Interview expenses – can this be right?

I once flew round the world for a job interview, no expenses paid. When I got there, it was clear that they weren’t really interested in me. That was a UK public sector employer, with a miserable salary (but potentially interesting job).

Wouldn’t do that again!

Never even crossed my mind to ask for expenses at an interview. Don’t even think we offer them. If significant travel was required we’d pay for flights etc up front but just general mileage claims would probably be laughed out the door

Glasgowdan is painting a very different idea of the public sector I’ve worked in for 24 years. He seems to be describing the private sector or at least to the many friends I’ve spoken to in the private sector.

It’s also worth noting that those with a genuine need for expenses, i.e. those on jobseeker’s allowance, can claim at the cost of the taxpayer.

This exactly.
In my whole like I’ve never even HEARD of someone getting interview expenses until this thread, apart from those on JSA. To my mind it’s a laughable concept.
Wild guess – These are well paid jobs we’re talking about? People that can afford fuel in their new Audis.
I’ve been made redundant two Decembers in a row now and I can imagine the response if have got asking for expenses walking into a bike mechanics interview…..

Hmmm not sure about well paid job for an Audi driver. It was a middle management post and i’m a part time Msc student and taxi driver. . .

No that bothered about the money but every other professional interview i’ve been for has paid enough to at least cover fuel. I guess I was just a bit taken back by the approach of this one employer (though the public sector in Scotland was supposed to be more generous than the down here ; )

That was a UK public sector employer, with a miserable salary (but potentially interesting job).

Captain – I curious what was it?

I got lots of interview expenses paid when I was a apply as a graduate. Having said that I’ve never had them when I’ve changed jobs since but then this has always been in the same town. As has been said previously it’s normally an insignificant part of the cost of interviewing so I can’t really see why anyone thinks it’s odd.

If you can claim £90 in expenses and are still £80 short on fuel costs alone, maybe you could do with a more efficient car!

£170 worth of fuel to do 750 miles!!
Assuming £1.32/litre, that’s 128.78 litres (28.37 gallons)….works out to only 26.4 mpg over 750 miles!

I reckon the same journey would cost me about £85 in fuel.

Otherwise be aware that there are almost always plenty of other candidates just as good as you who won’t quibble over a few quid.

If I was in the role of employer looking to recruit for even a semi skilled role, I would be looking at many factors, skills, personality, past achievements and ability to fit in with a team. Given the whole process that interviewing now takes, recruitment agencies first, then whitling down the CV’s forwarded to them. first round of telephone interviews, by the time you get down to three you want to give a face to face interview with I would be offering expenses for anyone outside of normal commuting distance, its a tiny amount in the whole process.

If you just look at employees as commodities, to be used and abused at whim, then I expect you wouldn’t. But then you wouldn’t appreciate the difference getting the right people into a role can make to an organisation, even at low levels.

I am not at all high up the employment food chain, don’t own an audi, not management, I just do fairly low level technical work. But I view the interview process as much about me proving my worth, as also the interviewing company proving their worth, I don’t want to work for dickheads who treat employees as subhuman possessions, I have been there too often.

Costs alot more to get rid of the useless clod employed over a phone interview by a previous manager than to fly him over….

Not that im bitter.

I took one of my 3 annual return flights from India to attend an interview, plus a tank of fuel and £25 parking.

Didn’t get a penny, wasn’t hugely impressed….their reasoning was that I volunteered a date that I could be available in the UK, they didn’t specifically request my presence for the 2nd interview. Apparently this meant that they didn’t feel obliged to pay any expenses at all.

My mistake for taking the initiative I suppose 😕

Cheers, Rich

My last interview paid for train tickets and overnight accommodation. Took all the candidates out to dinner too. It was about 250 miles away from where I currently live and an all day interview process.

At least two other candidates were flown in from other parts of Europe.

random ‘bonus’ payments from a past era that haven’t been sorted ou

and are you saying this is a problem in the public sector and not the private sector? Clearly you are a metal.

Here is the crux of it. I may have benefits like flexitime, relatively short working week, generous holiday allowance, but (and it is a big but) I could probably get paid 30% – 50% more doing the same job in the private sector. Public sector knows that it cannot compete with these salaries so they try to improve the non financial benefits.

For what it is worth, I have worked in public sector for 10 years and it is more lean and efficient now than ever.

@winston_dog – oh nothing particularly exciting, just science, but I’m interested in that (and it’s a pretty good place, so they can get away with the salaries to some extent)!

To my mind it’s a laughable concept.

It’s essentially a supply and demand thing.

I am not especially desperate to change jobs. If people want me to work for them, they need to be quite nice to me. If they come across as stingy, that puts them on the back foot in securing my (relatively rare and valuable) services.

I’m very well aware that this is an incredibly fortunate and privileged position to be in.

I flew to Australia for my last job interview. If I’d been paid 12p per mile I’d have covered the cost of the flight (if my maths is correct…). I wasn’t but I did get the job so swings and roundabouts really.

and are you saying this is a problem in the public sector and not the private sector? Clearly you are a metal.

Titanium or lead?

BigDummy – Member
It’s essentially a supply and demand thing.

I am not especially desperate to change jobs. If people want me to work for them, they need to be quite nice to me. If they come across as stingy, that puts them on the back foot in securing my (relatively rare and valuable) services.

I’m very well aware that this is an incredibly fortunate and privileged position to be in.

This. I can fully understand this!

But where a job can be filled by several other people, and is not so “specialist” lets say, I wouldn’t pay a penny in expenses.

I’ve got a second interview for a job 350 miles away, I’m getting 10p a mile and two nights accommodation (it’s a two day interview process)
It wont anywhere near meet my costs (3 days off work for a start) but I’m thankful for the thought and the contribution
Fingers crossed I get it…