How to negotiate employer paying for flight to interview?
September 21, 2011 12:18 PM Subscribe
How to negotiate employer paying for flight to interview?
I want to prepare if the employer is unwilling to pay for the flight. The interview process hasn't gotten there yet, but will if things keep going well. The position is a biomedical research technician at a large public university in a decent size lab that publishes regularly. So far I had 3 good phone interviews with various members and PI. They said that they will need to interview me in person if I am one of the final two candidates or so.
The flight would be from the west coast to midwest. This is an ideal job for me which I would love to have. Paying for the flight would be a bit of a financial stretch, and bad sign from the employer. Also, I would be taking all the financial risk by paying with no guarantee of getting the job. I am in the process of applying for other jobs which are less than ideal, and I currently have no firm offers.
Thus, how can I best negotiate, or prepare if the employer does not want to pay for my flight?
Throwaway email: randomjobquestion2011@gmail.com
I want to prepare if the employer is unwilling to pay for the flight. The interview process hasn't gotten there yet, but will if things keep going well. The position is a biomedical research technician at a large public university in a decent size lab that publishes regularly. So far I had 3 good phone interviews with various members and PI. They said that they will need to interview me in person if I am one of the final two candidates or so.
The flight would be from the west coast to midwest. This is an ideal job for me which I would love to have. Paying for the flight would be a bit of a financial stretch, and bad sign from the employer. Also, I would be taking all the financial risk by paying with no guarantee of getting the job. I am in the process of applying for other jobs which are less than ideal, and I currently have no firm offers.
Thus, how can I best negotiate, or prepare if the employer does not want to pay for my flight?
Throwaway email: randomjobquestion2011@gmail.com
All the large public universities I know will pay your airfare + hotel + car rental
posted by WizKid at 12:48 PM on September 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by WizKid at 12:48 PM on September 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
All academic institutions I've worked for and interviewed with have paid for the flight. It's standard procedure.
posted by Murray M at 12:54 PM on September 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Murray M at 12:54 PM on September 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
Keep good records of your costs and retain your receipts. When (and if) they invite you for a face-to-face interview, if they don't mention covering your travel expenses, you could always ask them "what sort of documentation do your reimbursement policies require?" as a way of broaching the subject.
If the university's budget for hiring biomedical research technicians doesn't take into account that candidates might not reside locally, they could be prohibited from covering the cost of your flight. This would, as you noted, put you in the position of fronting the airfare without a guarantee of getting the position. However, assuming you get the job, you could (and certainly should) inquire about moving expenses.
posted by DrGail at 12:56 PM on September 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
If the university's budget for hiring biomedical research technicians doesn't take into account that candidates might not reside locally, they could be prohibited from covering the cost of your flight. This would, as you noted, put you in the position of fronting the airfare without a guarantee of getting the position. However, assuming you get the job, you could (and certainly should) inquire about moving expenses.
posted by DrGail at 12:56 PM on September 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
As a datapoint, I was asked to buy my own ticket for a job interview, and subsequently was offered and took the job.
In my case, they said that there was no room in the hiring budget. It was a mid-level job that could have been filled locally, but I had niche experience that made me a particularly attractive candidate. I looked at the matter as: I was the one lobbying for a relocation, while they simply looking for a good fit.
For many academic positions, it's unlikely a local candidate would fall in their lap. So it makes sense for them to foot the bill. I'm not sure if that applies to research technicians. But I would factor that into the equation before automatically chalking it up as a "bad omen".
posted by politikitty at 12:57 PM on September 21, 2011
In my case, they said that there was no room in the hiring budget. It was a mid-level job that could have been filled locally, but I had niche experience that made me a particularly attractive candidate. I looked at the matter as: I was the one lobbying for a relocation, while they simply looking for a good fit.
