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Writer's pictureLiana Rosman

SIX QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR INTERVIEWER, FOLLOWING THE PANDEMIC OUTBREAK


The choice you make when picking which employer to work for, and which position to accept, has always been a crucial one, a life-changing in fact. It’s an intently personal thing, embedded in your worth, expectation, and desire for the future. However, most likely during the lockdown moment, you’ve been sustained a long time to think and give a thought on your career path and contemplate, if, on reflection, it’s really going in a way that’s suited for you. As the output, maybe your behavior towards work, and what you want to get out of that work has changed.



Perhaps, for example, you’ve elevated yourself more preferential in working for a business that really lives its aim. Or maybe your eyes have been opened to the need to be versatile and sharp, thus are wishing to work for an organization that will maintain your ongoing upskilling and personal development in the next era of work.


It’s also valued to keeping in mind to work in some different, potentially more topical questions that will assist you to be correctly sure you make the best possible choice to set you up for career success in the next era of work. For example:





1. “What were your key learns from the COVID-19 crisis, both from a business and a leadership point of view?”

No organization on the planet would not be affected by the coronavirus pandemic, enforcement many to rearrange long-standing procedures, find new methods of working, seek out new markets, or even building new products or services, all in record time. Mistakes will have naturally been made along the way, but it’s how organizations and their leaders discover from those lessons, and importantly, take what they’ve learned into the future that matters the most.




2. “What are the strategic priorities of the organization, and have these changed due to the crisis? How does this role support in achieving them?”

As referred to, business models rapidly focus to survive in the new world, motivate all employees in order to ensure they are met and overreach. As a future new employee someone who is likely now looking for more meaning in their role, it’s critical for you to understand, what the organization’s new strategic priorities are, but also, how this role will contribute to achieving them. It’s also essential for you to feel reassured that the organization is adapting and innovating to secure a strong position in the next era of work.




3. “How do you plan to support the lifelong learning of your employees to ensure they are able to work in an adaptable and agile way in the future?”

During the pandemic, we have all realize the fact that everything can evolve in an instant. Therefore, we must do everything we can to ensure that we are as versatile and agile as possible which is meaning upskilling and professional development may have scaled up our prime concern list over the past couple of months. Therefore, it’s important that you feel self assure when you are joining an organization that originally supports its employees in upskilling, giving them the independence to lead their own personalized learning in a way that is excellent for them.




4. “What support could I expect to receive when working remotely or from home?”

Post-pandemic, distant working will no longer be seen as a reward, as stated by Cox, “I fully expect to see a lasting change to more distant working where that is physically possible, giving your people the freedom to work from wherever they want to.” But, this is a relatively new domain for many organizations, so it’s essential to understand what support you will be provided with, whether that be in the form of tools, coaching, or welfare programs


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5. “What is your management style when leading hybrid teams? Are there any best practices or rituals that you live by?”

In the post-pandemic, variations in employee situation, liking, or needs within the same workforce could bring to the increase of hybrid teams, which are teams in which some members work in the one co-located workplace while others work remotely. So, every day at your workplace could look very different. This is a new domain for many managers and will bring new obstacles, so it could be a good idea to understand how they plan to (or are already) guiding their hybrid teams, and if they’ve learned any lessons from the extended period of remote leadership they’ve likely meet over the past few months.




6. “How do you ensure the organizational culture is maintained when working in a hybrid way?”

The culture of an organization is its character. It can consume years to build and needs input from all employees in order to bring it alive and keep it alive in the good and the bad moments. However, a new hybrid way of working where some employees are in the office and some are working remotely will bring a whole new set of challenges when it comes to sustaining and building on an organization’s culture. So, it’s critical to understand what moves the organization is taking in this regard, whether that be usual updates or ensuring all communication lines are open and inclusive, for instance.


Why asking questions is important in helping you build rapport, remotely

Building a close relationship with an interviewer is something that many candidates find difficult, both during face-to-face interviews and remote job interviews. But asking questions can really assist you to ensure the interview feels like a chat and not an investigation, and that the experience is an enjoyable one for both parties.


Here are a few ways asking questions can help you build a close relationship during your remote job interview:

  • Asking highly relevant, considered questions: Of course, the key to building a close relationship is ensuring the questions you ask your interviewer are highly relevant to the present situation, to the organization, to the role, and to the interviewer. Asking the right questions will ensure you’re recognized as a really interested, capable candidate. Crucial, too, is the need to actively listen to your interviewer throughout the interview. This will help ensure that you don’t ask a question on a topic that’s already been told.

  • Asking follow-up questions: You could even consider asking follow-up questions to the interviewer after you’ve answered their initial question, or simply ending with a clarifying question such as “I hope I’ve answered your question?” This will help keep the energy and keep the conversation naturally and go over to the interviewer that you’re determined to ensure you’ve answered their questions fully.

  • Thanking the interviewer for their response to your question: It’s a good idea to maybe pull out a couple of elements of their answer and repeat that in your response. For example, “Thank you for that, the point you made around really authorizing your people to take account for their own learning and development really resonates with me.”

  • Take a pause: Essentially, once the interviewer has answered your question, take a pause to ensure they’ve completely finished what they’re saying before thanking them for their answer or asking a follow-up question. This will ensure you don’t speak over them, whilst showing to them that you have closely listened to their answer.

Remember, your upcoming remote job interview is just as important as you resolve whether this is the right position and organization for you, as it is about the interviewer determining whether you are the right candidate. So, use this as a chance to ask the most applicable, considered, and up-to-date questions you can, to ensure you’re making the best career decision to set you up for success in the next era of work. Be sure to check out at Recruit Hero website! numerous outstanding companies are waiting for you! follow our social media, Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube Channel, and Twitter to explore the best-matched jobs available for you in Malaysia.

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