CEO shares the one question you should ‘never ever’ ask during a job interview

Matt Higgins is the CEO and co-founder of RSE Ventures.

While interviewing for a job, it is generally recommended that you come prepared with a few questions you can ask the recruiter. Asking the right questions can make you look more interested, enthusiastic and lets your potential employer know you have done your homework before the interview. However, there are some questions you may want to avoid while interviewing for a new position. And at the top of the list of questions to avoid during a job interview is anything related to the company’s remote work policy, according to Matt Higgins, CEO of RSE Ventures.

Higgins, a CEO, investor and founder, wrote a piece for CNBC Make It explaining why questions about remote work during a job interview are an “immediate red flag.”

“Whether it’s fair or not, some managers will perceive initial interview questions about remote work as telegraphing the wrong priorities,” he wrote. “Imagine this scenario: You close your interview with a question about remote work and get a chilly reception. The next day, the hiring manager meets another candidate who says they could be in the office bright and early the next Monday morning.”

Higgins predicted that a candidate willing to come to office would be perceived as more committed as he advised readers to avoid questions about remote work at least in the first interview round.

The CEO of RSE Ventures also cited examples of business leaders who have voiced concerns about the trend of remote work which took off during the pandemic. Elon Musk was among the first to ask Twitter and Tesla employees to return to office, while Meta has paused offering work-from-home option to new hires.

Higgins concluded his piece by advising candidates to “defer the question until you are invited back to a second round.”