ethics when travelling for interview
Here's the scenario: Let's say company A wants to fly me across the country for a second interview after a successful phone interview. I arrange for a few extra days to visit with local friends and family and to check out the area and the real estate. Are there ethical issues in trying to meet with other potential employers while I'm in the area? Company A is paying only for the plane tix (admittedly, not insignificant) and one night in a hotel. They haven't mentioned food and I'm paying for the car. No ethical problem there. Just make sure that you get the other company to reimburse you for car mileage for the same trip and pay for different nights lodging. Try to get them to pay meals and the car rental too. The only thing that would be unethical would be to get both companies to pay the same bill. Get one to pay for Sunday and Monday, the other Tuesday and Wednesday. One pays for the airfare, the other to pay mileage. The two trips are slightly different, since your final destination is a different company, so the airfare and mileage are different expenses. I once lined up three interviews in Social for the same week. I took a week of vacation and drove out. Each company paid me mileage for the drive and at least one night hotel, meals and incidentals. One company paid me to drive from St. Louis to San Diego, the other two paid me to drive from St. Louis to LA. I didn' t bill anyone for the San Diego to LA trip, that was on me (big of me don' t you think?). One of them even came up with free passes to Disneyland. It was really a great trip, I may have even come out a few dollars ahead. Nothing unethical about it. You are on your own time and money at that point. I would NOT try to get the other companies to pay for any expenses. At that point you are just nickel and diming them, especially since you are also there visiting friends and family. I wouldn' t call it nickel and dime. For a 2000 mile round trip the mileage comes to $970. $150/day for lodging, M&I, that amounts to more than chump change. I guess it depends on the industry. If the employer normally pays these expenses, it' s not an issue. Once you have an open ER, you might as well fill out all the lines. The hiring manager probably doesn' t know anything about your expense reimbursement. I can' t imagine the hiring manager calling travel accounting and asking what you did or didn' t charge them for. After you meet with Company A will they expect you to fly right back? Did you make the reservations on your own and allow for the extra few days or is the return trip open-ended so that you can fly back after spending a few extra days? I don' t see anything wrong or unethical in paying for your own hotel room for the nights that you will be spending after the initial night Company A paid for. How will you find the other companies for interviews? Are you contacting them now to set up interviews for that time frame? Or are you just going to look around and check out what is there and contact them after you get back? Unless you have already contacted them and they know you are coming for an interview and they OFFER to reimburse you, then I would not ask or even allude to it. The other companies aren' t asking you to come out, you are doing that on your own. (Sort of) I also doubt that the hiring manager (or human resources) is going to contact the finance department to discuss your travel arrangements and find out specifics about what you asked for reimbursement, but I do thing that it is not only possible, but highly probable, that the finance department will look at your reimbursement receipts and contact the hiring manager to find out what your were authorized in terms of mileage, hotel, vehicle, etc. Did the buy the ticket directly or will they be reimbursing you? There is nothing really unethical here. But if they are buying the ticket directly you should make sure that they are not flying you back directly after the interview. | |
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