When Should You Ask About Telecommuting During Interview Process?

[Anonymous]

Ditto on the after offer, before acceptance. If you don't feel comfortable asking the person hiring, you can ask to talk with HR about benefits generally and bring it up with them.

[Anonymous]

If it's not offered or in the job description than no. If you get multiple offers you can start bringing it up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I conduct 2-3 interviews/month and can't stand it when people ask about this during the interview process -- it really puts me off. We do offer some flexibility, but it's just presumptuous and puts potential employers on the defensive. I agree with the advice about asking after you receive the offer. You can always turn down the position if they can't accommodate you.

But how do you feel when they go through a long and time intensive interview process only to turn down the job because the company doesn't have a feature they deem necessary?

I'm not the PP you're quoting but I have an opinion about this. There are a lot of "deal breakers" in whether one takes a job (the a-hole factor in the office, etc.) but you don't bring them up during an interview. There are quite a few things you don't air in an interview just to save the employer time in making an offer you might not accept. That's the nature of the hiring process. I think it's questionable judgment to raise benefits during an interview if it's not brought up. IF you get an offer, then use this issue as leverage.

[Anonymous]

I would absolutely ask. As I interview now - I have taken 6 months off to hang out with the kids - I am really demanding when interviewing. I've received 2 offers, but turned them down. I don't want to be in a position and know that it is not right for me. You need to know to see whether you want to continue the process. If you don't, you are wasting both your time and theirs. I think women tend not to be as forthright b/c they are afraid how it will be perceived. My husband is an interviewing master. He asks and gets what he wants. He is not shy. At the end of the day, it has to be the right fit for both.

Now having said that, I am in my 40s and have a lot of experience. I might not be as forthright if I was in my early 30s.

[Anonymous]

9:57 here -- yes, it's annoying because it's essentially a benefit and we're just not there yet at the first interview. I start to feel like candidates care more about the framework of the job than the position itself. If it's a second interview (or third), I don't mind. I should have been more clear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:9:57 here -- yes, it's annoying because it's essentially a benefit and we're just not there yet at the first interview. I start to feel like candidates care more about the framework of the job than the position itself. If it's a second interview (or third), I don't mind. I should have been more clear.

this makes sense

[Anonymous]

I probably wouldn't ask in the first interview, but if one of your interviews includes time with an HR rep, I might ask them. But personally, I don't necessarily think that asking if anyone telecommutes is a sign that you're a slacker or not a team player. My current company mentioned it as a benefit, so I asked about it. (we have once a week telecommuting.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would absolutely ask. As I interview now - I have taken 6 months off to hang out with the kids - I am really demanding when interviewing. I've received 2 offers, but turned them down. I don't want to be in a position and know that it is not right for me. You need to know to see whether you want to continue the process. If you don't, you are wasting both your time and theirs. I think women tend not to be as forthright b/c they are afraid how it will be perceived. My husband is an interviewing master. He asks and gets what he wants. He is not shy. At the end of the day, it has to be the right fit for both.

Now having said that, I am in my 40s and have a lot of experience. I might not be as forthright if I was in my early 30s.

If I were interviewing and the candidate used this phrase, I would be turned off immediately. I would also wonder about your ability to commit to a job and how soon you would decide to take off another six months. As for your husband, like it or not, it is still a man's world and always will be, and they can get away with asking these questions because they are not perceived as the primary caregiver for children. To me, you come across as entitled and strident, not forthright, and this would also turn me off to you as a potential employee.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I conduct 2-3 interviews/month and can't stand it when people ask about this during the interview process -- it really puts me off. We do offer some flexibility, but it's just presumptuous and puts potential employers on the defensive. I agree with the advice about asking after you receive the offer. You can always turn down the position if they can't accommodate you.

But then she wasted a lot of her own time and your time. I think that she should ask about their telecommuting policy during the interview. If it is THAT important to her and if not being able to telecommute would be a dealbreaker, then she should absolutely ask about it. Telecommuting is very common in this area and I do not see why it is a big deal to ask about it in a professional position.

I work from home full-time, but it took three years to get to this point of slaving away long hours and working late evenings. I had to 'prove' myself, but I know that there are plenty of employers who are very familiar with telecommuting and they would not really care, especially if OP has done it in the past and she is familiar with the role of telecommuting. We set up a specific contract that addressed all of the issues of telecommuting and it works just fine. I don't think, it is a big deal to ask about it at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would absolutely ask. As I interview now - I have taken 6 months off to hang out with the kids - I am really demanding when interviewing. I've received 2 offers, but turned them down. I don't want to be in a position and know that it is not right for me. You need to know to see whether you want to continue the process. If you don't, you are wasting both your time and theirs. I think women tend not to be as forthright b/c they are afraid how it will be perceived. My husband is an interviewing master. He asks and gets what he wants. He is not shy. At the end of the day, it has to be the right fit for both.

