Remote-access Guide

how to ask about remote access in an interview

by Rosalinda Hoeger Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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  • Explain your reasons for requesting to work remotely and the specific nature of your request.
  • Discuss your work track record in a way that shows you are capable of handling the responsibilities that come with working from home. ...
  • Outline a specific schedule that you plan to follow while working remotely. ...
  • Propose how you plan to keep in contact with all necessary parties including clients, managers and team members. ...
  • Discuss any costs that may be associated with your working remotely, such as new technology and software, and who will be responsible for paying for it.
  • Include specific steps you will take to remain accountable to your manager and your team. ...
  • Outline every benefit that you anticipate working remotely will have for your organization. Include at least three unique advantages.

How to Ask About Remote Work During a Job Interview
  1. Do research. Don't immediately assume that just because the ad doesn't highlight flexible arrangements that all hope is lost. ...
  2. Be direct, if you can. ...
  3. Be indirect, if you must. ...
  4. Want to deal from the get-go with employers committed to remote work?

What are the interview questions to ask potential remote workers?

However, applicants may apply for the job because it’s remote, not because it’s the right job for them. Even with the right skills and experiences, not every candidate is cut out for the remote work life. So, here are interview questions to ask potential remote workers. 1. Have you ever worked remotely? What were some of the challenges you faced?

How do I ask my employer to work remotely?

Answer any questions your employer has and be willing to hear their side of things. If your manager tells you they need time to consider the request, set a specific time to follow up to ensure your proposal keeps moving forward and isn't forgotten. Use these steps to create a viable plan to present when asking to work remotely full time:

How do you know if a candidate is interested in remote work?

For example, if a candidate says that they love the company’s team-building opportunities, or their favorite activity is the 10 AM coffee cart, dig a little deeper and see why the candidate is interested in remote work.

Is it easy to get an answer when your team is remote?

When the team is remote, though, it’s not so easy to get an answer when you need it. Not only is there no “office” to pop into, not everyone works the same hours. When the team is distributed across as many as 24 time zones, it may be a full working day before a question is answered.

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How do you ask for a remote work sample?

I'd like to request the ability to work from home because I'm not feeling well / I have a sick family member. I want to make sure I stay away from the rest of the team in case I'm contagious. Thanks for considering this request, and let me know if you have any concerns or if I should reach out to someone in HR.

How do you ask if a position can be remote email?

Template email asking to work from home By working at home, I feel that I could [list of specific benefits of working from home]. Would it be possible for me to begin working from home [frequency of remote work request], while still meeting in the office on an as-needed basis?

What do you say in a remote job interview?

You Might Say: “I think a varied approach to communication is ideal, as the best method of communication depends on the scope of the question or project you're working on. To start, I think having regular team meetings over video is a great way to stay connected and keep everyone on the same page.

What is I am willing to work remotely?

Work from home is an arrangement that allows you to work outside the traditional office setting. It is also called remote work or working remotely. Thanks to new technologies, it is no longer required to be physically present in the office to be productive.

How do I ask to be remote?

How to Ask Your Boss to Work Remotely: 4 TipsCome Prepared. Don't wing this discussion. ... Show Why It's Beneficial for the Company. The fact that remote work allows you to be there when the kids get home from school matters more to you than it does to your manager. ... Suggest a Trial. ... Tread Lightly. ... Make Remote Work a Reality.

How do I ask to be a remote employee?

Starting the remote work conversationExplain why you want to work remotely. Explaining your motivation is essential when making any request. ... Clarify how it will benefit everyone. ... Explain how it will work. ... Lay out the tools you will use. ... Show how you will measure if it's working. ... Start with a trial.

What questions should I ask about working from home?

Work from home experience survey questions:Are the WFH policies clear?Are your work objectives clear each day? ... Do you feel there is adequate communication from your teammates and team leaders?How satisfied are you with the frequency of communication from leadership?More items...

What questions should I ask at the end of an interview?

20 smart questions to ask at the end of your next job interviewWhat do you personally like most about working for this organisation? ... How would you describe your organisation's culture? ... Can you tell me about the kind of supervision you provide? ... What have past employees done to succeed in this position?More items...

What should I ask in an interview?

7 good questions to ask at an interviewCan you tell me more about the day-to-day responsibilities of the role? ... How could I impress you in the first three months? ... Are there opportunities for training and progression within the role/company? ... Where do you think the company is headed in the next five years?More items...

When should you ask about remote work?

Most interviewers will give time at the end for you to ask questions, and this is the best time to inquire about remote work. By asking at the end, it also gives you a chance to show the interviewer your skills and personality before approaching the somewhat tricky question.

Why do u want work remotely?

Your productivity skyrockets when working in an environment that has decreased distractions. Working from home gives you the space you need to think critically and perform better. You're thrilled with the prospect of working for a company you admire, without being limited by your geographical location.

