Job interview over teams - at 6.30pm?

[Spookylooky]

Have a first interview for a part-time, remote role on Weds next week. They asked for my availability before and I gave a number of times I'm free, including all day Weds as an option.

It's a small company and a whole new role so I don't think they are trying to keep the call quiet, and equally they know I am freelance - so it's not like it needs to be scheduled outside of working hours on my side.

This sets off alarm bells for me - when I have hired people in the past I wouldn't have ever expected to interview them outside working hours - but I don't know if I am being oversensitive! Thoughts?

Small busy company Op

I don’t think it’s for you if you’re already seeing a problem in being a teeny tiny bit flexible

You can easily say you’re not available at that time and state the hours you’re happy to interview.
I disagree about setting off alarm bells, there’s various reasons why this time could have been suggested.

But you gave all day weds as an option for them !!

Where is your manager based? I'm in Australia and my manager is in Europe. She did my interview at 7.30 am her time so it was still part of the working day for me.

Ask the recruiter why this time and whether they can do earlier.

Exactly

OP do yourself and them a favour and withdraw. It’ll be a waste of time i suspect

It's annoying but I'd go to the interview and I'd actually ask them why it was arranged in the evening. Don't forget you are interviewing them too.

Maybe the interviewer is not in the UK. or works flexible hours.
Attend the interview and ask.

Maybe they always do this as most candidates would otherwise have to take time off work

@Clickjaw - you seem a bit aggressive? If you tell a potential employer you're free 'all day', I think one would automatically expect something to be scheduled between 9am and 5pm? I gave a range of times on other days too. Just seems odd to me.

They would provably look at the Op rather baffled if she asked why in the evening

particularly as I'm free, including all day Weds as an option. the Op stated as her availability

and this is a small company. It can often be all hands on deck during working hours

Well maybe they are not free at that time, or as others say, maybe in another time zone

Oh dear “aggressive”

the interviewing process is going to be hard for you op!

They might just be super busy. I regularly have meetings scheduled all through "normal" working hours. If I'm adding in recruitment on top of what I already do I need to stretch my day. 6:30 pm isn't that anti social TBH.

I think it's a bit odd, a lot of people wouldn't be able to do that due to having children back from childcare etc. Naturally you'd try to interview someone within usual working hours for that reason.

Its can be difficult for senior hiring staff to be available during the day for interviews at the last minute. I’ve had interviews at 8am for this reason.

I've worked for busy places where people work long hours and still always had an interview within normal office hours. It's a valid question. If they are defensive or look at the OP funny then that says a lot.

I don’t really see the issue?

I have offered to interview people outside working hours if they can’t speak while at work or to accommodate time zones but I agree that it’s a bit odd to proactively schedule an interview for 6.30, especially if it’s a business with regular office hours.

Why are you being so aggressive?

@Spookylooky I'd be surprised to. I work for a very small company and we are going to be interviewing. It will certainly be working standard office hours. Regardless of if we normally work late.

Has it been sent to you as a calendar invite or confirmed via email? I've had calendar invites that looked like they were at the wrong time because the sender has some different time zone activated.

Otherwise I agree it is odd.

Anyway, I wouldn't want to work anywhere where staff felt so stressed and disorganised that they could not take time out of their day to interview people. When I've gone for physical interviews I tend to get put off if they are more than 15 minutes late beyond the interview time.

I think it's a great time! Much easier than having to find a reason to be free in the day if you have another job. It actually shows flexibility from them rather than this being a rigid 9-5 role. (Can you tell I work for a tiny company?!)

Especially when you consider the number of posts about (AIBU) "Company won't move interview" when it's 9-5 ...

They might just be very keen to interview you and not available earlier on Wednesday?

if it’s an issue for you then go back and say you can’t do after 5.30pm

Depends what their operating hours are. If you think 1830 is unsociable I doubt you will suit the availability required for the role. Is the alarm bell because you don’t want to work at this time? I suspect the hiring manager could be testing your flexibility.