Asking about Hours at Job Interview

[ktown]

Is it ok to ask this? For reference I am 30 years old and interviewing for positions in corporate finance. IMO the number of hours has a huge effect on quality of life but I've never known if the mere asking about hours would show that you're not a "go-getter," and would communicate that you're the type of guy who's gonna watch the clock and punch out as soon as he can. I feel that I do a good job and I do it efficiently in a normal work day but $100k @ 60 hours is just different from $100k @ 40 hours. What do managers here think?

 

[ellsbebc]

I am certainly no manager considering I am only 23-years old in an entry level job. However, I think you must carefully word this question. Perhaps if you ask about the work-life balance at the organization, you might receive indirect answers as to how the interviewers feel about their daily workload and amount of hours worked.

 

[ktown]

I had an interview today and they volunteered this information without my asking. They kept stressing that I would need to work until 11pm-12am most nights and many weekends. I don't want this job badly enough to sacrifice my whole life. The salary range that was advertised is only marginally above what I currently make working 45 hours/week.

 

[CTLION]

Wow...11PM starting at what time? That is insane.

 

[ktown]

Wow...11PM starting at what time? That is insane.

I assume 8am or 9am. I said I put in some 70 hour weeks at a previous employer and expressed that I wouldn't want to do this regularly. One of the interviewers was concerned by that statement.

One question I asked during one of my interviews was, "Do you like working here?" And this guy paused for at least 8 seconds. He just sat there and then finally replied, "Sometimes." Then he went on a 1-2 minute explanation to sort of back-pedal and put some BS commentary to qualify that statement. lol this is just a huge red flag that the company works it's employees too much, they don't reward them, people are treated like crap, etc.

 

[iamacyborg]

Phrase the question in terms of asking about the company culture, I've been interviewing a lot lately and found that that's worked well.

 

[gettoasty]

^you two are not a good match as both parties seem a little resistant to the idea. just bail now. you said the marginal income is not that big of a leap, anyways. OR renegotiate the salary to which you think it is worth the 70 to 80 hours a week

if you are trying to get out of your current position due to the work hours perhaps you need to reexamine your priorities and it is really not the job position.

my opinion is that you are 30 and still young, suck it up :foo:

 

[Harold falcon]

Just ask what time everybody goes out for happy hour, that should give you an indication of when it's Miller Time.

 

[Gibonius]

I find that asking someone to describe their average day is a good way to get a picture of the working culture.

Really depends how badly you need the job. If you need it at all costs, don't ask unless it's pretty obvious that they value work/life balance. If you don't, by all means ask away. If they reject you for asking and it matters to you, then you don't want to work there anyway.

I am certainly no manager considering I am only 23-years old in an entry level job.  However, I think you must carefully word this question.  Perhaps if you ask about the work-life balance at the organization, you might receive indirect answers as to how the interviewers feel about their daily workload and amount of hours worked. 

For companies that expect complete dedication, the whole phrase "work/life balance" is looked down on. Simply asking about it implies that you aren't super enthusiastic about working constantly.

 

[archetypal_yuppie]

Generally, asking "what is a typical day like?" and "are there busy periods during the month or seasonally?" will get you the info that you need.

 

[Papa Doble]



I assume 8am or 9am. I said I put in some 70 hour weeks at a previous employer and expressed that I wouldn't want to do this regularly. One of the interviewers was concerned by that statement.

One question I asked during one of my interviews was, "Do you like working here?" And this guy paused for at least 8 seconds. He just sat there and then finally replied, "Sometimes." Then he went on a 1-2 minute explanation to sort of back-pedal and put some BS commentary to qualify that statement. lol this is just a huge red flag that the company works it's employees too much, they don't reward them, people are treated like crap, etc.

Trust your gut. I have learned not to give the benefit of the doubt in interviews. If something seems off, it probably is.

 

[Kiwi Man]

I honestly like the question that will get me thinking instead of why I quit my old job or what my previous salary was.

 

[MRWOLF]

Phrase the question in terms of asking about the company culture, I've been interviewing a lot lately and found that that's worked well.

I second the above to enquire about company culture and also doing your own due diligence; Glass Door, Vault and reaching out to peers on LinkedIn.

 

[Harold falcon]

I am considering hiring a secretary on an hourly basis. Lol. She asks what the hours will be she's getting a boot to the ass out the door.

 

[upthewazzu]

I've never understood why companies aren't more up front about this early on in the interview process. If my expectations are a 50 hour work week, and you hire me under that assumption but expect 70 hours, then I'm either going to quit or get fired pretty quickly and you are back to square one doing another round of interviewing. Pretty much all of the interview process is bullshit nowadays with so many "experts" telling hiring managers what they should and shouldn't expect to hear from an interviewee.