The very basic meaning of reimbursement is to give money to the person who has spent it or lost it. In simple words, it means that if any individual has spent an amount of money for any task or work that has done this, he requests grants that particular amount to compensate for his loss. This act of giving money is called a reimbursement. It has various types such as Healthcare Reimbursement, Travel, and Mileage Reimbursement, and Business Expense Reimbursement. Today’s topic- How to ask for travel reimbursement in an interview?
Many people get confused between compensation and reimbursement, but they are slightly different. Compensation is paying for an inconvenience, time, discomfort, loss, etc. Whereas, reimbursement is where the organization pays its employee for a loss of money from his pocket for the company work. There are many forms of reimbursement in various companies depending on their type.
Inquiring about the travel reimbursement policy can help a lot in clearing confusion regarding the responsibility of the expenses. You can ask for travel reimbursement if you are going far from your residence and it will cost you a lot in traveling stuff. Most of the reputed companies have such a policy and they do pay people according to it. Also, this doesn’t matter if you are selected or not, if they gave you the word to give a travel reimbursement then they have to pay you for all the eligible travel expenses.
One can send a nicely written email to enquire about it before the interview. Well, whenever it comes to money and asking for such benefits the situation becomes a little awkward. Sometimes we don’t know if it’s the right time to ask for it or even ask for it or how the panel will react? Many questions start to pop up in our heads regarding this issue. Now let us get to know about how to ask for travel reimbursement in an interview? You can call them directly on their office phone numbers. The following points must be noted while writing an impactful email.
Addressing the right person
If we want to clear a doubt, it is very necessary to contact the concerned person for that to happen. Who is that concerned person?
- That concerned person is an individual who has the direct and one solution for the problem, someone who is going to be the base solver of the problems you want to seek help from.
Now when it comes to reimbursement problems, we do have a problem solver for this. Whenever a person is called for an interview, the mail is sent from the HR Department. So, this official who sent you the mail to come for the interview must be approached for a reimbursement request, this official is the person to approach and address while sending the reimbursement request mail.
- You can also ask for the HOD of the HR department.
Make sure you enquire on the same email Id you received your mail and check whether they are the correct body to discuss this point. If not ask them to help you reach the concerned official. If you do get no response from them, you can contact them directly on the landline of the organization. Contact numbers are easily available on their websites/pages.
Choosing a precise subject line
See, whenever we send official mails, we try to be very short and directWhilele writing the subject l. The intention is that it should be understood easily in one go what the main body will comprise. Be wise with your words, they shouldn’t appear like a demand or a command. You might write it as “Request for reimbursement of travel expenses” or “Regarding reimbursement of travel expenses”. Or if you have better ideas, go with that, but keeps in mind that they are direct. The statement should be understandable so that the person receiving it believes that it is genuine and must be reverted. Don’t use lines like please help me, free travel expense, etc. Choose the correct group of words and then frame the subject line. We only read news or articles which have some sense and meaningful headings. Similarly, we usually check out emails, which have a powerful and genuine header.
Mention Everything
When I mean everything, it surely doesn’t mean that you have to mention what you like to eat or dislike in drinking. It means that you have to correctly mention your details regarding the interview and its related expenses, which you had to do. You have to say your name, date of the interview, position for which you had applied, and place where the interview took place. Always check each detail thoroughly is correctly mentioned and nothing is left out. First, keep in mind the spellings in your words because it is a wrong impression; secondly, the paperwork gets in trouble.
Attachments
Whenever we ask for any kind of reimbursement, we need to make sure that we keep all proofs with us. If you lose your bills, then you will not be able to claim any refund. We do this to show them as a shred of evidence that whatever we are claiming against it is authentic and not a fraud. Not a single record should be misplaced. Else they will never believe what you tell them. Now for attachments with such requests, collect all your bills like tickets, lodge bills, hotel bills, food bills, and travel bills and attach them. The dates printed on it must be of the same day when I called you for the interview. Don’t replace any other bill/wrong bill with the mail; never try to fraud with such cases because if you get caught, you are done this is; this is request professional image.
Details matter
Whenever we ask for a payback like reimbursements, we must ensure that it includes all the details. Why do we need to mention details when we are already attaching bills? We need to do so because we have spent a certain amount on a meeting whose results aren’t even sure whether they will be positive or negative. Details mean whatever you spent traveling for a journey (both arrival and departure), a night stay in a hotel, food bills, accessory bills, etc. Please don’t mention the cost of the water bottle you bought on the way. Mention only those details which are worth mentioning. It would be better if you keep a copy of these bills if they wish to see the proof.
Conclusion
End the letter with a thanking note. Use polite statements requesting them to grant you the reimbursement. Thank them for giving you their precious time. Express your kindness and enthusiasm for this amazing opportunity for the interview. Lastly, share the appropriate information like email address and phone number so that the company can respond. They might revert positively to inform you about the reimbursement policy and procedure they follow.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Do companies give reimbursements for real?
Yes, it is for real; reputed companies send a proper mail mentioning their terms and conditions and travel reimbursement details. At times it is attached in your interview call letter. It does not matter if you select in the process; the company will pay you as promised.
What should I do if I am not getting my promised reimbursement?
Fundamentally, if you are not getting paid as promised by the company for your travel expenses, you may contact the head/chief of the company. Inform him about the letter and its proposals. Wait for some time. They might revert you. Even after doing this, there is no action taken, and nobody contacts you. Start writing on their social media handles about their misconduct of promises. Then, you fantastic can file a complaint against them.
Can I get my reimbursement before I give my interview?
No, you cannot get your payment before attending an interview. It might be because you don’t know how much it will cost before you start the journey. And where will you get the copies of the travel bills, a trip which is yet to happen?
Why do companies pay for reimbursements? Is it not extra credit loss for them?
Firstly, generally, the big reputed companies follow these policies, not all companies do this. Now coming to why they pay for it is that they already put in a lot of money in the recruitment of the staff. They have well-organized finance teams which pre-plan all the budget for reimbursements. When the recruiter finds an individual suitable and worthy to be hired in the company, they are ready to take a chance and spend a certain amount of money on them. If he clears the interview session, he becomes an asset that will fetch them more money from his hard work than they spent on his travel expenses. It’s a win-win situation.
What does a reimbursement include?
It includes your flight and accommodations. If you are traveling from a distant location, the company will take responsibility for and from a site. Before you go for an interview, the recruiter must or might discuss the logistics. For example, they might want to know which airline you are taking, the class you have booked, date and time of your journey. For accommodations, they might want to know the hotel you will be checking into and for how long. Usually, when a person goes out for an interview, they stay at least for a day in the city, which means that they will give hotel accommodation that comes under travel reimbursement.
