Are you really into calendars and scheduling tasks and blocks of time to work? Maybe you like to put up the “do not disturb” sign and get really deep into your work, turning off all push notifications until the task is complete. Remote work has never been more accessible but many people aren’t prepared for the challenges that come with being a remote worker. Two of the biggest challenges of working remotely are communicating and collaborating across time zones. Since you can’t jump into a quick call or tap a person on the shoulder, you need to be more intentional about your interactions with others. You should also ask the hiring manager to explain how their team works.
This is why the interviewer wants to make sure that you’re the type of person who’d excel in a remote work environment – hence this question. Think of fun things you could do with your team over video conferences, like trivia contests, virtual happy hours, or simply taking a little time during meetings to chit chat about life. Explain to the interviewer how you would decide when to set up video conferencing versus when you’d shoot out an email or a message. You can also rely on your experiences so far — especially if you’ve been working from home for a while now. That means they want to know what makes you work best from home and why.
How to answer
Discussing what you learned can be incredibly valuable, so if you don’t have a glowing success story, it’s OK to share an example of a time things didn’t work out the way you’d hoped. As interesting and relevant as those examples may be, the goal is to keep the focus on your conflict resolution skills. “Even better if you can explain that you’re willing first to seek answers…on your own before asking others,” he says. Including an example of a real project you’ve worked on remotely in the past (if relevant) may also help to strengthen your answer.
That means you need to think ahead and find new ways to communicate. Get to the heart of what your candidate looks for in a new remote role. Find out what kind of remote environment they would thrive in.
Will You Be Able To Maintain a Work-Life Balance In a Remote Setting?
In an office, you’re in a productive environment – everyone’s working, which makes it easier to stay focused on your tasks. Working from home, on the other hand, may make it easier to get distracted. Finally, at the end of the interview, the interviewer is going to ask you if you have any questions about the job you’re applying for.
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- I’d feel like a total freak in a traditional office, but in the comfort of my own home I’m free to be a little weird and walk like a hamster while getting work done.
- Therefore, employers want to ensure that potential employees have the necessary experience and skills to work effectively in a remote or virtual environment.
- Obviously, when you work from home, you’re not around as many people in contrast to working in an office setting.
- It has also made it easier for me to communicate with coworkers in other time zones.
That should be fairly easy for people who’ve worked remotely in the past, but if you haven’t, don’t sweat it. “Sometimes people get tripped up when they are asked a question about a situation they’ve never been in—and remote work is new to a lot of folks,” Jones says. “If this happens, communicate what you would do if you encountered XYZ situation in a remote role; sometimes the thought process is more valuable than the actual answer.” And they’ll likely be asking you questions aimed at teasing these traits out.
Dell Says No To Promotions For Remote Workers
I approached my manager and explained that the sick team member had expertise that no one else could adequately provide. “I think the key to motivation is being passionate about what you do. That being said, I do sometimes have to rely on my routine to keep me going when I have a bad day. Having a dedicated workspace and an established schedule definitely helps work from home experience me to mentally and physically separate my work from everything else that may be going on in my life. “My biggest concern is my ability to learn from others on the team. Since there is not the same level of casual interaction as you might find in an office, I know that I will need to be very intentional about building my relationships with my coworkers.
- Every remote company uses several tools to communicate with its team and manage tasks or projects.
- When asking this question, the interviewer simply wants to know if you’ve got experience using such tools.
- And while lots of “alone time” is a big part of remote work, anyone searching for a remote job shouldn’t assume that a remote role means never interacting with colleagues.
- First things first, before we get to the questions, you need to be ready with a few basic things that are required for any work from home interview.
I also just got a Jarvis standing desk that allows me to switch between standing and sitting throughout the day. I own a self-build standing desk with a MacBook Pro in top as well as an external monitor. Sometimes I move to the couch or kitchen https://remotemode.net/ table, especially when I’m tired of standing. One day a week I join a local co-working space to get some air. I also try to work more from coffee places to mix it up a bit. Most of the time I work from an office in my house in Arizona.
“Do you prefer story points or hours to estimate projects?”
The interviewer is trying to gauge if you’re a good cultural fit for the company. Even though you’re applying for a remote job, there will be other people in your team and organization that you’ll interact with on a daily basis. Knowing your interests helps the interviewer understand if you’ll gel well with other employees in the company or not.