Questions to ask potential employer

[Rachelrainsbury]

Hi all,

What are the questions I need to ask my future employer regarding family life to make sure it will be a good fit for me? I'm just starting a family and moving job, so any help would be hugely appreciated!

Thanks,
Rachel

Probably depends on the job and your circumstances?
Ask them about flexible working hours? I wouldn’t go straight in asking about their maternity policy if that’s what you mean about starting a family?
if you share what your wishes are it might be easier to help?

I would go through a recruitment agent who can probe these questions more discreetly on your behalf, rather than for you to raise them directly. You should negotiate hard for flex only after the job has been offered. That means taking a risk and going through the interview process first.

As an employer, if I had a flexible job and 2 relatively equal candidates, the one who was focused on asking about the flex working at the outset would be less attractive than the one who focused on what she could offer the company.

I would definitely not be raising these questions at an interview. I agree with @blueshoes second paragraph, but I think I would go further. It doesn't matter what the law says, there are still an awful lot of employers / interviewers out there (including many with so-called family friendly policies - talk is easy) who have qualms about the cost of employing working age women at all, never mind women with children / planning a family.

When you start a new job you have absolutely no employment protection for two years except in limited circumstances - and discriminating without being seen to discriminate is not rocket science. If you have current requirements around family flexibilities, raise them after an offer is made. If you are talking about possible flexibilities for a family that does not yet exist, don't ask at all unless something is an absolute deal breaker - because the minute you raise that flag you may be opening the door for them to find a reason not to employ you. And try to stick to generic questions around the benefits and terms of employment rather than "I'm just starting a family" or anything specific around maternity / family.

As someone that interviews regularly I would say make sure these questions are posed positively for the employer. Can come across quite negative if you're asking about leaving early regular or days off for sick kids etc.

I work for a very flexible employer and I’m a flexible manager, but when I receive applications for roles where the only supporting statement is ‘I need to only work Mondays and Tuesdays between 9-2pm) and I compare that to a supporting statement that says how much someone wants to work here, they hands down lose out.

I would consider how you make yourself an attractive candidate first, and I would open a conversation at the end of an interview at any other questions.

I wouldn’t let it be your first question, I’d try to sandwich it in the middle, and I’d frame it around ‘at the moment I have flexibility with my employer that helps with childcare, is that something that’s offered here’ so that you are asking not demanding. Usually interviewers will either be proud of their flexibility and share with you the ways they offer it, or they’ll clam up and say it’s a discussion with the line manager and HR.