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I have almost asked it in every interview. Not like “so when do you guys log in and log out” but more so like “what does a typical day look like for you - when do you come in, what’s the first thing you do, how is the intensity of work through the day, when do you sign out - physically and mentally etc etc” - instead of looking tacky, this probably makes it sound like you’re curious about the entire work day
I’m really not understanding all the responses that say to ask indirectly by asking something else. I like my workday to start as early as possible for a couple of reasons so I ask. I always ask if it’s required to start at a certain time or do I have the ability to set my own schedule. Is there a reason so many of you are putting a backseat to being direct in your communication? It’s not like it’s rude to ask about the schedule.
I think there’s two different interpretations of users question, one is if the actual schedule is flexible/what time of day the office working hours are, the other being them asking how many hours of total work between office/home they’ll be expected to put in
I would perceive it as negative if you are young/inexperienced/probably single with no serious family obligations outside of work. Last thing I want to is to hire someone who comes in exactly at 9 and leaves exactly at 5pm (white collar job). This isn’t shift work, and even if our hours aren’t crazy I don’t want to see someone who isn’t willing to start a bit early or stay logged in a bit later to get the job done. Someone who is questioning the basic hours isn’t someone I want to work with. My perception would be either you’re lazy or don’t have the imagination to ask any other decent questions during the interview.
VP2, sounds like I work for you. My time in my seat doesn't usually start until after 9-930 and I'm out of my seat by 3 most days. That said I'm on calls and Slack by 7A most days and often working until 7 or 8P. My Sr. Director has made it clear that I am to take care of what I need to take care of. That includes dropping the kids off at school in the morning and sitting at gymnastics practice in the evenings. She hates it when she "catches" me working late in the day when she knows I started my day early. Pot kettle, tho.
This is one of those questions that I feel like is perceived as tacky even though it's a very practical one. A better question to ask might be "describe how a typical week would look in this role"
Another position: are there peak and low times throughout the year where I would be expected to work long hours?
I’m in my mid twenties and this is a question I always ask in interviews. There are ways to frame this question and as I’m interviewing new analysts it is sometimes easy to tell which ones are looking for a cop out and which ones are genuinely concerned about being glued to the desk. No one should be expected to work 100 hours to prove themselves this isn’t the 1980s trading floor
Rising Star
If the workplace keeps me past 7 50% if the time then there is no way I can take this job. I’d have to find another way to make a living. And the company would be better off being honest about it, so they don’t need to train me just for me to leave.
If you interview for highly competitive and high paying jobs then it will be perceived negatively
In PE or IB you are automatically kicked out of the process.
Depends. I'm moving companies due to work life balance and I received an offer for the amount above. I have friends who are seniors in analytics who work at most 40 hrs but average 30 hrs a week. With bonus they make 150k in mcol
Pro
If you are interviewing for anything that pays 200k+ don’t ask. If it’s a typical white collar job between 90-150k, ask!
Screw any response that says this is a bad question. You are trading your time for their money. Therefore, you should know how much time they expect for their money.
"Wah I don't want someone to only work reasonable hours when they don't get paid for working more than that" sucks to suck. Go try running your own business like that.
Oh, you should absolutely asked questions around work schedule and expectations, these questions are fair
I always ask, not in interviews but before I accept the offer. Definitely important to know what you’re getting into, has never resulted in a pulled job offer for me and if anything sets the expectation that I care about WLB
Firms that have a poor WLB shouldn’t complain about turnover! Be straightforward with those you are interviewing so there is a greater chance they will stick around. If the role requires nights/weekends, then tell someone who asks. People will walk for WLB (especially if the pay improves with the WLB).
If it’s a job you really want, then I wouldn’t ask. If you have options and the leverage, then maybe you can ask. When I am interviewing people, if a candidate asks me that question, it would raise a red flag for me.
I am in a front office role, I serve the HNW and UHNW client segment. It’s a relationship driven business and we need to be available to clients even outside of normal working hours. If someone I am interviewing is asking me about hours, it tells me they don’t understand the business. It doesn’t necessarily disqualify them, but it certainly adds another element to consider.
Better ways to ask are about WLB and the culture. If you hear phrases like “work hard play hard,” etc. that’s code for “we work all the time.”
Be upfront of your expectations for WLB. Any good company can understand that bc research shows businesses who encourage WLB tend to have less overturn. Ask the question, be honest about your expectations and don’t beat around the bush. Be bold and ask the questions so that you can make the best decision for you. Feel free to add- I’m not sure how to make this not sound tacky’ if you’re really worried about it. But I can guarantee the interviewer is more worried about their time off than yours.
While not wrong it can be perceived incorrectly by the interviewer depending on rapport and timing. Almost like asking if someone expects you to stay up late to take care of babies on a first date.
Long hours are often an indication of a systemic issue. The occasional 14 hours and working weekends happen but if it happens too frequently, it’s a systemic issue. Try to phrase your questions to address the underlying issues - for example, ask about team size and skills, the typical workflow, tools used in the team, etc.
This will give you a better insight in how the team works and potentially how you can help them for the right incentive. If all else fails, it gives you a better out
It’s an important question to ask but don’t ask this during interview stage unless you want to risk being out of the running. Wait until you have the offer letter in hand. Same with asking about benefits. There’s a right time and a bad time to ask about these things.
If you don’t like their answers when contemplating the written offer and they won’t budge on something that is highly important to you, you can always turn down and decline the offer.
Pro
I've realized that it's a bad idea. It will make them reject your application
A better question to ask would be the culture of the team that kind of hints at it. Also if they don’t bring it up the hrs or culture is probably pretty bad
It's important to get an idea of how this works before proceeding with an interview. You'd be entirely checked out if you knew beforehand how many hours a job would take from your personal life and you deemed it excessive.