How to answer when asked "Are you able to work long hours" in a job interview? [closed]

Questions asking for advice on a specific choice, such as what job to take or what skills to learn, are difficult to answer objectively and are rarely useful for anyone else. Instead of asking which decision to make, try asking how to make the decision, or for more specific details about one element of the decision. (More information)

Background Software Engineering Field, Sri Lanka. Generally, 60 - 80 % of Software Engineers are working 12+ hours at their job in Sri Lanka. The "Are you able to work long hours?" question is asked in almost every software engineering interview in Sri Lanka. If the interviewee says "No", most of the time they will not get the job. If the interviewee says "Yes", they can't say no when the management pushes for them to work 10, 12+ hours to finish before a deadline. Working 10+ hours is really hard for me and I don't like to do it. Question If saying no to working long hours means I can't get a job, and I don't like working long hours, how can I answer the question?

"Since it has been shown that longer hours do not result in more productive work being done. Yes, I can sit here for as long as you want and pretend that this is somehow productive as good as any other of your employees." (Just joking, obviously, but there are not good solutions for companies who have, simply said, idiotic policies. You are probably stuck between a rock and a hard place, unfortunately)

How to answer when asking “Are you able to work long hours” in job interview? "Thank you for your time, goodbye."

I would answer (truthfully) "I don't mind putting in long hours occasionally if there's a particular customer support problem or release deadline that requires it. But generally I prefer to plan my work to avoid excessive stress. Software engineering is mainly about problem solving, and effective problem solving is much more about having a relaxed and open mind than about working long hours."

@Matt Unfortunately, "Yes" Most Sri Lankan companies are like that and even salaries are really low comparing other countries. Salary between 200$ to 1500$ depends on the experience and the company.

"It depends - are you able to pay a big salary?" - More seriously, now. If a company is forcing this schedule over their employees, you don't want a job there even if you manage to work just the regular time. Just imagine having to give support to a codebase made by several overworked, tired and underpaid developers - the thing is just one lab accident away from becoming Codethullu.

9 Answers 9

You're kind of stuck.

If you answer "No" to that question, then the company will simply move on to someone who will say "Yes".

You could try to explain that your quality of work exceeds everyone else's so you can do the same amount of work in less time - but the company will probably want you to work at that higher level quality for more hours.

You only really have two choices - either work for a company that doesn't enforce long working hours (that 20-40%) or suck up the long hours and work towards a career progression path that takes you out of working long hours.

This is more of a workplace culture issue. It sounds like your lifestyle may not fit with what the company expects. Although you may be capable of meeting all of your objectives and accomplishing your tasks in a smaller time window, you still risk being looked down upon for not matching the expectations that the company culture has. Based on what you described, it sounds like many organizations in Sri Lanka have similar standards, too.

Negotiate other benefits

Just as some organizations that are unwilling to consider a higher salary are willing to negotiate other benefits (e.g. time-off), consider negotiating some extra leave or holiday time in exchange for a "yes" answer to extended hours. You could strike a balance between longer standard hours but more time out of the office.

Keep looking

You didn't specify how often this problem arises or how many organizations you've found that have similar expectations, but you might be surprised to find that even where standards are relatively homogenous there are always exceptions. Perhaps you should keep searching with the goal of finding a good company culture fit more in line with your lifestyle goals.

Move locations

How open are you to moving cities? Is there somewhere nearby that you can broaden your search to include? (Think 2-3 hours away, or whatever you're willing to consider.) It's a lot to sacrifice sometimes, and often more than it's worth, but worth considering. Of course, factor other differences in like salary and benefits.

Contract or freelance

Based on your experience or portfolio, perhaps you can find a role where your pay is based not on your hours committed but on your outcomes and performance. You might consider a self-employed operation or contract with the company on a project basis, which could reduce some of the man-hour expectations they may have.

Like @Pete answered, you're in a catch-22 here. I can't condone a "yes" answer where you really aren't prepared to deliver. It sets both you and your employer up for eventual disaster. You can't ethically promise something you can't make good on, and you risk suffering from burnout, relationship/marital problems, or unsustainable work/life balance.

Get creative and be sure to consider all your options!