absolutely apply! Nothing ventured and all that. If you’re right for the role employers can be flexible. It’s a partnership at the end of the day. Just go for it!

Fine if you say so up front, but don’t go through the whole process and waste everyone’s time.

Also I wouldn’t put it in a cover letter. Just apply for the job and see how the process goes.

Don't worry about wasting their time. Companies never worry about wasting applicants' time! Just apply, and deal with the details later.

I asked after I was offered the job, but it's public sector so I thought I was in with a reasonable chance. In hindsight it does sound a bit audacious but they agreed and all is well.

I agree with Hairday

What a ridiculous response! As a manager, I wouldn't have the time or inclination to waste an applicants time! By the stage of interview, I would have been without a staff member doing the role for some time! Often doing their job along with my own, going through multiple applications, sifting, then spending 2 days interviewing and having a massive backlog of 2 jobs to do after that. Why on earth would you think companies waste an applicants time??? I'm sorry if you have had this.

OP- In my current role- I'm the only one full time! I wrongly assumed when being interviewed that the whole team would be, but the rest are mainly 15hrs a week!

Is it a sector when flexible working or compressed hours might be possible?

Companies waste applicants time frequently, speculative interviewing where they aren’t exactly sure of role, budgets not fully signd off, internal politics.

as @Hairday sats, apply and see where you get to, can bring up later. Part time is rarely seen as a positive so I wouldn’t bring it up at the start - I say this from personal experience.

Just to add my personal insight I have always made a phone call to the recruiting manager or sent an email to ask the question. I used to look for positions around 25-30 hours per week (all health sector so may be different in the private sector) but the majority were FT. Some recruiters were happy to be flexible for a successful candidate, others wanted a FT post filled and others requested I mention it after interview. It all depends, at least from my experience, but I personally would contact them before applying. It saves you the trouble and them potentially shortlisting you and you not being able to fulfill their requirements. Hope that makes sense.

I've got pt jobs when they were advertised full time. Once I didn't tell them until offered the job. They said no. I was prepared to walk away. But then they called me back and offered me compressed hours. I was pretty confident I was a good candidate and I could work 5 days in 4. Stayed at the company for 4 years.

I look at it the same as I imagine a man would if trying to negotiate a higher starting salary. Maybe they would walk away if the company couldn't match what they wanted. (Depends on what industry)

Another time when I was v limited with which particular days I could work (due to childcare) I called them before applying. I felt that was different because it wasn't flexing my hours, I just couldn't work on certain days.

I think esp since covid any employer insisting on 5 fixed days is going to miss out on good candidates who want flexi time.

I've had experience of both approaches - being upfront at application stage and only asking at offer stage.

Asking at offer stage went down like a lead balloon with one employer, so a bit of a waste of everyones time. The other was very open to it but we couldn't find a work pattern that worked for us both.

Being upfront worked out better as I had a chat with their recruitment rep at an early stage saying I wanted to work 4 days and was open to either reduced or compressed hours. It felt much more comfortable going into the interview process knowing that everyone was happy with that should I be offered the role. I did get the role and worked 4 days as planned.

I did deliberately look for roles that mentioned flexibility either on the careers area of the website, or on the job ad. It's normally pretty clear which companies are open to this and those that aren't.

I've worked 4dpw for years, always apply for FT jobs and just ask it as a question at the end of the interview. I've never had an issue. I see it as part of the negotiation along with pay and benefits.

Imo 4 days is a win for them as they pay you at 80% but you'll probably do similar amounts of work to an FTE.

Of course you get companies who waste candidates time and candidates who waste company’s time. It is screwing people around and poor practice- we all take responsibility for how we behave, being up front is the professional way to approach it - waiting to the end is sneaky but some organisations don’t mind.

If you want a part time job, apply for a part time job

If this is in the NHS, you'll be squeezing full time hours into part time hours because the funding won't be there to cover the rest of the jobs hours. I've seen it happen so many times.

I manage someone who works part time but interviewed for full time hours and it hasn't worked out