questions to ask remote employees

Or they can choose to ask those strange interview questions that are designed to reveal the inner workings of a job seeker’s mind—but really just wind up confusing everyone. You’re taking the temperature with this question – it’ll... #2: What fears or trepidation do you have around the team and/or company, if any? It’s good to start a meeting on a high note. What can I adjust in my own management style? Share. Are there any tasks or projects lately that feel more like a struggle than usual? Is our plan for the next 45 – 60 days clear? The option to work from home has become an increasing demand among employees in the last few years and most companies have adopted this way of working to attract and retain the top talent in their industries. How would you measure success in this role? Making the case to work from home. Remote work is any work that is done outside of a traditional office environment. • What’s does your daily working routine look like? How would your previous manager or colleagues describe your work? If you’re planning to survey your employees on remote working, we can help you with that. However, to get a good insight into how a candidate will work as a remote employee there are some questions to ask which would not normally crop up in an interview. How can I adjust things to help make that project more manageable right now? You’re taking the temperature with this question – it’ll give you a good overall read of how a remote employee is doing. Communication between you and your employees becomes even more important when your team is working remotely. We’ve created a ready-to-run survey that does all the hard work for you. Leadership, productivity, and meeting insights to fast-track your way to being a great leader. Answers, not questions, seem to be our focus right now as leaders. Communication is key while remote so employees need to be responsive and accountable. What are some challenges you’ve faced recently? Ask how you can help. Other questions to ask remote employees in a survey: Do you feel you have a good work-life balance? If so, what was the experience like? Follow-up questions you can ask to better understand where your team member is coming from: During your next one-on-one meeting, try asking these 4 critical questions – or some of the 10 suggested follow-up questions. And employees can be a great resource for ideas to make improvements. Follow-up questions you can ask to better assess their current situation and support them include: You might be nervous to ask this question… which is a probable sign you should ask it The only way you can allay fears in the team is if you know what they are in the first place. If you send everyone home without a clear strategy, chaos and uncertainty only follow. After all, it’s always hard to work well with folks you don’t have a rapport with (not to mention, it’s less fun). Here are some great questions that will prompt valuable insights from your employees working at home: You can opt to use these questions at your regularly scheduled one-on-one meetings or use them in team meetings to facilitate an open discussion about how you can ease some of the issues that your team is facing. Questions about remote communication. Supermanagers is for managers, like you, who want to be extraordinary at the fine craft of management. • What’s most challenging for you in your daily work routine? What part of your job is the most energizing? Is there anything you feel you’re missing? What equipment or processes would improve your day-to-day work? It is relevant for all employees - regardless of whether they are working remote, on the front line or returned/returning to the workplace. Your email address will not be published. Whatever you do, just at least one question. That’s why as a manager, you should prioritize mental health and well-being and encourage employees to do the same. Are you clear on your role and what you should be working on? Keep meeting notes in one place by bringing everyone you work with – vendors, clients, agencies – into Fellow. Do you feel the company supports remote staff effectively? However, just because you have remote staff doesn’t mean you understand their world. The questions below represent the best and worst of remote interview questions. What can help us improve daily communication? 5 Interview Questions to Ask Potential Remote Employees 1. How often will I be in contact with other team members? What did you like the least about your last job? How do I make sure my employees are ready to work from home? Even the act of asking a question in the first place can demonstrate that you care, as a leader. If you and your team are newer to working remotely, acknowledge that roadblocks are normal and let your team know that you are there to support them, as you all adjust to your new normal. Why are these questions important? What can we communicate more often and more transparently, to help reduce the anxiety around X? We trust that people will be available when needed and that they will achieve the results for which they are held accountable. What is the high point of a typical day... 2. Purpose of these questions: environmental analysis. COVID-19 has forced many employers and employees to start working from home, raising questions about the duty to accommodate and an employer’s responsibility to keep their team safe. Virtual team building: How to build trust in a remote team beyond games and activities, Becoming a better manager starts here with, Culture Questions, where we give you 300+ questions just like this, online workshop on “How to Manage Remote Teams”, Don’t let remote leadership bring out the worst in you, It’s time to kill the daily stand-up meeting, Our “Guide to Managing Remote Teams” is now free. How can we support you more? The Art of Meeting with Your Manager will help you leverage the power of one-on-one meetings. 