When to ask about flexible working

[lemonaaade]

I have an interview and I currently work 4 days a week 32 Hours because of my toddler. The job is full time 37 hours, the website says they consider flexible working. I want to ask if I can do what I’m doing now or the 37 over four days, and can be flexible on the day off.
should I ask at the interview or wait to see if I have an offer?

It's never easy to call this, but I'd ask at the end of the interview when they ask if you have questions. If they are genuinely fine about for ignore working, they'll still offer it if you're the best person. If they aren't, better to not get an offer that wastes got time and theirs.

I'd wait until you get the offer. You can then negotiate flexible hours, salary and other things before you agree to accept.

Definitely wait until an offer is made. When the offer is made this is the time I negotiate salary and working hours. Good luck.

Once offer is made. If they want you, they'll make it work.

Yep wait for offer and then negotiate pay and working hours

Wait until an offer is made.

I recently got turned down for condensed working.

By "flexible hours" they really meant less hours, and not 37 hours condensed into 4 days.

This after 15 years and one of the highest performers.

OP don't risk your offer now if you can actually work 5 days. Perhaps enquire after offer, but be prepared for them to say no. Personally I would leave it till my feet were firmly under the table.

Is it a public sector or similar role? I just ask because they nearly always say flexible working considered in adverts but the truth of it can vary. I would personally wait until offer to negotiate, unless you are ok with asking in the interview but never knowing if that's the reason you got turned down!

If you want to work for the organisation then bag the offer first. Then ask when is the earliest they might consider flexible working. Get in and prove yourself then ask for flex.

I've had companies go awol after I've mentioned words like part-time (let alone condensed hours!) - even at the stage when they have made it clear that they are going to offer and happy to be flexible.
Truth is no one wants to hire a new employee part time or with flex. It perceived as something you 'earn' once you've proven your worth and commitment.

I just did this. Full time role advertised and I was going to bring it up in interview but completely forgot. The interviewer rang me before I'd even got home and offered me the job! I just explained that I'd forgotten but due to commitments I could only do 4 days and it was fine. They said I could either do full time hours over 4 days or just 4 days hours which is just under 30 hours a week for me. I went for the latter so I wasn't exhausting myself every week.
Best of luck

My company is fantastic on flexible working but does not approve condensed hours. Many people work long hours (it’s that kind of place) and allowing condensed hours wouldn’t be seen as fair given many will work longer hours than the condensed person without a day off. Depends on what you do I guess.

It seems I’m going against the grain but I always ask before I even apply. That’s worked out for me a couple of times now.

Flexible working can mean so many different things in my experience and I’m not interested in any roles that don’t offer the working pattern I want. So I don’t want to waste my time (or theirs!) by applying for roles which aren’t going to work for me.

Mention your baby at the interview and then when you start, tell them the hours you require. That way, they hired you knowing full well you have a baby who needs you. Good luck!

This is terrible advice.

Wait for the offer

If I hired somebody and they walked in on their first day and decided to tell me what hours they require, they wouldn't make it to the first tea break. This is the stupidest advice I have ever seen on here.

I agree. And I'm very relaxed about flexible working. But this wouldn't be about flexible working. It would be about honesty and transparency. If the first thing you did was show me you were deliberately dishonest, you wouldn't get a second day.

"Mention your baby at the interview" is terrible advice, do not do this!!

Do the interview, don't ask about flexible working, if you're offered the job then start discussing it. It's part of the terms and conditions of employment discussion not part of the selection process - if you discuss at the interview you make it part of the selection process.

I've always done that and never had a request turned down. I think it's much easier to negotiate these things before you become their employee than to start, wait a few weeks and then hope for the best.

WFH - at the moment no because it doesn’t suit me anyway, I get too distracted.

Flexible working, absolutely! I cannot remember the last time I had to be in an office at 9am and it’s life changing. I couldn’t go back to that now and in my current job I’m even luckier they would honestly let me do whatever hours I wanted.