6 Questions to Ask Remote Employers In Virtual Interview

A couple of years ago, working from home was not an option for most people. Therefore, after this remarkable transition and the promising future of remote work, there is an excellent opportunity to conduct a virtual interview in remote companies. Thus, you may look forward to knowing the questions to ask remote employers as remote workers during an online interview. Initially, there are some significant numbers and statistics you should know before determining your working from home questions. These statistics may show you the impressive transition that has taken place in remote work in the past few years.

According to Statista, In a global survey performed with CIOs, respondents declared that fully remote work would probably transition to hybrid work. About 15-16% said their companies' workforce worked remotely before the Covid-19 pandemic, and as of late 2020, 34% of respondents expected the workforce to be working remotely permanently. By June 2021, 42% of respondents anticipated permanently working in a hybrid model. In this context, given the importance of remote work, Kapsys would like to list some of these questions to ask remote employers during a virtual interview.

What is a Remote Job?

A remote job is an employment arrangement where the employee works at a location other than their place of residence. This type of work arrangement allows employees to work flexible hours and take advantage of the benefits offered by companies who offer them.

6 questions to ask during an interview for a remote position

Remote workers must first understand what type of remote companies they want to work in. This includes understanding the company's preferences and expectations. Then, of course, you may like to ask all of the “basic” remote workers online interview questions, such as (but not limited to):

• What are my responsibilities?
• How will success be measured?

Next, you should run over some of the most critical work-from-home interview questions you need to ask during your interview:

1. How is remote communication handled throughout the company?

Remote work companies differ in how they communicate with their employees. Each company has different preferences. Ask the remote employers you're interviewing about their communication preferences. In this context, there is no right or wrong answer to this question. However, you should ensure that the method of communication they follow is available at your location. Some communication tools may not be available in some countries or provide poor services. Also, one of the most important questions to ask the interviewer is about the people you will communicate with. For example; 

• Will you communicate with a remote team, or do you have a manager to report to? 
• Are there weekly check-ins? Daily, weekly, or monthly?
• Will your work schedule be on-call, or will you have specific appointments to call?

A quick reminder: Working from home will significantly challenge you regarding setting boundaries in your workspace. Balance your work-personal life.

2. Is there a remote job hours flexible schedule?

This question may be somewhat similar to the previous question. However, having an initial idea about the working hours is vital for any remote work, especially if you’re working from a different time zone. If you are working in a different time zone, your remote job interview questions should include the questions; 

• Do the remote employers expect you to set up some time of the day where your hours can overlap?
• Also, you should ask, is work characterized by flexible hours? Flexible hours are essentially and are more goal and action-based than time-based.
• Is there a flexible schedule available?

If there is no flexible schedule, the employee must be available at any time. This means the employee should not take vacations or other leave without approval.  For example, if you are working on a project with a deadline due on Friday, it wouldn't matter if you work on Tuesday at 5 AM or Wednesday at 3 PM. As long as you deliver a done project, you're free to have flexible hours.

3. What are the biggest challenges for this company remotely?

There are several challenges when you work remotely. 

• First, is the company flexible enough to meet your brand requirements for the job. 
• Second, ask during work from home interview questions about how long they have been working remotely?
• Third, what are the biggest challenges they face from having a remote team? 
• Finally, you need to determine whether your remote employers can perform effectively while working remotely.

4. Is this a freelance, contract, or full-time position?

This information might be mentioned in the job announcement, But it doesn't hurt if you ask about it, make sure to bring it up during the virtual interview. So, what are the differences between freelance, contract, and full-time?

• Freelance: you will be in charge of your hours according to your payment schedule. 
• Contract: contractors work on fixed projects for a particular time and are usually paid by the hour. You'll be allowed to work for more than one place at a time.
• Full-time: full-time employees benefit from working full-time like health insurance, and payment is either by the hour or a fixed salary.

5. Will your remote employers provide equipment or do you need to supply your own?

One of the most critical work-at-home questions is to ask your remote employers during the virtual interview if they provide remote working tools and equipment. Some companies will provide equipment and tools to their remote workers, and others won't. In addition, you should ask yourself if you're ready to work remotely. Ensure you have the suitable structure to run your remote working atmosphere. Here are some requirements;  Good internet: You will probably do many Skype, Zoom, Teams, Hangouts, etc., calls. So, as remote workers, you must ensure you have the proper internet to handle your remote work tools. A proper computer: is your laptop old or needs updates? Do you have licenses to your software, or are they cracked significantly if that would affect your job? Here is a checklist to make sure your computer has:

• At least 16 GB of RAM
• An SSD (solid-state drive)
• Proper fan ventilation
• A camera 
• A microphone

6. How will your remote employers handle the payment in Remote Work?

As a remote worker, it's important to ask your remote employers during the virtual interview a question about the payment method. Payment in a remote work environment varies widely. Sometimes, the employer will pay the worker directly through a third-party service such as PayPal or Venmo. Other times, the employer will provide a stipend to cover living expenses.

Questions to Ask Remote Employers: Conclusion 

Remote jobs are becoming increasingly popular in today’s world according to the remote work benefits that lure most employees. Whether you're looking for a new remote job or trying to figure out how to manage your current one. More and more remote jobs are popping up everywhere. However, there are many things to consider when you are in a virtual interview for a remote position; Kapsys listed some of the questions to ask remote employers in this post.