Interview expenses

RE: Interview expenses

niamhjl — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 07:00:22 GMT

In 2010 when I qualified, I travelled from Ireland to England (can't remember what it cost, but Ryanair flight + train fare from London to suffolk) and my expenses were paid - I wasn't expecting it and was very pleasantly surprised when the boss asked at the end of my interview how much my expenses cheque should be for! Talking about awkward interview situations, I once arrived for an interview the night before (from Ireland again) by prior arrangement, and was staying with one of the partners that night - they were very hospitable and lovely, and because I had arrived late, after they had already eaten, his wife had cooked an extra dinner especially for me... It was a really hot curry and I am not good at spicy food at all! I can remember eating it all and saying how lovely it was whilst my throat was on fire, willing my eyes not to water!

RE: Interview expenses

Clare Tapsfield-Wright — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 21:57:58 GMT

[quote user="Catriona MacIntyre"]

I drove from Bristol to Elgin for an interview and got a 50p cheese roll bought for my lunch, which I ate in the waiting room while waiting for the partners to arrive.

It wasn't my best interview experience!

[/quote] That's terrible Catriona ! Now when I went for an interview in the seventies the senior partners wife served a three course lunch on fine china for all three partners and me . very daunting . I liked the steady aspect of mixed practice of early starts with milk fevers , rounds of visits, stop for lunch and start again , much less frenetic daytime work than in small animal nowadays though i may have rose tinted specs

RE: Interview expenses

Catriona MacIntyre — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 21:46:49 GMT

I drove from Bristol to Elgin for an interview and got a 50p cheese roll bought for my lunch, which I ate in the waiting room while waiting for the partners to arrive.

It wasn't my best interview experience!

RE: Interview expenses

cathal rafferty — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 19:56:00 GMT

When i moved to the uk from ireland in 2009 i had my airfare paid and was put up by one of the partners. I was a two day interview though and they must have been fairly sure about me, offered the job before i left. I think if you're really thinking you will likely employ them, paying expenses is a good way of starting off the relationship well.

RE: Interview expenses

Ashley Rubens — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 18:48:13 GMT

I quite[quote user="Stephen Courtney"]

[quote user="Ashley Rubens"]

Been a while since we employed a vet, don't offer expenses but lunch out is part of the interview, not sure how I'd feel about asking for them!

We employed a vet through an agency and my partner told them they would be paid less for the first year to cover the additional cost of recruitment. For some reason he (the new vet) accepted this, and has stayed since. Not sure I personally would consider that but maybe it all comes down to how much you want the candidate vs how much they want to work for you!

[/quote]

You can recoup some of the agency fees through taxation/ expenses, your employee can't. That was nasty.

[/quote]

I quite agree but it was said and agreed to before I'd registered it. He was still getting a good pay rise over his previous job so I don't feel particularly guilty - the accountants tell us off for paying too well!

RE: Interview expenses

Jim Dash — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 18:32:02 GMT

I used to (no longer the boss) pay expenses but only from within the UK. I found taking a potential employee out to lunch, with other vets, was a good way of assessing how a person would fit into the Practice.

RE: Interview expenses

Stephen Courtney — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 18:04:55 GMT

[quote user="Ashley Rubens"]

Been a while since we employed a vet, don't offer expenses but lunch out is part of the interview, not sure how I'd feel about asking for them!

[/quote]

You can recoup some of the agency fees through taxation/ expenses, your employee can't. That was nasty.

RE: Interview expenses

Ashley Rubens — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 17:34:06 GMT

Been a while since we employed a vet, don't offer expenses but lunch out is part of the interview, not sure how I'd feel about asking for them!

RE: Interview expenses

ruths — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 17:24:50 GMT

I've never had the offer of expenses for an interview. I'm quite surprised that people offer them tbh

RE: Interview expenses

James Ede — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 16:57:17 GMT

I've just accepted a job in a different area of the UK, and had expenses paid for the 2 hour, 370mile round trip, at 40p/mile. However, I had 2 interviews, and only had expneses for the second one. I've now accepted the job, and have also negotiated (asked for) a relocation allowance of several hundred pounds.