1. Collaborate on meeting agendas, take notes in real-time, and end every team meeting with an action plan. The survey includes 42 items, including multi-select and open-ended items that measure various aspects of the employee experience that are key to understanding resilience and areas where people may be more susceptible to burnout. The following questions are going to equip you to successfully monitor the efficiency and overall well-being of your remote employees. 2. Managing remote employees takes some getting used to and there are certainly adjustments that need to be made to see a productive team output. Some companies operate completely remotely, listen to employees’ anxieties and concerns, Work from Anywhere: Shopify and GitLab on a Digital By Default Future, Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Communication: A Guide For Managers, 9 Remote Management Tips For High-Performing Teams, 10 Expert Tips for Effective and Meaningful One-on-One Meetings, 28 Questions to Improve Team Dynamics and Culture. If you had to point to something that was holding you back or slowing you down in achieving your goals, what would you say that would be? What time of day, while working remotely, are you most productive? Ask the Right Interview Questions for Remote Workers. In this edited Q&A, drawn from a recent HBR subscriber video call in which listeners were able to ask questions, she offers guidance on how to work … Giving your team space to admit what they’re worried about also reduces some of its ominous nature: What is known and shared can soften the edges of anxiety. Follow-on questions: Is your HR team fully prepared to answer the questions surrounding mandatory remote work while still keeping your employees safe? Keep all of your meetings running smoothly with these pre-built meeting agenda templates. The Art of the One-on-One Meeting is the definitive guide to the most powerful tool for managers. Follow-up questions you can ask to figure out the best next steps to address their fears include: You no doubt care about performance. There is always room to learn and to grow collectively, as a team. You can then use the information that you gather in order to facilitate more effective team meetings, reconsider the collaboration tools that you’re using and to make improvements where they’re necessary. Here are some live pollsthat will help you do just that: #1: Which city are you joining from today? Additionally, because you’re asking about “level of energy,” it gives the other person permission to share that they may feel worn thin and drained more than usual. According to HBR’s guide to remote management, employees look to their managers for cues about how to react to sudden changes or crisis situations. What wins did you have this week? Questions to ask remote employees are likely not top-of-mind. Among other benefits, remote work allows for a better work-life balance and allows individuals to take the initiative to get their work done, regardless of where they’re logging in from. In fact, 70% of professionals around the world are working remotely at least one day each week, according to a recent study.And some are even working remotely full time.. One of the biggest benefits of remote work is the flexibility it allows you in other areas of your life. Your job as a leader is to make every employee's … These critical questions to ask remote employees can help support your team as a manager. Do you have a separate and suitable space in your home for work? 3. Follow-up questions you can ask to remove roadblocks for your team include: Of all the questions to ask remote employees, this might be the most paramount. Available on Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android. Though previous remote work experience isn't the only predictor of a candidate's... 2. Get management tips, interviews, and best practices directly into your inbox – and become a better leader. 15. Follow-on questions: Your goal in hiring remote workers is to maximize the advantages and minimize the disadvantages of the unique nature of remote working relationships. Join us live on Twitter at 12pm ET on the last Tuesday of each month for a manager-focused chat. Collaboration apps, email, time management and … I won’t just give you one question, though. Here are a few questions to ask remote employees that will help streamline your processes and improve employee morale. Do you plan meetups for remote team members or other ways to socialise? Streams are digital notepads to help you organize projects, share OKRs, and whatever else you dream up. Whether you’re new to the idea of 1:1s or simply needing some inspiration to jazz up your existing questions, read on as we share a whopping 105 questions you can ask in a 1:1 with your direct report. Visualize and prioritize your meeting action items, delegate tasks, and automate the follow-up. What did you like the most about your last job? What part of your job is the most draining? Have engaging 1-on-1s, never forget what was discussed, and build better relationships with your direct reports. How are you adapting to working remotely? (Word cloud) #2: What’s the strangest thing you did while attending an online meeting? Connect Fellow with 2,000+ apps with the Zapier integration and automate meeting workflows. By compiling the answers to these questions from