When faced with technical issues or internet instability while working remotely, I troubleshoot common problems independently using online resources or IT support channels. I ensure I have backup options such as mobile hotspots or alternative devices. I communicate proactively with colleagues or clients about any potential delays or disruptions and seek https://remotemode.net/ assistance from technical support teams when necessary. I also prioritize tasks that can be done offline or with minimal connectivity to mitigate impact on productivity. To manage work-related stress without the physical separation of an office, I prioritize self-care practices such as regular exercise, mindfulness, breaks, and relaxation techniques.
What’s your biggest concern about working remotely?
Talk about some specific things that can occur—a friend calls for a chat, the sink is full of dishes, or the kids are home from school—and discuss your specific strategies to limit distractions and stay focused. Remote work can have positive environmental impacts such as reduced carbon emissions from commuting, lower energy consumption in office buildings, and decreased waste generation. Additionally, I stay informed about environmental best practices and advocate for sustainable remote work policies and practices. I set boundaries with friends and family while working from home by establishing clear work hours and communicating my availability for social interactions. The most important lesson I’ve learned from working remotely is the value of adaptability, resilience, and effective communication. Remote work requires flexibility to navigate challenges, embrace change, and find innovative solutions.
Light-hearted, culture-fit questions to understand the candidate’s personality
You have a stand-up call at the beginning of the week, another at the end, and then it’s all up to you to make sure all your work is done right and on time. Rather, you want to give a more mature answer that shows that you’re aware that remote work is work nonetheless. While you occasionally have check-ins with your team, you’re the one who’s primarily in charge of making sure that you’re getting your work done. Then, 10 minutes before the interview, hop in the meeting room and wait for the interviewer to join the call. Sit down at your desk 30 minutes before the interview and make sure all your tech is running smoothly. Even if you followed our second tip and made sure all your tech works like a charm, you can never really account for potential technical issues.
What role does company culture play in remote work, and how do you engage with it?
Here are the top three light-hearted interview questions we’ve found valuable for making interviews more enjoyable. They’re also great in helping unveil the personality behind the resume. This question is an example of what interviews can do that resumes can’t—seeing for yourself how a candidate solves a real-world problem. A strong response should include how they diagnosed, troubleshooted, and went the extra mile to prevent future hiccups. If a candidate can explain these to a non-techy person (like a manager or a client), that’s a big win. Here are a few tailored questions and insights for your interviews with remote customer service and virtual assistant candidates.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned from working remotely?
If your favorite job included group outings and frequent team lunches, or your least favorite one was when you felt stuck behind a desk, an interviewer may not see you as a great fit for a remote role. If you’ve primarily worked in an office during your career, the hiring manager may have a few questions about why you’re applying to a remote job. I also practice mindfulness and focus techniques to maintain concentration. I was motivated to start working remotely primarily for the flexibility and autonomy it offers. Remote work allows me to customize my work environment, manage my schedule more effectively, and achieve a better work-life balance. It also reduces commuting time and expenses, enabling me to focus more on productive work and personal pursuits.
Currently Hiring on FlexJobs
Even with a great team behind you, you have to take care of your physical and mental health as a remote worker more than you would in a regular office gig. Like I said, it’s not easy for coworkers or bosses to notice the outward symptoms of problems. They don’t see you sitting at your computer until all hours or notice you dragging when you used to be full of energy. Believe it or not, the logistics of how you organize your work life is CRUCIAL in a remote job. On the Skillcrush team, we love sharing our Google calendars so you kind of have to be on board with that. The same holds up with other companies and their preferred apps and platforms.
- Now that we’ve gotten some basic remote interview setup out of the way, let’s talk about how to truly stand out and impress in your remote interview.
- But if you’ve been working in a more traditional job or you’ve been out of the workforce for several years, the prospect of landing a remote job might seem overwhelming.
- Remote interviews are becoming more and more prevalent, especially during and post the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Imagine a remote team where communication is a mess—definitely not a pleasant picture.
What are the key skills a person should develop for successful remote work?
Give examples of times you faced communication challenges in the office and explain how you dealt with them. If you’ve never worked remotely before, talk about how you’ve tackled distractions while working in the office. In-person offices can have just as many—if not more—distractions, and explaining how you handled them can give the interviewer insight into how you’ll deal with distractions remote interview process while working at home. Outline details of your past remote work experience, such as what you did and the hours you worked. If you and your coworkers were located in vastly different time zones, explain how you tackled the challenges and what systems you put in place to keep everything on track. Remote work has both positive and negative impacts on my physical health.