For many academic positions, it's unlikely a local candidate would fall in their lap. So it makes sense for them to foot the bill. I'm not sure if that applies to research technicians. But I would factor that into the equation before automatically chalking it up as a "bad omen".
posted by politikitty at 12:57 PM on September 21, 2011
Beyond the reasons stated, if they are not willing to pay for your flight, then the job is most certainly not your ideal job that you would love to have. It signals that your employer literally has no money, which does not bode well for the future. It means their budget is so tight, they can't even cut the $500 it would cost to fly you from their expenditures. What that means is that when their budget gets cut by the academic institution in question (likely by an amount greater than $500), they'll have to do much more radical things like laying people off to balance their books.
posted by saeculorum at 1:23 PM on September 21, 2011
posted by saeculorum at 1:23 PM on September 21, 2011
I've worked for several labs in a large private university in a large city in the northeast and none would ever consider flying out candidates (nor moving expenses) for any of their research technician positions, especially if they were entry level and requiring only a bachelor's degree and up to 2 or 3 yrs of experience. In the labs I worked for, I don't believe that this reflected tight budgets but more that they were able to hire without needing to do so. It could certainly be different at other institutions/labs.
posted by tangaroo at 1:30 PM on September 21, 2011
posted by tangaroo at 1:30 PM on September 21, 2011
The position is a biomedical research technician at a large public university in a decent size lab that publishes regularly.
You don't negotiate with state agencies. It's either in the policy or it isn't and the hiring committee will follow that. You can probably find their policies on their website. For example, ours will cover unclassified staff interviews at the rank of instructor or higher. I gather classified staff are not offered this.
posted by pwnguin at 2:38 PM on September 21, 2011
You don't negotiate with state agencies. It's either in the policy or it isn't and the hiring committee will follow that. You can probably find their policies on their website. For example, ours will cover unclassified staff interviews at the rank of instructor or higher. I gather classified staff are not offered this.
posted by pwnguin at 2:38 PM on September 21, 2011
As pwnguin mentioned - it is typically not negotiable in large institutions. They usually (in my limited experience of interviewing with large private corporations) pay for employment related onsite interviews (Note - but typically not for temp/contract employees).
There is absolutely no harm in asking and finding out about the specific policy in place. Most would want to book your flight themselves through their agends rather than you booking it directly. There may also be other quirks .. (once I interviewed with a large beverages company and they would only pay for alcohal (consumed) of their brands). You'll usually be given a document/form that has all the details of what they require and what they would pay for ..
posted by justlooking at 2:58 PM on September 21, 2011
There is absolutely no harm in asking and finding out about the specific policy in place. Most would want to book your flight themselves through their agends rather than you booking it directly. There may also be other quirks .. (once I interviewed with a large beverages company and they would only pay for alcohal (consumed) of their brands). You'll usually be given a document/form that has all the details of what they require and what they would pay for ..
posted by justlooking at 2:58 PM on September 21, 2011
You have to remember - it's not just you that is being interviewed. If this is a long-term role, it is an investment on both parties.
Assume, and use positive language to the effect that this is covered. Send a query as to where/whom you will be submitting your travel expenses too - or, heck - just ask politely; "Am I correct in assuming that my travel expenses will be reimbursed ?"
In the past, for me in the corporate world, if money was tight I would let them handle all the booking. However, one time that nearly turned out to be a scheduling nightmare.
posted by jkaczor at 8:22 PM on September 21, 2011
Assume, and use positive language to the effect that this is covered. Send a query as to where/whom you will be submitting your travel expenses too - or, heck - just ask politely; "Am I correct in assuming that my travel expenses will be reimbursed ?"
In the past, for me in the corporate world, if money was tight I would let them handle all the booking. However, one time that nearly turned out to be a scheduling nightmare.
posted by jkaczor at 8:22 PM on September 21, 2011
the travel for every interview i have had in which the employer needed to bring me onsite from a location in which i would need to fly has been arranged on their end. if you are indeed someone they want to interview on-site, they will most likely arrange it for your travel—i would be surprised if they did not. in the unlikely event that they call you to let you know they would like to have you come in on X date but do not offer travel arrangements, then i would say something to the effect of: "will someone be contacting me with the travel arrangements or would you like me to send you my travel information and receipts for reimbursement after i've made the arrangements?"
posted by violetk at 8:39 PM on September 21, 2011
posted by violetk at 8:39 PM on September 21, 2011
If they don't offer to pay, perhaps you could do the interview over Skype or Google Video Chat? I've done interviews this way, and it works pretty well. Much better than phone interviews.
posted by davismbagpiper at 9:23 AM on September 22, 2011
posted by davismbagpiper at 9:23 AM on September 22, 2011
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To answer the question, though: If a employer wanted to interview me in person and said that they wouldn't pay for a flight, I would tell them I'm not paying for a flight. I mean, I'd do it politely, but that's a pretty common sense line for a person searching for a job to draw. (I have never heard of a interviewee being asked to pay for a flight to a job interview.)
posted by warble at 12:42 PM on September 21, 2011 [5 favorites]