Five Key Interview Questions to Ask Remote Job Candidates

Remote Work Comes With Its Own Challenges

While remote work is certainly becoming more ubiquitous, it's not for everyone. Some individuals prefer to work and collaborate in the flesh or find the lack of structure unproductive.  Successful remote workers also need to be self-motivated and possess strong initiative. And some individuals who may like the perks  (flexibility, autonomy), may struggle with the realities of remote work. It's up to the individuals doing the hiring to paint an accurate picture of what remote work at their organization entails and ask pointed questions to determine whether or not candidates are a good fit for this work. 

Five Interview Questions to Ask Remote Job Candidates

1. Have You Previously Worked in a Remote Position?

Employees with remote experience already understand the importance of self-direction and staying on track. However, it doesn't hurt to ask follow-up questions about how they handled collaborating remotely, meeting deadlines, and managing a flexible schedule—just because someone worked remotely in the past, doesn't mean they'll excel at it in the future. You also don't want to discount someone just because they've never worked remotely before. Not every HiringThing employee had remote experience before coming onboard, but they were all able to successfully verbalize why they'd be a good remote worker.

2. How Do You Manage Your Time and Meet Deadlines?

Remote positions provide employee flexibility, but if individuals have not developed a routine or plan, they may struggle to complete their work efficiently and thoroughly. Find out what time management methods your applicants use to ensure they stay on track.

3. How Do You Communicate with Your Team?

Proper communication is crucial no matter the industry, but for remote workers, it is especially vital. You want to get an understanding of how an individual will utilize remote-work tools to communicate with their teammates, managers, or employees they manage. Additionally, how comfortable are they communicating largely via email and chat? Some people find the ambiguity that comes with written communication overwhelming. 

4. Why Do You Want to Work Remotely? 

You're looking for individuals who like autonomy, flexibility, a work-life balance, and are motivated to do great work. Individuals excited about marrying their professional talents with the lifestyle remote work makes possible (travel enthusiasts, busy parents, night owls) can also be ideal remote work candidates. It's also a good sign if someone says they're more productive when they get to pick where they work. Things to watch out for are individuals most excited about "not having to answer to a manager," "being able to only work when I want," or any mention of "an easier position." 

5. How Comfortable Are You With Technology? 

This may seem like a funny question in our technology-obsessed times, but it's still vital. Remote employees spend almost all of their time on a computer utilizing technology to communicate and work. And unlike a brick-and-mortar company, there may not always be someone available if they need to troubleshoot something. Now, there's a learning curve with any new technology, but if individuals allude they don't like learning new tech skills, remote work may not be for them. 

About HiringThing

HiringThing is a modern recruiting and employee onboarding platform as a service that creates seamless talent experiences. Our white label solutions and open API enable technology and service providers to offer hiring and onboarding to their clients. Approachable and adaptable, the platform empowers anyone, anywhere to build their dream team.