Now having said that, I am in my 40s and have a lot of experience. I might not be as forthright if I was in my early 30s.

Are you currently unemployed (still hanging out with the kids)? Why don't you write back when you're "really demanding when interviewing" AND have gotten and accepted an offer for a great job.

I agree that as women we need to be more assertive about what we want/need, but that doesn't mean laying it all out during interviews. Demand all you want when you get an offer, leverage whatever you can. You pretty much don't get what you don't ask for and I would not take an initial offer without negotiating more (of something--money, vacation, flexibility, whatever). Having said that, I would not be asking about telecommuting during interviewing unless it's raised by the employer.

[Anonymous]

quote]

Are you currently unemployed (still hanging out with the kids)? Why don't you write back when you're "really demanding when interviewing" AND have gotten and accepted an offer for a great job.

I agree that as women we need to be more assertive about what we want/need, but that doesn't mean laying it all out during interviews. Demand all you want when you get an offer, leverage whatever you can. You pretty much don't get what you don't ask for and I would not take an initial offer without negotiating more (of something--money, vacation, flexibility, whatever). Having said that, I would not be asking about telecommuting during interviewing unless it's raised by the employer.

I'm the PP who is working from home FT. But if OP only takes the job if allowed the flexibility to work from home, wouldn't it be a problem if she interviews, did not ask about telecommuting, took the job, THEN asked, was told NO and then ended up quitting?

I agree that the PP (who is hanging out with the kids) is a bit out of touch, but if this is so important to OP, then it needs to be addressed during the interview process. She could also call HR and ask about their policy if she does not want to bring it up during the actual or first interview. But, she has got to get some sort of idea to what the company policy is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:quote]

Are you currently unemployed (still hanging out with the kids)? Why don't you write back when you're "really demanding when interviewing" AND have gotten and accepted an offer for a great job.

I agree that as women we need to be more assertive about what we want/need, but that doesn't mean laying it all out during interviews. Demand all you want when you get an offer, leverage whatever you can. You pretty much don't get what you don't ask for and I would not take an initial offer without negotiating more (of something--money, vacation, flexibility, whatever). Having said that, I would not be asking about telecommuting during interviewing unless it's raised by the employer.

I'm the PP who is working from home FT. But if OP only takes the job if allowed the flexibility to work from home, wouldn't it be a problem if she interviews, did not ask about telecommuting, took the job, THEN asked, was told NO and then ended up quitting?
I agree that the PP (who is hanging out with the kids) is a bit out of touch, but if this is so important to OP, then it needs to be addressed during the interview process. She could also call HR and ask about their policy if she does not want to bring it up during the actual or first interview. But, she has got to get some sort of idea to what the company policy is.

It would be downright foolish not to ask about it before taking the job if it's important and worth quitting over. However, there is an entire world between interviewing and taking the job. Get the offer, negotiate, get what you want or don't accept the job. No one is saying she should never ask and just take the job (if she gets it).

[Anonymous]

But then she wasted a lot of her own time and your time. I think that she should ask about their telecommuting policy during the interview. If it is THAT important to her and if not being able to telecommute would be a dealbreaker, then she should absolutely ask about it. Telecommuting is very common in this area and I do not see why it is a big deal to ask about it in a professional position.

But what if the job would be perfect for OP, and the employer would welcome telecommuting, but she turns the employer off by mentioning it so early in the process and seeming overly focused on perks? I see no real benefit to the OP to raising it before receiving a job offer. Unless she's just swimming in great job opportunities and can't spare the time to go through the interview process without knowing.

[Anonymous]

because before the offer, you are still selling yourself to them, in most cases. After the offer, you are free to negotiate like a biatch and get what you deserve.

Before the offer, you are Little Ms. Perfect. No, you've never had a disagreement with a coworker, does that happen? Of course, I'll work whatever hours a day to get the job done. Etc.

After getting the offer, you say, wow, it still does sound like the perfect oppty, but right now I'm making X and I work from hom 2 days, so how about it? Or how about 1 day? Or how about I work 7-4? Or how about I get 25 days off instead of 20? Etc until you get what you want.

[Anonymous]

Maybe i'm just selfish with my time, but interviews can be LONG and I don't want to go through another round if there is a deal breaker I should know about.




Extreme example: We all only look for jobs in our city, say Springfield. What if instead we interviewed all over the country and when the offer came we try to negotiate "I currently work in Springfield, can I do this job in Springfield?" This is something the company knows the answer to upfront, and the job canidate should know too.

I can see that telecommuting can be seen as a benefit to negotiate (like leave or schedule), BUT it can also be seen as a condition of work. If OP absolutely knows she won't take a job outside of Springfield (e.g. without telecommuting rights), then she should find that out early.