Is two weeks notice for a face-to-face interview unreasonable? (employee, 2015, applying)
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I am currently considering a career move and I am starting to talk to recruitment agencies. I have advised a recruitment agency that I will need two weeks notice for a face-to-face interview because I will need to book a days holiday from my current employer. (I have also advised the recruitment agency that I can do a telephone interview at shorter notice.)
The recruitment agency has said that requesting two weeks notice for a face-to-face interview is very uncommon.
What is the best practice for stating required notice for a face-to-face interview? What is a reasonable notice period to request for attending a face-to-face interview?
I don't think there is a "best practice". It all depends on the requirements of both parties.
If you require 2 weeks, then you require 2 weeks. However, you also need to realize that people will not be waiting around for you. So this would very likely limit your options with regards to job opportunities. In essence, the less flexible you are, the less opportunities you'll be able to pursue.
Do you really need 2 weeks notice to take off a couple of hours from work? Generally it is best to make yourself available at the prospective employer's convenience, if you really want a job.
Unless the positions you are applying for conduct national searches where travel to the interview is expected, it is unreasonable.
As an HM, once I decide on my candidate list, I clear times on my calendar for the following week and ask HR to book the interviews. It would take an exceptionally wonderful candidate to get me to deviate from this plan.
As an example, today is Wednesday. If I wanted to I review 4 candidates, I would clear about 8 times lots next week Monday-Friday for interviews. If I received a message from HR that one of my candidates couldn't interview until the following week, I would most likely go ahead and interview the 3 remaining candidates and decide from that smaller pool.
I think 1 day notice is fine. Do not ask for an advanced notice for an interview request; unless they ask. At that point 1 day notice. You'd be lucky if they have an interview request, let a lone make them wait 2 weeks.
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Don't count on many employees honoring that requirement for two weeks notice. We normally call this week and schedule next, about one week notice plus or minus a day. If someone can't make that then plenty of others will. You are looking for a job, they have one. That means you are subject to their rules, not the other way around. Too bad you need to give two weeks notice for a day off. I let my people take a day off with notice the day before, even the same day before start time if it's not a really busy day. I don't require reasons, if they have PTO time available it's theirs to use for whatever reason whenever they want as long as the work gets done.
I am currently considering a career move and I am starting to talk to recruitment agencies. I have advised a recruitment agency that I will need two weeks notice for a face-to-face interview because I will need to book a days holiday from my current employer. (I have also advised the recruitment agency that I can do a telephone interview at shorter notice.)
The recruitment agency has said that requesting two weeks notice for a face-to-face interview is very uncommon.
What is the best practice for stating required notice for a face-to-face interview? What is a reasonable notice period to request for attending a face-to-face interview?
Thank you for your advice,
Best regards
James
James,
Why does your employer require two weeks notice?
Most only need a few days, five at about the most.
What is it about your employer that s/he needs two weeks?
My other issue is why you believe two weeks is acceptable. Most anyone knows 'the boat waits for no one' and although some people do need some notice, to suggest two weeks seems to mean you have no idea of the concept of urgency.
It is ironic that a company may take two weeks to decide once they have met a candidate but to have a client wait two weeks to see you is pushing your luck.
As has been said, most employers will just interview in the meantime and unless you have compelling characteristics about your skills/qualifications, etc., you are likely to lose out on the opportunity.
So why does your employer need two weeks notice? Is this a company policy and/or does it have something to do with the nature of your work?
Paul.....
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Last edited by HeadhunterPaul; 07-15-2015 at 09:20 PM..
Reason: additional text
I am currently considering a career move and I am starting to talk to recruitment agencies. I have advised a recruitment agency that I will need two weeks notice for a face-to-face interview because I will need to book a days holiday from my current employer. (I have also advised the recruitment agency that I can do a telephone interview at shorter notice.)
The recruitment agency has said that requesting two weeks notice for a face-to-face interview is very uncommon.
What is the best practice for stating required notice for a face-to-face interview? What is a reasonable notice period to request for attending a face-to-face interview?
Thank you for your advice,
Best regards
James
James, this is for not you, alone. But don't be encouraged by this because it does not fit your situation.
I just want the lurkers to know what I am about to say exists.
In the event of a retained search where I come up with a candidate who needs two weeks to be available, that can be arranged, especially when I am having other recruits being interviewed in the meantime. Retained searches take a few months or longer so a two week delay is not going to cause a rumble, as long as there is a good reason for this.
For retained searches, no decision will be made until I have provided a sufficient number of candidates for consideration and if I have someone in the wings who can't be available -for some reasonable reason- the client will wait but only because they are paying to see the 'best possible' candidates and if such a person exists but it will be two weeks before I can get that person in front of the client, so it shall be.
But in your case, where you want someone to find you a job vs having been recruited, you don't have the same amount of pull and need to be making yourself available within short notice because the agency is reacting to the needs of the employer, not the other way around.
Since this is going to keep coming up until you get hired, I suggest you create a cover story that accounts for your needing to be out of the office off and on for a while so you don't have to keep rocking your employer's boat when asking for a day off or a half day off on short notice.
Claim to have a medical issue that needs attention. Something that is not life-threatening but can't be put off and needs repeat treatment.
Let them know you are paying for it out of pocket so your insurance policy is unaffected. That way you don't have to falsify company benefits forms.
What is the reason you need two weeks? It is very unlikely an employer will want to wait for you to manage your schedule. Every interview I have been on started with "we are interviewing the week of July 20th. These are the open slots, let me know what works with your schedule."
I am currently considering a career move and I am starting to talk to recruitment agencies. I have advised a recruitment agency that I will need two weeks notice for a face-to-face interview because I will need to book a days holiday from my current employer. (I have also advised the recruitment agency that I can do a telephone interview at shorter notice.)
The recruitment agency has said that requesting two weeks notice for a face-to-face interview is very uncommon.
What is the best practice for stating required notice for a face-to-face interview? What is a reasonable notice period to request for attending a face-to-face interview?
Thank you for your advice,
Best regards
James
No employer is going to give you two weeks advance notice of a job interview. If you demand this, you will be unemployed for a very long time. It makes you seem like a high maintenance drama queen, the type of employee that nobody wants to deal with.
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Is Two Weeks Notice 4 a F2F Int Unreasonable?
