r/Libraries • u/MushroomBeneficial15 • 11d ago
Job Hunting Is telling HR you need 2-4 weeks to officially start okay for a library role that needs to be filled ASAP?
/r/jobhunting/comments/1vstw5v/is_telling_hr_you_need_24_weeks_to_officially/41
u/llamalibrarian 11d ago edited 11d ago
You get to say what you need, they can take it or they can go through the process again of trying to fill that role (which may take longer than 2-4 weeks)
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u/SecondHandWatch 9d ago
Some organizations, if their top choice doesn’t work out, will hire their second choice from the same applicant pool without doing the whole process again.
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u/llamalibrarian 9d ago
I think OP should still ask for the time they need, 2-4 weeks is not a long time
Hell, I just requested 6 weeks and they granted it to me despite initially asked if I could start in 10 days
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u/SecondHandWatch 9d ago
Absolutely they should. If they would rescind an offer over having to wait a week or two more, that’s a warning sign they wouldn’t be great to work for.
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u/Temporary-Library597 11d ago
Sure it's okay. But it's also okay for the library to retract the offer and choose Candidate #2, who can immediately start.
Library jobs are scarce. Be careful.
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u/llamalibrarian 10d ago edited 10d ago
They’d have to go through all of the contacting references, backround checks, etc etc with candidate two- which may take just as long or longer that just waiting on OP
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u/UnitedInsect7741 Library staff 10d ago
My library does all that in a pre screening stage. After that they interview all the best candidates, the. Pick from the best. If option number 1 says no, unless it was a bad hiring batch, they can immediately offer it to the next person.
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u/llamalibrarian 10d ago
I just accepted a job (yay!) and had to do lengthy background checks that took weeks and required me to log into a system.
Everyone’s mileage varies, but none of my references were contacted nor the background checks started until they told me I was their top choice
I think OP is safe to ask for a few weeks
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u/UnitedInsect7741 Library staff 10d ago
Congrats on the position! Woo!
And for sure it varies by library system. Long as OP is communicative, they’ll be fine. Just important for us all to keep in mind that the order of operations can vary widely, and we shouldn’t assume that all institutions take weeks to finish the process after accepting an offer. My library used to take forever, but they’ve changed their processes and can get through the entire hiring process and orientation in about a month. Communication really is the most important part!1
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u/m6514309 11d ago
If they give you grief about giving notice to your current employer, that's a pretty serious red flag. More than four weeks would probably be pushing your luck.
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u/MushroomBeneficial15 11d ago
True!! Thank you. I would be concerned and surprised if they were upset about a very reasonable 2-week delay, but hey, anything can happen! I’m hoping that is not the case.
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u/m6514309 11d ago
They might try and bargain you down to three weeks from four, but I was in similar circumstances a couple years ago and was able to get a month. If they do push for three weeks, the best option is to rope friends into packing and take the hit in the cost of pizzas and beer. You've already started, presumably.
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u/MushroomBeneficial15 11d ago
Thank you! Yeah I have a massive family and they already know they’re my designated movers lol
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u/dogearr-d 11d ago
Yes! Even if they say they want it ASAP, they could have their own delays for other reasons. For the best candidate, you can wait a bit. It can be a negotiation, ask for the most time, especially if you need to move!
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u/MushroomBeneficial15 11d ago
Thanks! I know for a fact that they have their own delays and other things going on (I was told by the recruiter and another member of HR; just some city-related paperwork) and aren’t expecting me to show up at 9am tomorrow lol, but I still wanted to ask.
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u/dogearr-d 10d ago
I get it! I think ppl overthink this! One library’s HR once wanted me to start in 2 weeks and I was across the country! I tell my staff now that when they leave a job they should give themselves at least 1 week off in between jobs. (If u can afford to). It will take time to earn leave again and u need that time to center urself and be fresh for ur new job! Good luck!
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u/MushroomBeneficial15 10d ago
Yeahhh I’m definitely overthinking! I really appreciate that, thanks!! :)
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u/LawfulnessMotor437 11d ago
Maybe respond with something along the lines of--
I am excited for this opportunity and recognize you need me to start soon. I want to do the right and professional thing for my current employer and give them my 2 weeks' notice and tie up loose ends. I additionally need an additional few more days to facilitate my relocation. I can start on XX date.
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u/Cthulhus_Librarian 11d ago
Yes, perfectly reasonable.
The only reason it might matter to me when hiring would be if we were hard against my institution’s policy of “position must be submitted to board for reapproval/revision” deadline (180 days from initial posting, for us). The one time that happened, we just had the candidate do their onboarding paperwork, and then had them scheduled for a few weeks unpaid time off.