How do I say working remotely?

The phrase “remote work” has a mind-numbing number of synonyms and juxtaposed terms. It's also called telecommuting, telework, work from home, work from anywhere, mobile work, flexible workplace, virtual work, distributed work, and more.

How do you tell a company you want to work remote?

How to answer "Why do you want to work from home?"List out your reasons. ... Research the benefits of remote work for employers. ... Map your motivations to the employer's benefits. ... Don't forget to sell yourself. ... Emphasize your fit for the company culture. ... Practice your answer. ... Show your remote work skills.

How do you ask for a remote job in a cover letter?

In cases where the company is clear about their remote work options (which it sounds like they are in your situation), definitely mention your remote work desires in your cover letter. To do so, tie your wish to work remotely back to the company in a positive way.

How to know if a company is open to remote work?

Usually, you can get a sense as to whether a company is open to remote work arrangements by doing some research ahead of time. Job sites like Glassdoor, for example, publish company reviews, and if you read enough of them, you might come upon mentions of things like flexibility and working from home.

Is it bad to bring up salary during an interview?

When it comes to job interviews, there are certain actions you want to avoid. For example, it’s usually a bad idea to bring up salary during an interview unless you’re specifically asked to share your thoughts on the matter.

Can you ask about remote work?

It’s OK to ask about remote work arrangements in a job interview, but the key is to do so unobtrusively. A good way to broach the topic is to ask the question on a general basis, along the lines of: “Do most of your employees work full-time from the office, or is there a lot of telecommuting?” Posing the question this way will make it sound like you’re asking from a place of curiosity rather than demand.

What to ask a remote worker in an interview?

This question is great for independent professionals as well as potential full-time employees. Most interviewees with a proven track record of success remotely working will have done so for a few years and will express enthusiasm for remote work. Seasoned remote workers who work well in a distributed team have thrived in a virtual office, are likely to have been promoted, have increased their pay over time, and have a portfolio of strong results. Ask candidates why they think they’ll thrive in remote work at your company and in the job they’re applying for, and then segue into additional questions such as those below.

What is an interview for remote workers?

Interviews are excellent opportunities to assess potential remote hires and their ability to flourish outside of a typical office environment. The following 16 interview questions will provide key insights about how a worker will perform as part of your remote team.

How to interview someone who is challenging news?

Look for interviewees who offer a mature and insightful account of communicating challenging news. Ideally, they can identify how they chose to communicate the feedback or update and the specific tone they struck. Their account of the other people involved should be observant and respectful versus accusatory and petty. Otherwise, they might not be a team player. Challenge interviewees with more detailed questions such as those below.

What is a thoughtful, specific response to this question?

Thoughtful, specific responses to this question demonstrate an interviewee is being honest, insightful, and evaluating the opportunity seriously. In addition to identifying challenges, ask questions that invite them to present solutions they’ve developed to address and overcome past challenges.

What are the best ways to stay productive while working remotely?

It could include taking scheduled breaks, keeping fixed hours, choosing the right playlist, or regularly reviewing KPIs (key performance indicators). Keep in mind the point is to find a fit versus judging their habits. Additional questions will help you determine if their remote work habits align with your team’s way of doing things.

What are the benefits of remote work?

The benefits of remote work include increased autonomy, independence, and flexibility, making effective time management, schedule adherence, and organization crucial skills for remote workers. Interviewees should have a proven track record of task prioritization and successful time management, demonstrating the ability to focus on the appropriate aspects of a job and complete assignments on time.

Why is communication important in interviews?

It’s easy to demonstrate strong communication skills when everything is going well. But communication is particularly vital in challenging times when frank discussion and real solutions are warranted. This question gets at these difficult dialogues, allowing interviewees to showcase their skills in handling delicate situations.

Why is it important to interview for remote work?

But when it comes to interviews for remote roles, it’s even more important, as people who work from home need to be especially proactive, organized, and communicative. “Employers are going to be evaluating you based on your behavior,” Leech says.

What to ask a company when it is transitioning to remote work?

If the company has recently transitioned to a remote model, you might ask about how the transition is going, what tools they’re using to keep the team together, and how going remote has affected the company culture. If they’ve been a distributed organization for a while, you can ask what they consider the key to a successful remote workforce to be, what types of employee activities they do to maintain company culture, or what traits they look for in a remote worker .

What is a hiring manager trying to gauge?

The hiring manager is trying to gauge your level of interest in and comfort with taking on a fully remote role.

How to demonstrate proactive nature in an interview?

Asking questions throughout your interview process, following up with a thank you note after every call, and preparing for every interview in advance are all great ways to demonstrate your proactive nature .

How to demonstrate organizational skills in an interview?

