Looking to hire for remote work? Don’t worry, ask these 5 questions
Working from home is too complex to be a ‘one size fits all’ setup; it is not best suited to everyone’s lifestyles and living situations. For many the ideal balance of remote working post-pandemic is 50/50. However, not all employees work as well, or as efficiently, from home. Here’s the best questions to ask your…
By Suzane Mai
Employer • February 4, 2021
Working from home is too complex to be a ‘one size fits all’ setup; it is not best suited to everyone’s lifestyles and living situations.
For many the ideal balance of remote working post-pandemic is 50/50. However, not all employees work as well, or as efficiently, from home. Here’s the best questions to ask your next hire to determine if they can hack WFH.
Questions to ask:
1. Would you describe yourself as introverted or extroverted?
It is often said that introverts work best from home, as they need less social stimulation, however, this is not always the case – just something to bear in mind.
2. If you have 8 hours to complete a task that will take roughly 4-5 hours to complete, how would you schedule your day? For example, would you split this task into sections or do it all in one go – first thiinng or later the day?
This can be a great way to find out someone’s time and task management skills, as well as indicating whether they might tend towards procrastination habits.
3. How would you rate your frustration tolerance? IE. if you are having tech problems or there is loud noise around you. What is your tolerance level to these situations?
People who have a high tolerance for frustrating situations are particularly likely to succeed at working from home.
4. Testing for conscientiousness is crucial to understanding a potential employee’s work from home capability. Try asking one or more of these questions (which can be adjusted to your position based on relevance):
If someone asks your opinion on the haircut they are going to get – and you think it’s terrible, what would you say/do? (truth-telling)
Do you enjoy tidying up before eating or after eating your meal? (tidiness/laziness)
If you make a promise to someone who is not particularly close to you and it is quite a large task – how likely are you to go follow through on your promise? (commitment)
5. Finally, for some clarity on your future employee’s current set-up and situation try asking the following:
How much space do you have in your home? Do you already own a desk and suitable chair or would you need to purchase these?
Furthermore, you need a strategy and plan in place for your employees that are working from home to ensure they remain productive and have access to help when they need it – think counselling sessions, UberEATS vouchers in place of Friday drinks, and daily or weekly virtual meetings so they remain part of the team dynamic. Read more about WFH strategising here.
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