How to negotiate working hours before accepting a new job?

Question

I've heard through the grapevine that I'm likely to get a job offer from a company where a friend already works. Probably the most important thing to me is the hours I work. Not how many, but rather, which ones.

Specifically, I know that I would work "best" and have the least stress if I could work 8.30am - 4.30pm in the office and then at least 1 hour, often more after a 2-3 hour break, e.g. 8pm / 9pm at night. Sometimes I'll be up to 2am, as I am a programmer and sometimes problems present or I just 'get in the zone' for actual development.

I know the "standard" at the new place is pretty relaxed but it seems like 10am - 6pm is more common (same number of hours). However, I don't know the official "core hours" of the business.

My main question is:

• How can I talk about this with a new employer? Should I mention it before accepting any offer?

I want to fit into their culture but also work in a fashion that is good for me. I do also worry that since I am relatively junior for some of the technologies I'd be using, some things will take me a while and I worry about the impression it gives if I'm slogging through learning things...but not staying late.

If it matters, this is a small company (<20 total), it's not a crazy-hours startup though, and I'd be working with seasoned developers who have lives.

Answer 1

If it comes down to it, just ask them outright: "What kind of hours do you guys keep in the office? Would you be OK with me working 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM? I find I'm most productive at those times." If they say "NO!", how willing are you to walk away from the offer if they insist you work the same hours as everyone else? Would you be willing to do 8:45 am to 4:45 pm?

I have often worked on teams where people stagger hours a bit at the start and end of the day. Some do it for commuting (earlier trains are less crowded) and some stay later because they like to sleep in later and get to work later. The only times it was a (relatively minor) problem was when an early person needed info from a late person and was blocked on progress until the late person came in.

Honestly, if the offset is less than an hour or two from the rest of the team, I can't see this as a major issue. Now, if they were all coming in at 11:30 AM and you wanted to start at 8 AM, that might be a problem.

Answer 2

Considering time and health (plus productivity) as the most precious resources, I personally would start the question of working hours first on the agenda, without any hesitation, nor regrets if they refuse my candidature because of my requirements.