Interviewers will want to know you can stay organized and regularly loop your team in on your work to help avoid unnecessary holdups. You can demonstrate your stellar organization skills by staying on top of your interview schedules, taking notes during calls, having a list of questions prepared in advance, and, of course, being ready to discuss how you stay organized.

Why don't you have colleagues sitting around you?

Plus, you don’t have colleagues sitting all around you to serve as positive peer pressure to keep working or to provide a sense of camaraderie that keeps you going. So hiring managers will want some assurance that you’ve got a grasp on how to push through the inherent distractions and distance of remote work.

What is the importance of collaboration in an interview?

Leech points out that it can be harder to get aligned with your team when everyone is working from home, so being a good collaborator (and communicator!) is crucial. There are myriad ways this may come up during your interview process—you may be asked what successful collaboration looks like to you, for example, or your prospective manager might want you to share a story about how you’ve collaborated on projects in the past.

Why is it important to ask questions about remote employees?

Hiring remote employees is no different. But, asking remote-specific questions will help you figure out if they are the right remote employee for your team.

How to ask a candidate to work from home?

Does the candidate already have everything a remote worker needs to be productive? Is it someplace that is relatively free of distractions? Ask what the home office setup is like and, if possible, conduct a video interview and encourage the candidate to participate from that home office. Reiterate any home-office requirements like a wired internet connection, a private area for calls, or anything else you specified in the job posting.

What are distractions in remote work?

Distractions are a fact of life for any worker, but they’re different for remote employees than the ones people face in an office setting. That might be a noisy roommate, getting distracted by news alerts, or even living on a busy street.

What happens if a candidate says there are no challenges?

Conversely, if the candidate says there were no challenges, you can bet that they aren’t being honest or didn’t work remotely enough to face the challenges that come with remote work.

How to get the answer when you need it?

When you work in an office, you can usually get the answer you need when you need it. Simply pop into a coworker’s or supervisor’s office and ask your question. If that person is in a meeting, no big deal. Swing by later and get the answer then.

What is the job requirement for working remotely?

Working remotely requires employees to be very self-motivated. Without a manager nearby (or breezing past their desk), it’s easy for people to get distracted or lose their drive. The answer will speak to the candidate’s motivation and ability to get the job done when there’s nothing else motivating them—except themselves.

What communication platforms should remote employees use?

Remote employees should be comfortable using a wide range of communication platforms. Email is great for some types of communication, but not others. Chat rooms are great for collaborative projects, but maybe not so much for personal ones. Asking what communication platforms they use and why they use them will help you better understand how they communicate and collaborate with their team.

How to evaluate remote employees?

How to evaluate candidates for remote jobs 1 Conduct video interviews to test communication abilities. Distributed teams often interact via Skype or Hangouts, so candidates should feel confident during your interviews. Also, check whether candidates are able to overcome potential issues (e.g. a bad signal) with grace. 2 Include written assignments. Good remote employees should write clear emails and reports that minimize back-and-forth communication. This is especially important if your teams are in different time zones which can make real-time communication infrequent. Also, test whether candidates are able to follow instructions and submit projects on time. 3 Assess critical-thinking skills. Remote workers don’t have the ability to stop by their manager’s office and pose their questions. That’s why it’s best to hire people who are decisive and take initiative, when appropriate. Hypothetical scenarios will help you identify candidates who use sound judgement to overcome challenges. 4 Mind cultural fit. Despite geographical boundaries, your employees should share the same values in order to collaborate well. Ask about candidates’ motives and way of working to determine whether they’d be a good fit for your role. Also, pay attention to candidates’ questions for you to identify people who understand and are interested in your business objectives.

What does it mean to work remotely?

Working remotely means employees need to communicate clearly. Candidates who struggle during video interviews and have poor email communication abilities mightn’t be a good fit. Lack team spirit. Remote employees might work on their own, but they still collaborate with colleagues and participate in group projects.

Why is it so hard to integrate with a remote team?

Culture fit. Remote employees may find it difficult to integrate into the team’s culture, as they don’t interact with their coworkers regularly in-person.

Why is it important to assess critical thinking skills?

Assess critical-thinking skills. Remote workers don’t have the ability to stop by their manager’s office and pose their questions. That’s why it’s best to hire people who are decisive and take initiative, when appropriate. Hypothetical scenarios will help you identify candidates who use sound judgement to overcome challenges.

Why do you conduct video interviews?

Conduct video interviews to test communication abilities. Distributed teams often interact via Skype or Hangouts, so candidates should feel confident during your interviews. Also, check whether candidates are able to overcome potential issues (e.g. a bad signal) with grace.

Do remote jobs have flexible schedules?

Struggle to balance work and personal life. Remote jobs often have flexible work schedules. But, candidates who find it hard to put a limit on the number of their working hours might get burned out.

