Candidates invited to job interviews in the era of the Covid-19 pandemic face many different challenges compared to those prior to 2020.
From furlough to remote working, the coronavirus has majorly disrupted our working lives. But what if you are lucky enough to be invited to a job interview?
Even though many people may feel desperate to get their foot in the door, it’s important to be diligent and ask questions related to Covid-19 in an interview.
It’s your chance to find out if the business is stable and if its employees are safe – both physically and in terms of job security.
Here are 15 questions you should ask at a job interview following the Covid-19 pandemic.
- How has Covid-19 impacted the business?
It’s important to go into a new role understanding the state of the business. If you have the choice between a business that is struggling and one that is thriving due to the pandemic, that will likely play a huge factor in the choice you make.
- Have you furloughed any staff or have you seen staff reductions since the pandemic?
This will give you an early idea of the strength of the business and the morale of employees you may be working with.
- How have you supported workers that have been furloughed or let go?
This is another question that will help you understand if it’s a business that truly cares about its employees. Has there been regular contact? Have references been provided? Have managers provided positive Linked-In comments to help an ex-employee in front of future hiring manager?
- Is this a new position?
You should know if the pandemic has created the need for the position to help you assess whether you’re likely to still be needed in a year or two.
- Do you see this role being secure long term?
Again, long-term security is a crucial factor if you have more than one offer on the table.
- How has Covid-19 impacted the role?
The role may have either grown or reduced in significance. This may give an additional indication to the long-term viability of the position.
- Will I be expected to come into the office or are you offering remote work?
Depending on the answer, you’ll need to think about travel options or having the right equipment for working from home.
- What equipment will be provided to work from home?
You need to know if you’ll be expected to buy your own laptop, office chair, or other necessary equipment.
- If remote work is available, how will this affect my integration into the team?
You need to know how they plan to onboard new employees effectively from home. There should always be a stringent induction process to help new employees settle in and learn the ropes, and from a distance it’s even more important.
- How will my development be taken into consideration?
This may be a tough question considering many organisations are trying to survive and adapt, but it will show your eagerness to learn.
- What are you doing to ensure that staff who are working from home don’t feel isolated?
From video calls on Zoom to calls on Whatsapp, you’ll want to feel part of a team to keep morale and motivation high.
- If I’ll be working in the office, what safety measures have you put in place because of Covid-19?
Your safety is crucial so beware of any company that overlooks the importance of social distancing, hand sanitizer, protective screens, and face masks.
- What is your procedure if an employee is diagnosed with Covid-19?
This will tell you how organised the business is and how well they consider the health of their staff.
- What is your procedure if an employee has been in contact with someone who has been diagnosed with Covid-19?
It’s important that the employee be sent home to self-isolate for up to 2 weeks (or whatever the latest official government guidelines state). If the organisation dismisses the significance of this, you may want to think twice about accepting an offer.
- Has the company learned any lessons from the crisis?
This is an interesting question that can shed light on any number of things, such as how digitised the organisation was before the pandemic and whether they have the abilities to adjust accordingly.
Thanks for reading & good luck with your interview!