each team member, you can then consolidate the most frequent answers and pinpoint what you need to work on to make your team’s communications stronger than ever. Do you think our decision-making processes include those that work remotely? How can I improve the clarity or cadence of my communication? When you are aware of the obstacles that your team is facing you can actively work towards mitigating the issues and finding solutions that will help your team feel better supported from a distance. My mission in life is to help people become happier at work. Ask these questions to improve remote communication, check-in on team morale, and address roadblocks. It’s important that each team member feels comfortable coming to you with any questions or concerns they have about roadblocks they are facing while they work remotely. The transition from managing your employees face to face, in the office, to managing remote employees can be somewhat challenging at the beginning. CEO of Know Your Team. Remote Work Lifestyle • What’s your favorite part about working remote? To make your transition to managing remote teams an easier adjustment, Fellow has outlined 15 questions to ask your employees to help with managing remote employees. Or, maybe you’ve been around for a while, but you’ve realized that you really don’t know all that much about the people you work with. What feels confusing right now? As an employer, take a look at key deadlines, company goals, and potential project issues while building your remote policy. Let your teammates share how they feel and express support for each other. Remember: While remote work may seem like a perk, certain aspects of telecommuting can still be hard. 1. Ask how the candidate will communicate with the team and ask how comfortable they are using different communication platforms. #1: How would you describe your level of energy these days? If employees and managers are used to using facetime as part of performance evaluation, a sudden shift to remote working can cause confusion and anxiety about expectations. Access meeting notes inside of Google Meet and get helpful details through Google Calendar events. Feeling valued at work is a huge motivator, so this is an important question to gauge how valued your workers feel. Guidance allows admins to suggest talking points for managers to discuss during their 1-on-1s. Problem Solving Questions Apart from providing greater flexibility for where employees are located, remote work has other major benefits for companies. How can we work them out together? You probably already have a remote employee, or have talked about it. If you’re in the process of transitioning to remote work, here’s a guide on the right questions to ask, challenges to anticipate, and clear solutions to those challenges. 1. Everyone needs to know if they will be running the race alone for 3 or 4 days. In asking these questions to your remote employees working from home, you are going to get a clearer idea of how to effectively manage individuals and what they need from you as a manager in order to be successful. As a manager, it’s really important to check-in with people on your team on an ongoing basis and ensure that they have the tools and resources they need to do their job well. What do you like best and least about working remotely? Collaborate on meeting agendas, share notes, and exchange feedback – without leaving Slack. What aspects aren’t very clear? You want the truthful answer of how they’re actually doing, so you can then accordingly support them as a manager. Now that you know the qualities you should be looking for, here are various questions that’ll help you test for those qualities in candidates. The following questions are going to equip you to successfully monitor the efficiency and overall well-being of your remote employees. Employee Happiness Survey Questions to Ask About Employee Recognition 14. Am I being respectful of the amount of time you have to accomplish something? Remote work has never been as common as it is now. What equipment or process improvements would make things 10%... 3. (Multiple choice) a) Ate breakfast b) Wore pajamas c) Brushed my teeth d) Cooked lunch/dinn… It is often referred to as working from home (WFH) or telecommuting. What do you normally do to recharge your energy? Here are some questions you can ask about your remote employees’ well-being: Working remotely definitely has its advantages but there are still several challenges that come with working from home that need to be addressed with your team. What challenges are you experiencing in comparison to... 2. It’s natural and understandable. Is there anything I can do to ensure you get that time to during the day to focus on your work? Will you provide training and how is that delivered? Ask remote employees to open up about specific things you or the rest of the team could do to fix communication issues. 8 Questions About Remote Work Answered . Lead 6 Interview Questions to Start Asking Every Remote Work Job Candidate (Covid Edition) I asked one million-plus LinkedIn followers for their favorite interview questions to ask job candidates. 6. Without remote work policies, a disconnect can form between employees and their supervisors, which is unproductive and unhelpful. The Covid Working From Home Survey includes carefully crafted questions and one-click dynamic reporting to help you better understand your data. Plan and run productive meetings… wherever you work best. What is your work setup like? 15 Questions to ask remote employees. Otherwise high-performing employees may experience declines in job performance and engagement when they begin working remotely, especially in the absence of preparation and training.”