How to write a resume for a remote work position?

Include your qualifications, performance and any other factors that show you in a positive light. Outline a specific schedule that you plan to follow while working remotely. Include the hours you will work and whether you will be available via email, phone or other methods of communication used by your organization.

How does working remotely help?

Working remotely full time can provide several benefits, especially during this time as society works to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. When asking your manager to allow you to make the switch to working from home, it's important to highlight these benefits to support your request. Here are a few advantages that remote work can offer: 1 Increased work-life balance 2 Reduced stress associated with commuting to and from work and being in an environment where the virus could be spread 3 Fewer interruptions from colleagues and other office goings-on 4 Decreased overhead costs for the company as a result of fewer people in the office 5 Increased productivity due to the ability to control your work environment 6 Reduced risk of getting sick which contributes to less employee sick-leave requests

How to work remotely full time?

Set a meeting with your manager. 1. Work out the details before making your request. Before you go to your manager with your request to work remotely full time, take the time to work out all the details.

What are the benefits of remote work?

Here are a few advantages that remote work can offer: Increased work-life balance. Reduced stress associated with commuting to and from work and being in an environment where the virus could be spread. Fewer interruptions from colleagues and other office goings-on.

How often should you meet with your manager?

Include specific steps you will take to remain accountable to your manager and your team. For example, you could set up a meeting with your manager once a month to keep them up-to-date on your work.

Why do employers want to know about remote jobs?

And employers want to know because those are the questions that really determine how well you’ll do your job and fit into the team. In interviews for remote jobs, you’re FAR more likely to get questions about how you function on a daily basis than how big your dreams are.

Why do people want to work remotely?

A lot of people want remote work because of the flexibility it allows. You can work from anywhere and at any time of day.

What are the concerns of remote team leaders?

One of the biggest concerns of remote team leaders is trust. Your boss needs to KNOW that you can handle managing a project, from wrangling your teammates to meeting the deadline. Leslie shows that she has the tech chops AND the organization skills to be the leader of her own projects, so her boss won’t have to check on her 100 times a day to be sure she’s getting the work done.

Why do people go remote?

Not everyone goes remote for the same reason. Some people are caregivers or stay-at-home moms. Others have health conditions that keep them out of the office. Still others might be geographically challenged (that’s me!), as in, you live in a place that makes it geographically impossible to work in the job you want. Or maybe you just want to travel the world without quitting your full-time job.

What is remote work?

A remote job is different from a traditional job in the office: You’re trading the conference room for the video hangout, the closed door for the “away” message, the quick conversation for the digital chat, and your fluorescent lights for…well, for any kind of lighting you want.

What do hiring managers want?

Hiring managers want to see that you have a plan for how to untangle them when they do.

Why is it important to have a meeting when working remotely?

Because you won’t have those chance encounters in the elevator or informal conversations in the lunch room, you have to take full advantage of the limited time you do have during video or phone meetings with team members. And your future employer wants to know that you know how to do that.

What to ask an employer about social media?

If you're applying to a role that involves social media, an employer is likely to ask this question. They want to see if you have professional experience using the social media platforms they use to market their company. Prior to your interview, reflect upon what social media platforms you have used in previous roles. Be prepared to discuss what functions of each one you are familiar with.

How to answer the Star method?

When answering this question, use the STAR method. First, start by describing the situation and tasks you needed to complete. Then, explain what actions you took and what the results are. Make sure to focus on how you were able to solve this situation on your own.

1. "Tell me about yourself."

Admittedly, this is a prompt, not a question. But this traditional go-to conversation starter is asked to help the interviewer understand why you’re a good fit for the position. It can be quite difficult to answer, as it usually requires a thorough explanation with specific examples of experiences and achievements.

2. "Why did you choose to apply?"

Be honest and confident when answering this question to help the hiring manager assess how interested and passionate you are about the organization and role.

3. "What is your biggest strength?"

This healthcare interview question seems simple enough to answer, but it can be deceptively challenging.

4. "What is your biggest weakness?"

While there is no exact answer or correct response, it’s crucial to indicate your self-awareness and offer a sincere explanation for what the interviewer may perceive as a potential weakness.

5. "How do you see the future of healthcare?"

This healthcare interview question aims to identify how you can contribute to an organization and connect your healthcare career goals with the organization's objectives. You can choose to discuss innovations or industry challenges. However, it’s important to select one and stay away from discussing both simultaneously.

6. "How do you stay informed on current events and advancements in healthcare?"

Just as with the previous question, this one presents an opportunity to highlight your knowledge and awareness of healthcare advancements and issues.

7. "Why did you choose to become a healthcare professional?"

Employers typically ask this question to see what motivates you and how you would fit in as an employee of the healthcare organization.

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