Remote job but employer asking for face to face interview?

[Seawitchandgarden]

I just wondered what are people's thoughts/experience with this.

Due to health issues/a disability I have been applying only for remote roles or local roles that don't require the use of public transport. I made it clear in my job applications/the equal opportunities that I am disabled.

I was offered an interview for a role advertised as remote with a charity yesterday but this is a face to face interview.

The interview is in a random location which I assume was hired for the day and it would take me almost two hours each ways of travel, be costly and they are not offering any support with transport costs.

I am a bit baffled by this. What is the point of a face to face interview when you are not even inviting the candidate to your offices to meet the team or see your work environment and when the role is fully remote?

I have replied to point out my disability and request a Zoom interview instead.

So far crickets...

I want them to show me they want the job

I agree but the real world isnt like that

The answer was equally baffling as they said that although they would allow a remote interview but that one of the requirement of the role was to have a car and driving licence. I went back to the job ad to see if I had applied for a non-fully remote job by mistake but no, the job ad clearly said this was a remote role. It is a desk job as well with no contact with clients so no idea what a car would be needed for. So I am even more baffled now.

A role can be fully remote and require travel. Not sure why that is baffling. Remote just means not in the office. But even with remote contracts, it usually states that you may be required to attend the office at manager's discretion.

By losing their disabilities?

If this was the attitude of the recruitment team, you'd be well out of it.

No one would want to work somewhere with those kinds of attitudes to disability.

I had a remote interview the other day and I assumed they’d ask for an interview in- person prior to making a decision, but they said they had so many applicants that this is it as far as the interview process. I’ve never experienced this before and it actually turned me off the company.
Everyone is so virtual these days I’m sure they would like to meet you face to face and guage what sort of person you are, not so easily done remotely
I do think they could have tried to accommodate your disability by having the interview closer to your home

Have you asked if they can do yours remotely? Some disabled people may be able to make a face to face, if you can’t you can ask for reasonable adjustments and if they can’t make them it probably isn’t the job for you

If you’ve advertised a fully remote role you should expect people to apply who want/need a fully remote role for various reasons including disability and caring responsibilities. If showing they want the job means they need to jump through unnecessary hoops, it says everything about you as a manager and I’d avoid like the plague.

Showing you want the job soon turns into “show me you’re committed” by working over hours, being constantly available, turning up to the office. Interestingly enough such employees don’t react well to employees asking the employer to show their commitment by treating them with dignity and respect or even in accordance with law.

You might not like it, but it will be like that in a lot of places.

If you come across “difficult” or hard work during the recruitment process, nobody in their right mind is hiring you.

That’s a bit much, it’s an interview of course rhey want to meet in person,

I’m disabled and have applied for hybrid roles and still been selected for second round interviews when I mention that I have to be fully remote. 100% of my interviews so far (7) have been on Teams.

My last two jobs were fully remote with online interviews, it’s not a given they’ll interview in person for a remote job.

Another update from OP:

I have been offered two interviews next week and both employers, also charities, are interviewing everyone remotely.

Thank you to everyone who gave constructive feedback.

It is such a shame that you think a disabled person who applied for a remote role because they know they struggle in public transport would be labelled 'Difficult' and 'Hard work' because they can't do a 3 hour journey on public transport to attend a face to face interview...

To me it is just so bizarre and illogical and just put additional barriers between disabled people and employment.

Not quite. You want disabled people to show you they want the job 100 times more than non disabled people, when the processes are that much harder for disabled people to manage thats what you’re really requiring. Don’t kid yourself you’re just being fair.

As I've already pointed out on this thread. Remote does not necessarily mean no travel. It just means your place of work is not the office.

Hi OP, hopefully they can accommodate your interview in a closer location, if not I would probably take the hit on an uber there and back as I assume the 2 hours travel is on public transport not driving direct?

This is great! I hope she gets one 🤞🏻🤞🏻