When to negotiate hours during recruitment process?

[Swanhilde]

I posted this on the 'waiting to hear about shortlisting' thread but am also making my own thread for more traffic.

Background is that I was made redundant from my full-time role in Dec 24. I had been working that role flexibly 25hrs per week due to ill health for over 12 months. In Feb 25 I started a new 21hrs per week role. It is perfect timewise but is a much lower grade than my previous role, can be boring and doesn't utilise my skills and experience fully.

Fast forward to now, my perfect role has been advertised elsewhere. Advert says 35hrs per week but spec says TBC. There was also a box to tick if you would consider a job share.

I have applied and ticked the job share box, but there is no way I can work 35hrs per week due to my condition. 21hrs (3 full days) is great, 25hrs (5 mornings) was also manageable.

So my question is when do I raise this with them? When (if) I am invited to interview or at the interview? I want to be open and not waste anyone's time, but are they more likely to be flexible once they've met me and heard what I can bring to the role? I more than meet the criteria.

If they say no, that's fine I have nothing to loose.

Anyone any thoughts? Experience?

Many thanks again.

I would raise this at the interview, you’ve ticked the job share box anyway so the option is obviously available.

You’ve been transparent at the outset so have started the negotiation already. Agree, discuss further at interview.

We offered a job and it was only then they started discussing conditions, ie, hours. We offered to ‘runner-up’ candidate. Simply didn’t think highly of starting this negotiation after the interview panel has disbanded, as a work practice. Felt the candidate has tried to coerce the outcome they wanted, or not had the confidence to be upfront at the beginning.

I'd have a conversation pre-interview and then raise at interview.

I’d wait till offered an interview and discuss it then.

I’ve done a lot of recruitment recently and most people mention it during the first interview although that might be because we have a standard HR question about people’s experience of and willingness to work hybrid.

Sounds like it is definitely a possibility so I would discuss it in the interview

I guess the difficulty could be if there isn’t another suitable candidate to share the role with, as it obviously requires full time cover

Best of luck!

Hello. Been a recruiter for 15 years. Raise at interview. Good luck x

I’m probably going to get flamed for this as I’m going against what everyone else has said but I went on a pre redundancy workshop where we were told unless asked don’t discuss at interview. We were told to wait until you’re offered a position and to ask then. I’ve done this four times and it’s never been a problem.

Thanks everyone for your responses. My gut said to discuss at interview so you've helped reinforce this. Just got to wait to hear now ...