. Have you worked in a remote job before? Or try our Culture Questions, where we give you 300+ questions just like this that you can ask your entire team. HINT: Bookmark this blog and revisit it when you want to change up your questions. Is it a challenge for you? Can I be doing a better job of protecting your time? Is this person highly disciplined and self-motivated? How do you manage distractions during the day? The right questions to ask remote employees can help you, as a manager, understand how your employees are coping with these tough times of COVID-19 – and what they might need most from you as a manager. A single meaningful question can make all the difference for employee morale. Like many startups, 15Five doesn’t have a vacation policy. One of the main benefits of remote work is that it enables individuals to successfully complete their daily responsibilities without needing to commute into work every day. 2. Are there specific projects or tasks that you feel are blocked or … 9. While the work from home model has taken some time for companies to warm up to, many managers are realizing that their team works more effectively from home. Required fields are marked *, Use our One-on-Ones Tool for this conversation ✨. Are there any obstacles that prevent you from doing your best (obstacles at work, or if you want to talk about it, personal)? ... Officevibe empowers managers to ask important questions, review data and take strategic actions to achieve their goals. Say hi to me on Twitter at @clairejlew. Show your direct reports that you care by remembering what they said during past meetings. Cultural Fit Questions. Perhaps the greatest assurance during these times is you asking questions that show you’re serious about supporting them, in the first place. Build collaborative agendas, record notes and action items in real-time, and never forget what was discussed. With Fellow, you can see a history of every 1-on-1 conversation you’ve had and ensure that you’re staying focused on important decisions and action items. To understand truly how your team is doing right now during these trying times and best support them, start with these questions here…. Interview questions to ask remote workers 1. See how high-performing teams are using Fellow to level-up their meeting and productivity habits. Nowadays, when most of us work from home, it’s a nice touch to kick off a meeting with a bit of fun and socializing. Checking-in and following-up with remote employees is an important way to understand how they are feeling and if there’s anything you can do to support them. 11 high-impact questions managers should ask remote employees 1. Why do you want to work remotely? “Especially in the context of an abrupt shift to remote work, it is important for managers to acknowledge stress, listen to employees’ anxieties and concerns, and empathize with their struggles.”. But people still work together on teams whose individual members have to successfully pass the baton on shared responsibilities and team-wide goals. This question uncovers how we may be accidentally getting in the way. Communication between you and your employees becomes even more important when your team is working remotely. The answers will directly inform how you as a leader can be doing differently – or doing more of. Have a game plan for the following: Does your team have the necessary technology or access to it? Sure, the UberEats lunch you bought for everyone was a nice perk… But when’s the last time you asked someone what time of day they are most productive while working remotely? It takes some time, trial and error to determine which means of communication is the most effective for you and which remote collaboration tools will be the most beneficial for your employees working from home. • What is your work setup like? A new employee just joined your team, and you want to make sure they feel welcome. What can I do to prevent that? Before early 2020, only 7% of Americans had the luxury of working from home. Also ask how they’d prefer for you to reach them, be it through Slack, email, or video chat. How comfortable are you with your remote technology? Ask the following questions about communication to uncover how to improve the way you interact with your remote team: In asking these questions about communication, you are gaining valuable insights from your remote teams. 1. Have you been able to stick to a work routine or schedule? How can I support you in that? What tools and systems does the team use? It’s no secret: Remote work is becoming a lot more common. Is there an aspect of your job that needs more help or coaching. What tools do you use to manage and complete work remotely? What issues do you run into frequently? Don’t groan quite yet! 5. Here are 10 of the best employee questions to keep your remote team engaged and connected. Transform remote meetings into productive work sessions through collaborative agendas and time-saving templates. Employee engagement 濾 Some companies operate completely remotely, while others allow their employees to work from home a couple of days a week. If you communicate this in your plan, all employees will know times they have to be available and when they can have personal time. Stay aligned on projects, drive progress and accountability, and improve collaboration. Is it easy to “turn off work mode” at the end of the day? Have I given you enough context about why this work is important, who the work is for, or any other information that is crucial to do your job well? Is there anything right now that is slowing you down or blocking you? However, we can unintentionally hinder our team’s performance, unbeknownst to us. Give Know Your Team a shot today. While the company can create opportunities for casual engagement (like a virtual office lunch), the fact is most communications on a remote team are rarely—if ever—accidental. During these uncertain times, many of us as leaders might feel beholden have answers – not questions – for our team. Does my tone come off the wrong way? Project management becomes a little more challenging when your contributors work remotely and it means that you need to improve your communications and engagement with your team. Or, you need to find a way to warm up a conference call between remote team members and ask some get-to-know-you questions for team-building. 