Along with salary, one of the most important issues many women want to discuss during the interview is the subject of flexibility.  I generally recommend timing your flexibility discussion to occur after you’ve “wowed” them and before they offer you the job.  That said, some people opt to bring up their interest in flexibility before they even go in for an interview while others prefer to raise the issue after being offered the job.  Let’s now take a look at the relative advantages of each strategy:

STRATEGY #1:  Express your interest in flexibility before the interview  

• The Rationale:  You’ll save yourself and the employer needless time and energy if you express your interest in flexibility in your initial cover letter or telephone conversation.  The employer can immediately let you know if flexibility is an option and you can both move forward without any hidden agendas. 
• The Opportunity : Some employers will welcome your interest in working (and being compensated accordingly) for a less than full-time slot.
• The Risks:  If you’re looking for a schedule that involves relatively little flexibility, such as flextime, occasional telecommuting or slightly reduced hours, you may needlessly knock yourself out of the running for the job by asking about flexibility too early on in the process.  If you let the interviewer first get to know you, and then ask about flexibility, they may be more willing to work with you.

STRATEGY #2:  Don’t ask until near the end of the interviewing process.  

• The Rationale:  Don’t blow your chances for getting a flexible schedule by asking for one too early on in the interview process.  Give the employer a chance to warm up to you.  It’s perfectly acceptable to ask a few discreet questions about the corporate culture and work environment during the initial interview, but save your pointed request for a flexible schedule until later (typically during the second interview), particularly if the interviewer is not the hiring manager. 
• The Opportunity :  This strategy allows you to gather as much information about the job as possible before bringing up the issue of flexibility, so that you can assess the feasibility for flexibility on the job.  The more information you have, the better prepared you’ll be to pitch a flexible schedule that makes good sense for the job at hand. 
• The Risks:  On one hand, the employer may be annoyed that you’ve wasted their time discussing a job that they have no intention of scheduling on a flexible basis.  On the other hand, asking for flexibility before an offer is extended means you still have to contend with beating out the competition.  In general, however, this “middle ground” approach is generally effective (unless you’re looking for a very part-time schedule which should be stated before the interview).

STRATEGY #3: Hold the flexibility discussion until after an offer is made  

• The Rationale:  At the point an offer has been extended, the employer is convinced that you are the best person for the position.  They’ve invested energy in the hiring decision and want closure.  You’ve had time to learn about the company and can propose a flexible arrangement that makes good business sense. 
• The Opportunity : If your new employer is the type of boss who might be amenable to a flexible arrangement and you’re suggesting an arrangement that will meet their business needs (in other words, don’t suggest a part-time schedule to fill a full-time job) then you might succeed with this strategy.
• The Risks:  The employer may be annoyed that you didn’t bring up your request sooner.  Furthermore, they may be under pressure to get the job filled and may not have the luxury of time to negotiate a flexible arrangement, particularly one that involves a lot of variables, such as telecommuting.  However, this is a relatively safe strategy for people looking to implement the “easier” types of flexibility, such as flextime or slightly reduced hours schedule.