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I am applying for a new job in Australia, where most companies that can (including my current company and the one I am applying to) are working remotely full time due to coronavirus. The job I am applying for is in a different state, and I would prefer not to move there. As I will likely have to go through a remote onboarding process anyway and begin my time with the company remotely, I was wondering if it is likely to be possible to continue to work remotely once the Covid restrictions end? I am unlikely to accept the job if it requires me to move interstate, but opportunities such as this one are much harder to find in the state that I live in, so I am keen to pursue the opportunity in case undertaking the role remotely is acceptable to them.

There's no mention of remote work in the job description, but I have done an equivalent role for a different company full-time remotely in the past. It is less common, for sure, but not uncommon per se.

At what stage of the interview/offer process should I raise this issue? I do not wish to waste the company's time or my own by undertaking the full recruitment process only to find at the end that moving states would be required and that I don't wish to take the role. However, I feel the company would be much more likely to accept my request if they had already decided I was the best candidate for the role and made an offer to me.

This question is not (as far as I'm concerned) a duplicate of: How could I ask my future employer if I can work remotely? because I do not have an offer, and I have never worked for the company before.

Lilienthal
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notremotelyworking
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  • To be clear: the job had no mention of being remote right? And the kind of work you're applying for isn't typically done full-time remotely? – Lilienthal May 07 '20 at 09:07
  • There's no mention of remote work in the job description, but I have done an equivalent role for a different company full-time remotely in the past. It is less common, for sure, but not uncommon per se. – notremotelyworking May 08 '20 at 00:23
  • Thanks for the info, I've added it to your question. You seem to have gotten sufficient input below already but the fact you've done this full-time remote before (and presumably did it well) is something you absolutely should mention whenever you decide to bring it up. – Lilienthal May 08 '20 at 06:49
  • Thanks @Lilienthal! – notremotelyworking May 11 '20 at 04:02

2 Answers2

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I'd just ask during the interview.

There will certainly be a place in which the interviewer will ask you if you want to have some additional info on how your possible future job will look like.

I'd suggest not to mention explicitly that the remote option is a deal breaker; rather ask something about how they are organized, where the workplace is and how it looks like, whether some employees worked remotely before the covid, how the work changed during covid, how they will organize after the emergency and so on. Try to get the answers you need by inserting them in a bigger picture.

Consider also that the time spent in interviews is rarely "wasted"; an interview process is an experience and, even if you think now that you won't accept because of the impossibility to work remotely, you might find other aspects of the job that, if very attractive, will let you reconsider your deal breaker condition.

nicola
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At what stage of the interview/offer process should I raise this issue? I do not wish to waste the company's time or my own by undertaking the full recruitment process only to find at the end that moving states would be required and that I don't wish to take the role.

Raise the issue during your initial interview. Just ask if this job can be remote full-time - even after things have settled down.

Since you specifically do not want to move, and you don't want to waste anyone's time, get that out of the way quickly. Then you can move on accordingly.

The answer will be Yes, No, or "We'll see how things go." Be prepared with your response for any answer. Presumably, you'll only want to continue if the answer is Yes.

The same process should apply for any issue that you consider a deal breaker.

Joe Strazzere
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    Thanks, Joe, for your feedback. I've taken this onboard along with nicola's. Although your answer was equally as valid, I decided to accept nicola's answer due to the higher number of upvotes and the additonal reminder that time spent interviewing is rarely wasted. – notremotelyworking May 08 '20 at 00:25