7 Interview Questions You Can Expect When Applying for a Remote Job (Plus Tips on How to Answer)

In the wake of COVID-19, the chances of finding yourself interviewing for a remote position are pretty high.

In this scenario, you can expect several questions designed to decipher whether or not you are cut out for remote working. Your interviewer will be looking for someone independent, motivated, and self-disciplined, with excellent communication skills.  

Here are seven remote work questions you might encounter and tips for how best to answer them.

1. How Do You Like to Structure Your Day?

One of the many benefits of remote working is that you may have more flexibility to keep to your own schedule. With that in mind, don’t be concerned that this question is a test of your commitment to following a 9-to-5 routine. Consider when you are at your most productive and be honest with your interviewer about your optimal daily routine. Maybe you work best in 30-minute chunks or prefer to focus for several hours at a time. Do you plan to always work from home, or will you frequent your local cafe?

Take this opportunity to mention any additional commitments you have, such as collecting the kids from school at 3 pm each day. Because remote teams are often made up of employees from around the world, you may be required to work with colleagues in different time zones, and your interviewer will be interested to know how you might accommodate this. 

2. How Will You Approach the Challenge of No Face-to-face Contact?

In an office setting, you’ll likely have dozens of daily interactions with your colleagues, which organically establishes a workplace culture of communication and collaboration. In a remote setting it will be necessary to leverage a variety of technologies, including video conferencing, instant messaging, project management platforms, and email, to maintain regular and meaningful contact with your teammates.

For this question, you’ll need to demonstrate that you’ve considered the challenge of nurturing virtual workplace relationships. When is it appropriate to drop someone an email, and when should you pick up the phone? It’s equally important to address how you will get to know your colleagues on a more personal level, whether it’s scheduling a weekly happy hour via video-conference or arranging one-on-one time with each team member.

3. Could You Describe Your Perfect Workspace Set up?

Your interviewer’s motivation for asking this question is twofold.

From a logistical perspective, they will be interested to know what resources and equipment you require to be able to work most effectively — such as a specific type of desk or chair, or a larger monitor. 

They will also want to hear evidence that you’ve given some careful consideration to your workspace. Will you work from the sofa, the kitchen counter, the garden (on a sunny day), or in a designated home office? Have you considered your internet connection and potential distractions from other people in your household?

4. How Do You Manage Your Time and Workload Effectively?

Juggling your workload is very different when you work remotely. There’s a good chance you’ll have to contend with a constant stream of calls, emails, and instant messages from your colleagues, and following a more flexible structure can make it trickier to maintain focus and stay productive.

Your interviewer will want to know how you plan to manage your time and prioritize different requests and projects.

You might reference the importance of robust calendar management, which could include setting aside blocks of time for colleagues to contact you and time for you to focus on your own tasks. Do you prefer to operate with an open calendar that everyone can see? How will you organize and prioritize your to-do list each day?

There’s not really a right or wrong answer to this question — it’s simply important to demonstrate you have the self-awareness to know what works best for you. You might also turn this question back around to your interviewer to find out what work management programs they have in place or any protocols they follow.

5. How Would You Prepare to Lead a Remote Meeting?

Remote meetings present a whole set of unique challenges. Not only is there the constant threat of a technical glitch, but it’s also much more difficult to interpret your colleagues’ body language and tone of voice. They can significantly run over time, fail to achieve what they set out to do, and descend into chaos as everyone talks over one another.

Your interviewer wants to hear that you are aware of these challenges and have considered the best ways to address them. This might include setting a clear agenda, assigning a meeting facilitator, testing all technology in advance, and seeking input from attendees at a specific point(s) during the meeting. 

6. Do You Have Any Concerns About Working Remotely?

In asking this question, your interviewer is keen to confirm that you’re aware of your own weaknesses and to find out which coping mechanisms you would implement to address them.

Whether you’re worried about focusing, building relationships with colleagues, balancing work and home life, or juggling your workload with incoming requests, the most important thing is to outline the steps you’ll take to manage these challenges.

7. How Will You Ensure That You Maintain a Healthy Work-life Balance?

Employers should be mindful of their remote employees’ mental health, particularly during these turbulent times. Remote working provides several benefits but it can also lead to loneliness and increased stress, which in turn might trigger or exacerbate a mental health condition such as anxiety.

For this reason, your interviewer will want to know how you plan to balance your work and home life and how you best switch off. It’s all too easy to slip into an “always available” mentality when working remotely, but a good employer should actively discourage this.

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