Written question asked by Shivani Raja (Conservative) on Friday, 28 August 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 2 September 2026. It was answered by Kate Dearden (Labour) on Tuesday, 8 September 2026 on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade.

Recruitment

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what discussions his Department has had with recruitment agencies and employers on the potential merits of (a) offering informal pre-interview calls and (b) discussing flexible working options during the application process, rather than post-offer.

Answer

The Government is engaging with employers and learning from best practice as we implement flexible working reforms. Many employers already discuss ways of working during recruitment, or set out scope for flexible working in job adverts.

Our flexible working reforms are intended to improve dialogue and collaboration around flexibility between employers and employees. While they apply from the first day of employment, and employers will remain free to design recruitment processes that best meet their needs, we hope these reforms will encourage earlier conversations about flexibility.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 22389
Session: 2026-27
Transferred: Yes
Subjects: Interviews Flexible working Recruitment
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk

Recruitment

Secondary information

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