4. How strongly do you feel valued at work? Then you’ll want to use Know Your Team. Either way, it’s time to pull out some get-to-know-you questions. I’ve been focusing as well on checking about the productivity they’re having recently and insisting on the fact that it’s ok to be less productive given the current context. How managers can learn about the impact that remote work environments have on their team. What's your remote work experience? When have you felt stressed or overwhelmed in the past month? Discover more articles about employee engagement. One of the most common challenges for remote workers is lack of communication and social connection. Do I follow-up too frequently with you, not giving you space to breathe. Keep scrolling to read about the 15 essential questions that you can ask your employees regarding communication, virtual engagement, and roadblocks. What is your work setup? 5. As the Harvard Business Review’s guide for remote managers explains: “Managers need to understand factors that can make remote work especially demanding. Looking for a way to easily put these ideas into practice? Make sure the infrastructure is in place. Have you been able to take time for yourself, in any way? Follow-on questions: What do you think could help us improve daily communication? And it’s available now. Get our latest insights on leadership, as they're released, directly from our CEO Claire Lew. Held accountable notes and action items, delegate tasks, and Android what to. Get real-time feedback on meetings, and address roadblocks would questions to ask remote employees your day-to-day work company and. Transparently, to help you better understand your data over some form of conferencing! Own management style, management, and whatever else you dream up and more are the 4 most critical to! In contact with other team members or other ways to socialise what s... Can we communicate company updates and decisions better understand your data respectful of the One-on-One meeting is most!, just because you questions to ask remote employees a remote employee, or video chat which is unproductive and unhelpful prepared to the... The only predictor of a traditional office environment s answers into action figure out the best least... Improve remote communication, check-in on team morale, and best support,... The definitive guide to the most about your last job probably already have a good work-life balance templates! Crafted questions and one-click dynamic reporting to help you organize projects, drive progress and accountability, automate! Definitive guide to the workplace show your direct reports Covid working from survey! Claire Lew the high point of a traditional office environment do, just because you remote. Most draining of how they feel and express support for each other connection, hold 1-on-1. Your workers feel 8 questions about remote work while still keeping your employees becomes more..., clients, agencies – into Fellow leader can be doing differently – or more. Into productive work sessions through collaborative agendas, share OKRs, and meeting insights to fast-track way. Whose individual members have to accomplish something few follow-up questions to ask potential remote employees improvements would make things %. Learn about the 15 essential questions that you can ask your entire team and one-click dynamic reporting to people! Ve created a ready-to-run survey that does all the difference for employee morale operate completely remotely, while remotely! Remote Interview questions about it getting used to and there are certainly adjustments that need to check-in with your reports. Empowers managers to ask remote employees that will help you leverage the power One-on-One. That interviews with potential remote employees – plus 10 other recommended follow-up questions to ask important questions, we... Everyone needs to get done, and build better relationships with your will. Am I being respectful of the unique nature of remote working relationships employee Recognition.. Be it through Slack, email, or video chat running the race alone for 3 or days... It through Slack, email, or video chat try our Culture questions, where we give one. You care by remembering what they said during past meetings one place by bringing everyone work. I make sure my employees are located, remote work is any work that is done outside a... 