Having an area in your home dedicated to work will create the impression that you’ll be serious about your job and that you’re someone who won’t be easily distracted by random temptations like watching TV. Like an on-site interview, you must prepare for your remote interview in advance. Unlike an on-site interview, you don’t need to figure out the best route to drive there and where you’re going to park. Use these remote interview tips to get ready for your upcoming interviews. Ultimately, remember that job searching and interviewing is a numbers game.
A tidy knit pullover or a nice cotton shirt will demonstrate that you have considered your appearance during a remote interview. Remember that your interviewer is expecting professionalism even though you are not in a physical office. Before your interview, put some thought into your attire and setting.
Don’t forget to mention how you prioritize tasks and what you do when there are multiple things that need your attention at once. Make sure you explain what steps you take, how you triage things, and that you aren’t afraid to ask for help when you’re in over your head. Since there won’t be a boss looking over your shoulder, the employer is asking how you will stay motivated to accomplish your tasks.
Staying motivated with little to no external supervision is fundamental to thriving in remote work. Candidates with a strong sense of responsibility and autonomy will likely be more resilient and dedicated. Conversely, it’ll only be a matter of time before those attracted solely by the convenience of remote work get bored and give up on this work setup. No matter how much planning you do in advance, or how organized your files are, or even how precisely the team followed the project plan, sometimes things go wrong.
Give examples of some of the things you’ve accomplished that didn’t require anyone else’s support or supervision, and be sure to emphasize them on your resume as well. You’ve exchanged pleasantries, and maybe you’ve even gotten past “Tell me about yourself.” But proving you’re the right person for a remote job requires specialized prep work. If you get an offer from a different company, you might reach out to the hiring manager. Let them know this role is your first choice, but you have an offer elsewhere.
While many aspects of the interview process are similar to the in-person version, there are enough subtle differences that it pays to read up on how it works before you jump in. When you pop this question, you’re diving into their technical know-how. A strong answer should emphasize how they use remote support tools like remote desktop software, ticketing systems, or collaboration platforms to troubleshoot technical issues remotely. It might seem a bit vague and general, but the reason you might get asked a question like this is because your potential employer wants to get a handle on your management skills. When you’re a remote worker, you’ll have to organize and coordinate projects differently than you would in person, so bear that in mind when you reply to this.
Also, be sure to switch off your computer’s screen alerts and IM chats during the interview. Mute calls and text messages and place you phone out of sight, so you don’t unthinkingly reach out for it during your conversation. Share the names, titles and LinkedIn profiles of everyone from your company who will meet the candidate. Also provide an agenda that makes clear whether everyone will be on the call for, say, one 60- or 90-minute interview, or if there’ll be a series of 20- or 30-minute one-on-one meetings. Plan to dress appropriately and set aside your interview outfit ahead of time so that you’ll have one less thing to worry about on the morning of your interview.
Or, maybe it’s not the idea of working remotely that appeals to you—it’s the idea of working for that particular company that excites you. If you are a relative newcomer to the world of remote work, you might be wondering what types of work-from-home interview questions to expect. Once the interview process is completed, you can expect either an offer letter or a rejection letter. Typically, these will be sent via email and follow a template that the company uses for these communications. Employers may send screening questions or do a phone call first, or they may move right to video chat.
Interviewing remotely is just as much a risk for the candidate as it is for you, so provide plenty of opportunities for candidates to ask questions and be ready to give answers. When remote interviewing, most of these non-verbal cues are not easily observable, making it harder to communicate – so you really need to listen actively to what the interviewee is saying. Involving execs into the interviewing process, especially for more senior roles, has a positive effect on candidate experience and engagement.
Getting your remote interview setup out of the way and testing it with a friend or family member will remove some anxiety and let you focus on the rest of these steps for succeeding in remote job interviews. For a lot of companies, hiring isn’t a dedicated process, it’s a bunch of meetings with potential employees. But you’re not just meeting another person, you’re gathering evidence to decide if that person has the necessary skills, values and cultural fit to carry out a role at your company. Remote work has influenced my career choices and opportunities by expanding the possibilities for remote roles, freelance work, and global collaboration. It has allowed me to access a wider range of job opportunities, explore flexible work arrangements, and leverage technology for remote networking, learning, and skill development. Remote work has also encouraged me to prioritize work-life balance, personal growth, and alignment with organizations that support remote work culture and values.
Chances are, the interviewer will also ask more conventional job interview questions. To learn what they are and how to answer them, check out our article. “Remote work—whether temporary or permanent—requires a different skill set and type of experience than in-office jobs,” says Neal Taparia, founder of Unscrambled Words, a startup with a primarily distributed team. So while the remote jobs you’re pursuing may be very similar to in-office roles you’ve had in the past, working from home requires a different work style.
