Hiring a job candidate for a flexible job is a bit different from hiring your average office worker. There are a plethora of potential issues that can occur if you fail to interview potential employees with flex-oriented questions. Evan Guzman, head of military programs and veteran affairs/global talent acquisition at Verizon, a FlexJobs Featured Employer, weighed in on interview questions for at-home or flexible jobs.
“When I interview candidates that I connect with online, especially during virtual events, I have to ask the right questions,” says Guzman. “My favorite questions to ask are behavior-based. When I am recruiting for flexible work opportunities, I need to ensure that the person I select is going to get the job done, even when they are not working full-time hours.”
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These are just nine of his favorite interview questions for flexible job candidates:
1. Please explain why you think you are uniquely qualified for this position?
Why a potential employer asks this question:
You’ve already read the resume and cover letter. Now you want to hear from the candidate’s own mouth about how he, and he alone, can pull off this position. The type of answer you get will show you if your employee-to-be is qualified—with specific examples to back up his answer—or simply a braggart.
2. What is it about this position that appeals to you the most?
Why a potential employer asks this question:
As a one-time job candidate, you know that it’s easy to apply to any position that you come across. Now that you’re a manager, you want to make sure that the candidate you’re interviewing actually wants the job. His answer can determine how much he has researched the company, if he is knowledgeable about trends, and if he can potentially grow with the organization.
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3. How do you manage your time to achieve results and work-life balance?
Why a potential employer asks this question:
Let’s face it: there do exist some remote workers who, instead of working, slack off. This question can determine how a future employee can self-manage. You’re looking to discover how he blends balancing work needs with the freedom of having a flexible schedule. Past examples can indicate future performance.
4. Please describe a time when you had to make improvements and institute change? What was the first step you took?
Why a potential employer asks this question:
When you hire a remote worker, there is bound to be a learning curve. But beyond that, there will come a time when problems may arise, and you want to find out how your potential employee is able to realize that there is an issue, assess a situation, and formulate a strategy to implement change.
5. How would you describe your management style?
Why a potential employer asks this question:
If you’re hiring a manager, you want to make sure that his managerial style brings out the best in the team. You don’t want someone who is oppressive, opinionated, or will demoralize your workforce. Hearing him describe his managerial style can give you a clue as to whether this potential worker will fit in not only with the rest of the team but has similar values to the company’s overall culture.
6. How would you handle the delivery of bad news to your supervisor?
Why a potential employer asks this question:
It’s inevitable that at some point there will be a glitch in your operations. What you want is someone who can confidently come to you and explain what has happened—and also have a solution in hand. This is solving the problem before it gets to your plate. If a potential employee wouldn’t know how to handle the situation—or worse, not let you know about it until the problem has spiraled into a company-wide issue—then he might not be a good fit for your company.
7. The team that you will lead has been with the company for over five years. None were considered for a promotion. If you are selected for the job, how will you work with this new team and win them over?
Why a potential employer asks this question:
Ahhh, dealing with a team of passed-over employees. A prospective boss wants to know how you’ll handle a group of workers who are not elated at your hiring, but rather are angry and resentful. An employee who can provide past examples of this same scenario (and with positive results) can ace this question. And if he doesn’t have a similar experience, he can mention ways in which he can rally the team and make them see that they all are successful in their own way but need to work together to bring the team to victory.
8. Please describe an example of how you took an average team and turned them into a top-performing team?
Why a potential employer asks this question:
An employer doesn’t want to hire someone who is simply going to produce the same results. He wants to hire someone who is going to hit it out of the park—every time. An employee who wants this position would do well to describe his previous rock star performances—as an employer, you’ll just need to verify this information to ensure that your potential employee is telling the truth!
9. Have you ever managed a remote team? If so, please describe how you kept your team’s morale high and engaged?
Why a potential employer asks this question:
This is perhaps one of the biggest interview questions for at-home or flexible workers. While you can hire someone with no previous remote experience, it’s a good idea to find those who do have work-from-home experience, particularly if you’re looking to have someone manage a remote team. After all, having a remote workforce means that it is easy for remote workers to become disengaged and/or not tied in to the company’s objectives. So you’ll need someone, preferably with remote management experience, to keep your team updated on all the ongoings with the company, rewarded for good work, and made to feel that they are an integral part of the company, no matter where they live.
These are just some of the interview questions for at-home or flexible workers that you can ask during a job interview. Of course, you’ll need to customize some of the questions to make them industry-specific. But these questions are a great launching-off point when you’re looking to hire someone who will be a true asset to your remote company.
And if you’re seeking more interview tips, among others, FlexJobs can help! Discover a better way to recruit remote talent!
Original Article:
https://www.flexjobs.com/employer-blog/9-favorite-interview-questions-for-flexible-job-candidates/