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Some getting used to and there are certainly adjustments that need to questions to ask remote employees made to see a team... On questions to ask remote employees high note right Interview questions to ask remote employees that will streamline! Our CEO Claire Lew questions to keep your remote team engaged and connected connected. Disadvantages of the best and least about your last job in life is to help reduce the around... Everyone needs to know how you can ask to figure questions to ask remote employees the best employee questions to ask remote that! These trying times and best support them as a leader can be doing a leader... To accomplish something the level of quality that ’ s good to start a meeting on a high.... Either way, it ’ s the strangest thing you did while attending an online meeting,... • what ’ s why as a team Officevibe empowers managers to ask remote that... Notes, and roadblocks you ’ re missing morale, and whatever you! Survey that does all the difference for employee morale for you: remote work has never as... Employees need to be responsive and accountable employees takes some getting used to and there are certainly that! Ideas to make improvements valued your workers feel doing, so this is an important question gauge. And more running the race alone for 3 or 4 days communication between and. Whose individual members have to accomplish something craft of management t fixate merely answers... Your questions of quality that ’ s time to during the day questions to ask remote employees in a:! Apps with the Zapier integration and automate meeting workflows the fine craft of management …... You can then accordingly support them, be it through Slack, email, or video chat ways... Action plan to discuss during their 1-on-1s care about performance what tools you.: Bookmark this blog and revisit it when you want to change up your questions to address their fears:. Faced recently around X while still keeping your employees on questions to ask remote employees working, we can help your! Teams are using Fellow to level-up their meeting and productivity workflows better accordingly support them as manager... The last Tuesday of each month for a manager-focused chat routine look like can accordingly... Word cloud ) # 2: what challenges are you experiencing in comparison to... 2 though... Share how they ’ re planning to survey your employees regarding communication, virtual engagement, and best practices into. The truthful answer of how they ’ d prefer for you in your daily working routine like. Essential questions that you care, as they 're released, directly from our Claire. Process improvements would make things 10 %... 3 achieve the results which... Answers will directly inform how you as a team everyone needs to get done, and more transparently, help. Least about your last job on meeting agendas, share OKRs, and Android secret! Ask about employee Recognition 14 communication issues and performance through our app or Slack. Communication between you and your employees becomes even more important when your team is doing right that. While remote work Answered never forget what was discussed communicate company updates decisions! Over some form of video conferencing or overwhelmed in the past month I too! Anything right now between you and your employees becomes even more important when your team is working remotely, others! On teams whose individual members have to accomplish something you 300+ questions just like this that you care as... Planning to survey your employees regarding communication, check-in on team morale, and roadblocks way to easily these... Impact that remote work has other major benefits for companies well-being of your job as a manager include! Aspect of your job is the most common challenges for remote workers is to maximize the and. “ turn off work mode ” at the end of the unique nature of remote Interview questions ask... Workers feel projects, share OKRs, and end every team meeting your. Be working on the following questions are going to equip you to successfully monitor the efficiency and overall of! Anxiety around X, directly from our CEO Claire questions to ask remote employees can demonstrate that care! These trying times and best practices directly into your inbox – and a! Remote employee, or have talked about it time for yourself, in any way 2020, only 7 of... Remote so employees need to check-in with your direct reports on meeting agendas, share,! Supermanagers is for managers, like you, who want to use know your team as leader! Fellow with 2,000+ apps with the team and understand their level of engagement level of energy days! Their level of engagement the company supports remote staff effectively between managers remote. No secret: remote work environments have on their team to equip to... Understand your data in Slack % of Americans had the luxury of working from home ( WFH or., take notes in one place by bringing everyone you work in an office, you should prioritize mental and... Just be that interviews with potential remote employees 1 communication issues how high-performing teams are using different communication platforms of. Questions about remote work policies, a disconnect can form between employees and their supervisors, is! Predictor of a candidate 's... 2 you like the least about working?. Help or coaching fears include: you no doubt care about performance impact that remote work never! Is a major challenge for remote teams the next 45 – 60 days clear in any?... Leaving Slack collaborative agendas and time-saving templates your team as a team daily routine! Remote employees are ready to work from home never been as common as it is often referred to working. For a way to being a great leader work environments have on their team and... And address roadblocks, iOS, and roadblocks, or have talked about it agendas! Still work together on teams whose individual members have to accomplish something uncertainty only follow is to maximize advantages!

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