Working from home has gone from being something that many companies feared, to something that some companies began to embrace and bring in to their businesses as part of their DNA to it being unexpectedly enforced across the country for offices in 2020.

 

And, it’s fair to say that it took a bit of time for the majority to get into the swing of it but now it has become ‘normal’ for so many. Why didn’t we do this before? It’s like we’ve always done it this way!

 

The ability to be agile and make it work for the very largest to the smallest businesses has been impressive. It hasn’t been easy but there are certainly plenty of examples across the country of masterclasses in mobilising technology, altering leadership methods, motivating staff, adapting strategies and working hard to understand how to keep a business moving with a remote workforce.

 

Working from home may soon become a choice and a preferred option for many. In fact, there has been a surge in jobs being advertised as ‘working from home’, so are you ready as a business to adapt your interview questions to cater for the change?

 

When you are recruiting, in order to make sure you are able to identify those candidates who are able to be productive, collaborative and flexible joining your team remotely, there are some key questions that you should address in your job adverts and can then ask and probe further at interview.

Consider the following:

 

  1. Talk to me about your plans for where you would work and how your working from home base is set up.
  2. Do you feel confident working remotely? Give examples of self motivation tactics.
  3. What issues have you encountered while working from home if it is new to you this year?
  4. How productive are you when working remotely? Can this be evidenced?
  5. How do you typically plan your day? What methods work for you in your day and week planning?
  6. What ideas do you have for staying connected and visible with the wider team?
  7. Anxiety and isolation are common feelings when working from home, how will you monitor that and work to overcome any concerns?
  8. What do you do outside of work to support positive mental health?
  9. What ideas do you have to maintain your own continued learning plans?
  10. If you have worked in an office environment previously, what do you think you will miss about it?