Questions to expect in a remote job interview

If you work remotely, you will still have to go through the interview process. Even though you won´t be working in a traditional office setting, your hiring manager will still want to interview you and make sure that you´re the best fit for their company. Acing the interview will not only get you the job, but could put you on good terms with your new bosses.

Here are some questions that you can expect in a remote job interview.

1. Do you have experience working from home?

Having a successful track record of working from home will give you an upper hand in the interview process. Being able to prove to the hiring manager that you can work from home makes it easier for your potential employer to feel more confident with hiring you to work remotely. Proving you can handle the challenges of working remotely is a great asset.

2. Can you describe/show your office setup?

Your potential employer will ask this so they can determine just how serious you are about working remotely. Showing that you have a clean and orderly office setup will greatly increase your chances of being hired, and will make your interviewer feel more confident about hiring you. Stating to you interviewer that your office is in a quiet space, with closed doors preferred, will give you the upper hand in the interview, along with your tidy space.

3. How is your day scheduled?

Since you´re a remote worker, your schedule doesn´t comply with the normal 9-5 schedule. The employer wants to know how you work throughout the day, and when you schedule important tasks that need to be done, or even when you schedule meetings. Working with a fully remote team, it can be difficult to set up times for everybody to talk about the project at hand. By the hiring manager asking this question, they get an insight into how you work and if you will work well with their company.

4. How do you use different communication tools?

As a remote worker, you don´t have the possibility of going to another employee´s cubicle to have a chat about what you´re both working on. So having a good handle on different communication tools is key. You´ll utilize many different kinds of communication tools while working remotely, and it can be a good idea to outline just how you use those tools in your interview.

5. How do you organize your files or links on your computer?

Just like keeping your schedule and workspace organized, it´s important to keep you computer, your files, and all of the links you use organized. There are many different cloud based technologies out there nowadays that it is very simple to keep all your files stored in one place. Explaining in the interview just how organized you keep your files and links is a great way to boost yourself up in the interview and help you nail it!

6. How do you use technology throughout your day?

Even though this may seem like an odd question to be asked, it´s important for the employer to know just how well versed you are with different technologies. Being able to show that you love certain apps for taking notes, or are fluent in a certain type of social media can help the employer know just how well you´ll fit with the company and where your interests lie. Having a diverse group of people working on a project is much better than having a group of people that all think the same and work the same way.

7. How do you balance your work and home life?

Showing to an employer that you can balance your work and home life is great sign for them. That means that you are able to understand when you need a break and not over work yourself to the point that you won´t be able to function on the team. Taking care of yourself, physically and mentally, is a very important part of working remotely and most employers understand that. So don´t be afraid to tell them about your weekly yoga class or that spin class you´re in!