How to negotiate with employers for job flexibility

September 1, 2022

Have you seen a job that you’d like to apply for, but it doesn’t offer the flexibility you seek? Don’t rule it out. Candidates that are looking for more flexible work arrangements such as working from home, flexible start/finish times or condensed hours are in a great position to negotiate due to the ongoing tight candidate market. So, how do you ask for these changes without affecting your chances of winning the role? Here is our advice on the best way to gain the terms you're looking for.

Some employers are more open to flexible work arrangements than others and every workplace is different. Two businesses that do the same thing can have completely different ways of doing things. It's about finding the workplace culture that’s right for you. If you have a skill set that an employer really wants, they may be more amenable to offering flexibility.

Here are some important points to consider.

Keep it real
Is your request realistic and reasonable? If you are applying for a busy receptionist role with a high level of foot traffic, it may not be possible for the employer to grant flexible work arrangements. Think about what the employer may be able to say yes to and tailor your request accordingly.

Be open-minded
It is a good idea to try and “feel out” an employer reasonably early in the recruitment process as to whether they might offer flexibility. Unless zero flexibility is an absolute dealbreaker, try to be open-minded. A role that offers little in the way of flexible work arrangements could have lots of other benefits that are of interest to you.

Demonstrate past success
A good negation tool is to demonstrate success working with the terms you request in a past role. That way the employer will be able to check with previous employer/s how well that arrangement worked for them.

Give and take
Some employers are happy to grant requests for flexible work arrangements after an induction or trial period. For example, it’s common for employers to require new employees to spend the first 3 months or so working in the office, whilst they learn systems and procedures and get to know you and your working style. Keep in mind that any requests you make may be granted, but not immediately.

Explain your motivators
When asking for more flexible work arrangements, it may help to provide your motivation. For example, your motivator might be to cut down on commute time to save time and money or to reduce stress. Or you may work more effectively at home than in an office environment. So having that one day a week at home to work on tasks that require more focus such as creative writing or financial forecasting, may be of great benefit. Once an employer understands the benefits, they may be more inclined to agree to your request.

Examples

If you get knocked back for a request, it can be useful to know why. For example, one of our clients has flexible work arrangements in place but requires all staff to be in the office on a Wednesday with no exceptions. This ensures the whole team has a chance to connect professionally and includes a team lunch, where everyone can catch up socially. So, working from home is possible on all days except a Wednesday in this workplace.
We recently had a situation where our client was offering 5 weeks annual leave as part of the role. However, the candidate wanted additional time off during the year to do some travelling. The compromise was that the client offered 5 weeks of leave and the extra time off as leave without pay, which satisfied both parties.

It’s important to ask for the employment terms that will make you happy and fulfilled in your job. Sometimes this is about finding a balance between your ideal scenario and what the employer can grant you. Remember trust plays a key role and when an employer trusts you and your work ethic, those requests may flow more easily in your direction.

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