Interview coming up - when to ask about flexi working?

[User1213]

Im currently working part time (0.85fte) and have applied for a role internally and been offered an interview. When would you ask about either staying on the same hours or at least going full time but over a shorter week - it’s definitely something the business offers but it’s down to area agreement. Do I ask if I’m to be successful, I wouldn’t want to mention in the interview in case it alters the outcome.

Ask at the interview- unless you’re happy to start out by pissing off your new manager and possibly colleagues too.

What hours was the job advertised as?

If there's an HR part of the interview, that would be best. Or the part when they ask your salary expectations.

I'd ask when offered, especially if you're happy with full-time but compressed.

Don't ask at interview, wait til the job is offered, this is part of the negotiations around accepting the position.

Oh mixed response. No HR part of the interview and they’ll be no salary discussion as it’s internal at the same grade. Hiring manager declined a call prior to me submitting an application, knows me from a previous role several years ago annd just said to apply for the role and I would have discussed it then on the likelihood of them being ok with it.

it was advertised as FT, I’m fully expecting to work FT but I’d want compressed hours which isn’t unusual for the corporate business. I think some wider members of the team already work FT compressed or PT but at a higher grade which is normally harder to accommodate.

I think I’ll wait to hear if I’m successful or not and then ask, if everyone said at interview then I would ask at the end

Wait until offered. Absolutely no benefit to bringing it up at interview (unless directly asked) the ball will be more firmly in your court if you have the offer, especially if none of the other candidates were viable, you don't want it to factor in their minds when scoring.

This is hard. As a previous employer I’d be pissed if someone didn’t raise it in the interview if advertised as full time . I’d expect them to have a proposal on how they’d manage the job on what hours they were suggesting. So as long as compressed hours didn’t conflict working regs/HSE legislation and didn’t affect customers then it would probably be fine

if raised after offer, I’d be pissed off. We’d have already turned down other candidates form 2nd round interview and would have to restart that process wasting everyone’s time.

as it’s an internal job, I. Surprised they wouldn’t know you work reduced hours? Have you discussed it with your own manager ? Asked them for advice of best way to proceeed, or whether the recruiting manager will know already…certainly as an internal application I’d be even more concerned that you don’t talk about how it would work for the new role

I did work part time for some years, including internal job moves. Those recruiting mamanger knew I was part time, I applied on basis it had already been agreed I could apply as a part timer.

I think it really depends on the sector, I am public sector so @Dartwarbler approach would not be necessary for me at all. Our recruitment process means everyone is treated the same, you either pass or fail, we could get 3 passed candidates, if the top one requested a pattern we couldn't facilitate and chose not proceed we would just go to the next candidate so it is no skin off our nose. I would never be irritated by a candidate who saw an opportunity they wanted and applied for not knowing if they could take on the role, there is a lot of discrimination in recruitment, you don't want to other yourself, I've had to do it myself. I am paid either way, so no reason for me to get "pissed off" candidates don't owe me anything. If it is absolutely inconceivable to allow part time working or similar the advert should state that (they won't because it would like be discriminatory to), just stating full time does not do that in my experience. I would always so to anyone give it ago, see what happens, and if all else fails it was good experience.

I'd ask about opportunities to work flexibly. It sounds like that would be a deal breaker, so you might as well get it out of the way.
I wouldn't ask about staying on your current hours until/if you are offered the job. Mainly because I would doubt that they could say more than "we would consider it" at the interview stage, which doesn't help you at all.

As it's an internal tile there really shouldn't be any reason why you can't ask in advance ce of the interview.

It's a perfectly reasonable question.

Fair point….i worked in private sector, in manufacturing industry. We had a lot of internal appointment but would often invite external candidates, espcia
ly for roles where specialist skill were required where “home grown” internal candidates may require a lot of training.

I did look to see if poster said she was public or private- maybe I missed that ?

@Dartwarbler yes I'm not sure, hopefully we've been able to give two sides of the coin!

I work in HR. Ask before the interview, ask HR if you have one but if not ask the manager. You are going to ask at some point and they may be aware that you are 0.8 as an internal candidate, especially if your working time is in your global calendar (ours is).

edited as I know yours is internal, but we have external candidates ask for all of our policies, including specifically our maternity policy before their interviews took place. It’s part of the package, not just the basic pay offer, I’m surprised more people don’t ask because why would you take a job not knowing what they offer their employees in terms of benefits? And yes the people who asked for the maternity policy did get the jobs.

I’d want to discuss it beforehand or at interview so I would have a clear idea of what you’re looking for and whether I could accommodate it. If I needed someone in the office Mon-Fri, 9-5, for whatever reason then I’d be frustrated if I had only found out about your wishes at the offer stage - the interview would be a waste of my time and yours because I couldn’t give you what you were looking for.

Just ask up front.
If they can’t accommodate, it’s just better you save everyone’s time.
Going through a process, not mentioning it and then afterwards saying it’s important to you… jeez I’d just withdraw my offer and make a note that you’re not prepared or able to understand situations with a wider lens (beyond just your own needs and wants) and consider you a time waster.

With internal and the manager knowing you, I’d just email and say you are interested in the role but would need a flexible working pattern of XXX. Can even say you don’t meant to waste their time if it’s not possible.

For external I would wait until offer stage unless it came up earlier.