Recently I learned my very young company was experiencing financial troubles and most of our staff were given heads up that our jobs could be in serious jeopardy in 1-2 months. Specifically that the startup was running out of money and some expected investors not coming through yet. No one was laid off immediately however. But the prospect was revealed, and could be interpreted as likely by the tone.
My intuition is one where I don't want to go down with a sinking ship, and to always have a backup plan for the worst case. I really like the company and benefits, so if I had a choice I'd rather stay-- meaning I'd prefer not to change jobs unless the ship was irrecoverably sinking. I do not want to wait for a layoff before I start interviewing though, as it generally takes time to find a role no matter what.
I've started interviewing as a result. As expected, companies ask why I wish to leave as well as time frame for looking for a new position. I usually give a high level description, and that I'm looking for a new role in the timeframe of about 4-6 weeks ahead because my current role is possibly ending then. Some companies have responded, "they will wait for the right candidate for the position". However, I can also see that they would favor a candidate available immediately, who was "all-in" with no question marks about their current company.
How should I express my availability to a company in this kind of scenario? Realistically I hope to line up some possible opportunities for the final stages about 4-6 weeks from now and be able to make a best decision then. I am however not ready to accept a position yet without more info on my current company.
Should I just pretend I'm ready to switch soon, since most interview processes could take multiple weeks anyway?