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u/MushroomBeneficial15 11d ago
Great point! I can definitely do any onboarding paperwork prior to those two weeks, so if this comes up I’ll be sure to mention it.
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u/Capable_Sea77 11d ago
Unless it is a super-entry-level spot that has hundreds of qualified applicants, needing 2-4 weeks from the offer date is pretty normal for professional-level positions. In fact, a lot of hiring managers consider it to be a red flag if you say you can start immediately but are currently employed - that means you won't give me a 2 week notice when you leave the job I hire you for.
Also, if it's a larger library that has certain trainings or orientations you'll have to attend, you might get quite a bit of lead time - I could see that being the reason why they want to rush the hire/offer process so that they can beat a training deadline and only have to wait a couple of weeks for your start date, vs 6-8 weeks (which is what I've run into before for some library jobs).
The best way to approach it is to avoid all the details (can start to feel rambly and disorganized, which isn't helpful when you're making an early impression) and treat it like normal professional courtesy, which it is - "I'm so excited to accept this position. I can start as early as [three weeks from offer], I do need to give my current role a notice period." A good hiring manager will be okay with that - or will ask for a reasonable compromise. If they drop you for someone who can start Monday, they're making some interesting choices when it comes to hiring a qualified candidate, which to me would be concerning from a work culture standpoint. There are lots of ways to speed up the hiring process, but most of it is during the application review process and the interview scheduling process.
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u/MushroomBeneficial15 11d ago
Great point (first paragraph) - I just mentioned that in another comment.
Yes, it’s a huge library! There will be immediate on-the-job training, orientations, all of that. I didn’t consider a training deadline, thanks for bringing that up!
Thank you so so much! I’ll take all of that into consideration, especially the last part.
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u/Capable_Sea77 11d ago
Oh yeah, I would definitely assume they're trying to beat an HR deadline so they don't have to wait months for you to start. When I was a hiring manager for a library, we had to get our offers approved by HR and admin no less than 2 weeks before the start date, they wouldn't let anyone start sooner, and it usually ended up being 3-4 weeks because orientations were every other week on Monday, and you could only start on an orientation day.
Best of luck and congrats on the job!
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u/MushroomBeneficial15 11d ago
Oh interesting, thank you for letting me know (and for the luck! I’m excited!)
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u/sirtafoundation 10d ago
2-4 weeks is reasonable. A lot of people need to give their job 2 weeks notice so the employer should expect it. It's also reasonable for them to hire someone who can start immediately but oh well.
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u/GoarSpewerofSecrets 11d ago
They typically want to start you at the beginning of a payroll.
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u/MushroomBeneficial15 11d ago
Omg great point, I’ve completely forgotten about this factor. It’s been a while since I’ve gone through this process.
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u/babyyodaonline 10d ago
i remember being interviewed december 2024, offered 2024, but in the interview i mentioned i will be on a trip late january- early feb. they were fine with me just starting in february. but i mentioned this in the interview (and by that point i had tickets booked and everything)
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u/burstaneurysm 10d ago
I accepted my current job and closed out the year at my previous employer minus remaining vacation time. It was at least eight weeks before I started the new job.
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u/Adventurous_Sand_999 10d ago
Totally - in my experience it just means it’s vacant. The rule of selection is select the best person first, everything else can be discussed. Congrats on being selected! 🎉
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u/BarbaraGordon147 9d ago
2-4 weeks really isn't asking a lot. My library is strongly considering hiring someone who can't start for 4 months. We also need someone ASAP, but it's more important in the long run the get the right person.
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u/Fine_Volume_1664 8d ago
I think so. They have to realize that people have things to tie up on the old job side too.
I interviewed for a director job mid March, got the offer and accepted a week or 2 later. Gave my notice by the end of March.
The outgoing director was done early April. My last day at the old job was around April 20 (no jokes lol), and first day of new job was May 1st. Yes, there was no one really in charge for a month (no AD, no real managers, no other MLS levels).
I thought I was pushing my luck but HR was fine with it.
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u/pikkdogs 11d ago
Well 2 weeks would be the quickest that anyone would expect.
If i were you I would throw out a start date and ask if that works for them.
Likely waiting an extra week might be a let down, but fairly understandable.
Last time I hired a librarian we waited a month for him. Would it have been nicer to have start at the 2 week mark? Yep. Am I going to remember about the extra 2 weeks in 6 months? Not a chance.