Watch for these red flags when searching remote job listings

Welcome to  Work Smarte r ,  Fast Company ‘s newsletter on career, leadership, and productivity advice. You can sign up to receive this newsletter every week  here . Fewer people may be job-hopping these days, but if you have been keeping an eye out for a remote job , you’re certainly not alone. “According to Google Trends, searches for remote jobs peaked in January 2024 and continue to be strong,” writes Stephanie Vozza. “What’s more, a survey by Flexjobs found that only 3% of working professionals prefer to be fully in the office.”



But all remote jobs are not the same. She spoke with Michael Wallace, CEO of Greenback Expat Tax Services, a fully remote company, about what to look out for. Red flags include a lack of communication during the interview process, or early indications of  micromanaging tendencies. Neither of those things are likely to improve once you start working. 



Other bad signs? A job description that sounds too good to be true. “If a recruiter appears out of the blue to offer a role that represents a significant promotion or an unrealistic pay increase, [experts] recommend maintaining a high degree of skepticism,” writes Jared Lindzon in a recent story about how to avoid getting scammed when job hunting . You shouldn’t be asked to purchase your own equipment in advance and told you’ll be reimbursed.



But what are good signs that a company has a long-term strategy to support its remote workforce? Businesses should have clear, well-thought-out onboarding processes and should also have ample opportunities for remote career progression. 



Finally, all-remote teams should come up with ways to help their distributed workforce get to know each other. That’s different than “ forced fun, ” says contributor Aytekin Tank. “The best way to know what your teams actually enjoy is simply to ask. Solicit ideas and post event feedback with anonymous surveys,” writes Tank. “Employee-led activities, such as international book or film clubs and just-for-fun Slack channels, can also provide low-stress bonding opportunities for teams that can’t attend a happy hour or pickup basketball game at company HQ.”