When your job interview comes to a close, you’ll usually get a critical opportunity to ask the hiring manager a few questions. By asking the right ones, you can learn crucial details about the role and get a solid glimpse into the company’s remote culture, future plans for the position, and more.
If you want to make sure you tap on the right topics, here are a few questions you need to ask when interviewing for a remote job.
Four Questions to Ask When Interviewing for a Remote Position
What Are the Hours for This Position?
While many remote jobs come with flexible schedules, they aren’t universally available. Some telecommuters have to work during specific hours. At times, this means having a concrete workday schedule with pre-set start, end, and break times. In others, it could involve being available during defined core hours and having flexibility outside of those windows.
By asking the hiring manager about the hours, you can determine how much flexibility you’ll have if you are chosen for the role. That way, you can manage your expectations, as well as decide if the job is actually the right fit for your needs.
Will This Position Stay Remote, or Is It Transitioning Back to the Office?
Many jobs became remote due to the pandemic. And, once the pandemic is over, not all of them will stick with that arrangement. Instead, the people in those roles might have to transition back into a traditional workplace.
Since you may or may not be interested in returning to the office, learning the answer to this question is crucial. It lets you know if there are any future plans to transition it back into the workplace, even if they are far down the line.
What Percentage of This Team Is Working Remotely? Will That Change After the Pandemic?
It’s smart to find out if you’re going to be the only telecommuter and, if not, how much of the team is working remotely. This gives you a chance to gauge how common remote positions are, allowing you to estimate the company’s comfort level with the arrangement. Additionally, if you’ll be the only remote worker, it lets you know if you may face communication and collaboration challenges.
Following up and asking about how the end of the pandemic may change those arrangements helps you determine whether telecommuting is part of the company’s long-term plan. It also clues you into potential challenges related to more of the team being in an office together in the future while you’re still at home.
What Is the Feedback Process for Remote Employees?
Feedback is vital for your long-term success. Ideally, the hiring manager has a set process for providing it, ensuring you can continue to meet and exceed expectations over time. Official approaches also let you know how frequently they plan to communicate with you about your performance.
If the hiring manager doesn’t have any details to share, that could be concerning. It could mean that feedback is limited or haphazard, which may not be ideal. Worst-case, it could signal that they haven’t given feedback much thought, and that could indicate that you might not receive regular guidance or support.
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Ultimately, each of the questions above is crucial if you’re interviewing for a remote job. If you’d like to learn more, the staff at TempStaff can help. Search our open opportunities today!
