5 Questions to Ask in a Remote Job Interview

The surge of remote work has been remarkable, and there are no indications of it slowing down anytime soon. In fact, the number of remote workers in the US alone has increased by 44% over the past five years and 159% over the past 12 years. 

In today's job climate, job interviews aren't just about the employer assessing the employee but also about the employee investigating the employer. As a result, if you're a remote worker, you have to take advantage of your remote job interview by asking the right questions. But what are those questions? 

Of course, you still want to ask standard questions, like:

• What are the benefits? 
• What will my responsibilities be?
• How will my performance be evaluated? 
• What are the best parts of working here? 

But you'll also want to ask some questions tailored to remote positions. In this article, we'll share five questions you should ask during your remote interview to set yourself up for success. 

5 questions to ask during your interview for a remote job

The following five questions are things you should ask either during your remote job interview or before signing a contract. Doing so ensures you're signing on with a company where you'll thrive.

1. What are the working hours? 

You want to find out whether you will be working traditional working hours or if your workflow will be more flexible. Having an idea of your daily schedule is critical for remote employees – especially if you live on the other side of the world. 

If you're working in a different time zone, you definitely want to get clarification on hours and expectations and make sure there's plenty of overlap time to chat with your supervisors and teammates. 

2. What is the communication structure within the company?

Clear communication is essential in remote working environments. Asking this question allows you to determine if the business has a coherent and well-structured communication plan. For example, you might ask what communication tools they use and how often you're expected to check in with your supervisors and colleagues. 

Moreover, you might ask about how the employees communicate. For example, is there an active team chat or Slack channel? Does the team have regular meetings? Try to get a good feeling of who you'll be talking with regularly and how you'll communicate with them. 

3. How do you measure remote employee success?

As a remote employee, you want to know how your potential company measures success. Getting clear on success metrics during the initial interview lets you clarify expectations from the jump. While your responsibilities will likely be covered a bit, you want to ensure you're clear on how you will be evaluated. 

Need some insight on standard employee success metrics? Check out our article on managing and measuring remote employee success to provide more insights and best practices.

4. What is the company's policy on work-life balance?

As a remote worker, you need to maintain a healthy work-life balance because it's too easy to bring work home when you literally work from home. Ask your interviewer to be specific and explain how they promote a work-life balance for their remote team. 

For example, you might ask if you'll be expected to respond after hours and if you have any PTO. If having a work-life balance isn't a dealbreaker for you, you might instead ask about the company's mental health policies or what they do to ensure the mental health of their remote employees. 

5. What is the company's policy on remote work expenses?

Working remotely involves additional expenses that wouldn't be present in a traditional office environment. For example, remote workers have to have things like access to the internet, working laptops, software, hardware, and more. 

So, you want to be sure to ask what the company covers. Sometimes, companies offer reimbursements, but other times the employee is responsible for all the extra expenses. In that case, be sure to take extra time reviewing the salary and benefits to ensure it compensates. 

Nail your remote job interview with these 5 questions and get hired with Outstaffer.com

Now that you know the questions to ask in a remote job interview, you can approach the conversation confidently, putting yourself in the best possible position for success. Demonstrating initiative and enthusiasm for the position shows that you're an independent problem-solver – exactly the kind of individual that remote roles require.

Ultimately, remote job interviews may be different from traditional job interviews. Still, they present an excellent opportunity to show off your skills and find a company that supports your remote work lifestyle. By asking the right questions, you can ensure that you're a good fit for the company and that the company is a good fit for you.

If you're looking for remote work opportunities, follow Outstaffer on LinkedIn, and keep your eyes on our open positions. 

If you're a company looking for top talent from around the world, we can help you, too. As an Employer of Record, we make it easy to hire, onboard and manage employees worldwide in just a few clicks. Additionally, our  #WorkFromAnywhere technology, like our Managed Devices, VR Workplaces, and Workforce Monitoring, gives you and your remote team everything you need to work safely and efficiently. 

Book your demo today.