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 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 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.

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 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

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.

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 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.

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

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.