I think it's reasonable to have out of pocket expenses paid.

but consider the circumstances- consider that if applying through an agency, the practice will have a bill of several thousand pounds, so may have less scope to pay you- so avoid agencies perhaps?!?

also, consider how few vets there are- it would be foolish of a practice that wants you to turn down a reasonable request for your expenses, imho.

RE: Interview expenses

Stephen Courtney — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 15:16:30 GMT

I arrived in the UK in 1994 and found work very quickly - there was a significant shortage of vets then - and it was routine to be paid expenses for your travel - in my case rail fares as i didn't have a car - in those days practice vehicle plus practice accommodation was standard.

I'm appalled that a practice would invite you for interview and only tell you on arrival that the job was filled - i'd probably send them a bill for mileage though I'd be surprised if it was paid...employers like that deserve to be plagued with lazy and unreliable bad tempered vets.

RE: Interview expenses

Gillian Mostyn — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 14:59:14 GMT

I employed a Slovakian vet for a while - she was going to be in the UK anyway (sorting out her MRCVS) but I paid for a meal and overnight hotel accommodation when she came for an interview. I even drove her back to the airport afterwards!

To be honest, I've never offered anyone travel expensed for UK based vets but, then, I've never been asked for any as most people were local. If travel costs were an issue I'd probably pay them.

I do usually feed them though - we go for lunch as part of the interview process!

RE: Interview expenses

Joyce Whitehead — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 13:39:22 GMT

We always offer and expect to pay travelling expenses, and most people do seem surprised but are happy to get some petrol money. I'm not sure how I'd feel about paying air fares though...

RE: Interview expenses

Eamon McAllister — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 13:21:05 GMT

Arthur Goddard paid my return air fare when I went for an interview. It was a long time ago and wasn't cheap - the equivalent of about two weeks wages at the time.

RE: Interview expenses

Bob Russell — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 12:30:12 GMT

It has been many years since I have been for interview or interviewed.

I would expect to pay reasonable expenses, having whittled the dozens of applicants to two or three .

I had travelling expenses paid and at least lunch on the few occasions I did attend interview. I would expect to do the same!

RE: Interview expenses

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 12:20:21 GMT

Expenses were the norm in the seventies. Some bosses interpreted that differently to others.....

There was a cheapskate who just offered to put a couple of gallons in my car from the practice pump.... and I'd filled up anyway shortly before. Then there was *** in Bridgend.... I drove all the way from Taunton and the interview went: "Are you married? Oh, you aren't. I'm afraid you won't suit our requirements. There's a two-bedroom practice house and it would be wasted..... Here's a fiver."

Contrast that with Michael Simons, a gentleman. He paid my rail fare and subsistence without quibbling, and treated me to lunch in Windsor, even though it must have been obvious in five minutes that I was not really the type he was looking for.

[quote user="CatherineThomas"]I have a question for those of you who are practice owners or directors. When you interview someone for a position would you ever pay for travel expenses or anything else for the interviewee?[/quote]

Yes.

Not sure about air fare though. Maybe RyanAir!

[quote user="CatherineThomas"]I''ve never received any such expenses, even on the occasion that I drove for 2 hours to get to practice and be told the position had been offered to someone else and accepted the day before. All i got was a brief apology for not calling to let me know.[/quote]

That is dreadful.

RE: Interview expenses

Wren — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 11:46:16 GMT

Admittedly I haven't had many interviews, but have had expenses paid, generally. I did turn money down once though when attending the interview using the car and fuel belonging to my current employers. I thought that might just be cheeky!

RE: Interview expenses

Hannah Wynne Richards — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 10:31:35 GMT

During the 80s interview expenses were normal, but the economy in general, including veterinary practice was flourishing. Sign of the times

Wynne

RE: Interview expenses

Mark Hedberg — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 09:57:29 GMT

If it helps, nobody ever paid my expenses or travel to interview, although I did get to sleep in the practice flat my first job! Interestingly it seems the UK very rarely offers relocation or travel expenses; I do see large companies offering this, but they're not vet companies, they're multinational conglomerates with oodles of money to spend. Even then they don't offer it to everyone, it's mainly for senior executives and the like.

Cheers,

Mark