6 Useful Remote Job Interview Questions

Whether you have a fully remote team or you’re just dipping your toes into the remote workforce waters, you’re most likely aware that hiring remote workers is different than hiring in-office employees. Just as potential employees need different skills to work remotely (self-management, independence, proactive communication, etc.), you need different job interview questions when hiring for a remote position. Below we’re sharing six useful remote job interview questions to help you hire the most qualified remote workers.

Here are six useful remote job interview questions:

1. Have you previously worked remotely?

Knowing a potential employee’s remote work history can shed a lot of light on their ability to work remotely. Someone with remote experience will likely require less hand-holding and adjustment as they start the job.

If they have no previous remote work experience, that doesn’t need to take them out of the running. Asking the rest of the job interview questions below will help you determine if they have the propensity for a remote job.

2. Do you work best independently or with others?

Figuring out your interviewee’s working style can save both of you a lot of trouble. If this person thrives on working with others, a remote work situation might not be for them.

Remote workers need to be able to work independently on their own for long stretches of time. If they need more collaboration with coworkers, they may find themselves heading back to an office job sooner rather than later.

3. What is your home office like?

Asking this job interview question can help you gauge the preparedness of your potential employee. Having a separate, distraction-free workspace is essential to being a successful remote worker. If they already have a home office ready to go, or have a plan in place to create one, this can indicate they are prepared and ready to work remotely.

4. How do you stay organized and on top of deadlines?

Accountability and working independently are so important to working remotely. Assess your interviewee’s answer to determine if they are an on-the-ball person who stays organized and completes work on time.

Without a boss looking over their shoulder, you need an employee you can rely on to get work done.

5. How do you communicate with others on the job?

Without the ability to walk down the hall to ask a question, remote workers need exceptional communication skills. See if your potential candidate utilizes and is comfortable with video conferencing, instant messaging, team collaboration tools, and any other methods your company uses to facilitate communication.

Determine if they are proactive in discussing problems or questions when they arise or if they wait for others to approach them.

6. Why do you want to work here?

It’s important to be sure a potential employee wants to work for your company based on their passion and interest in what your company does. If you suspect they simply want a remote job—any remote job—then you may find yourself with an undedicated and unhappy worker.

Using these remote job interview questions will help guide you in hiring an employee who is skilled and ready to work remotely for your company. Here’s to many successful remote job interviews!