I recently had a job interview with a talent acquisition specialist for a behavioral health company.

10 Comments

1. AnonymousMarch 9,2026 at 1:43PM UTC

   If you are an autonomous and self directed person, you'll love the work. I currently work remotely for a behavioral health company as well. I receive outstanding support, very timely communication from peers and managers, training (virtually) and all of that. Best job ever! I am in contact all day long but most of it is on screens and laptop.

2. AnonymousMarch 9,2026 at 3:25PM UTC

   A few things that worked for me when I was remote and traveling a lot were: I was up and dressed as if I was going into the office every day. It helped me mentally focus. Additionally, because I did have to see clients, I liked to be ready if I needed to run out to a client site.

   For the travel part, I made sure I was super organized about my clothing and equipment I had to take for my business trips. I didn't want to struggle trying to find a charger or whatever when I had to get to the airport.

   Also communication with bosses and team is critical. Everyone is super distracted and busy especially if they are also working from home. Make sure you have at least weekly meetings with your boss so they know your schedule and what you're doing. Often, companies with remote workers track everything you do and log ins log outs etc. Learn how your company is tracking you. You may be innocently doing something that is being tracked that's frowned upon...these days, no one will warn you, you will just get some sort of check or punishment never knowing you were screwing up!

   I was lucky because I developed great relationships with many people in different departments, states and countries so I always had my ear to the ground. That's one of the biggest challenges with remote work...knowing what's going on. So good luck with this and have fun.

3. Dr. Patty GrossMarch 10,2026 at 12:36PM UTC

   If they don't provide you with a laptop, purchase one that is compliant with the software they use. NEVER use your personal computer for company business, and if they provide you with one, NEVER do anything personal (even check email or Google for a doctor) on it. This also addresses the tracking issues another poster mentioned. It also makes it easy, in the case of termination or when you decide to leave, to ensure you are not holding on to any of their information or client-related private information.

4. AnonymousMarch 11,2026 at 12:20PM UTC

   They should provide a laptop. You will probably notice an increase in productivity without the water cooler talk and unsolicited stops by your desk. Find activities to do that suit you, like taking a walk during your lunch break or working at a coffee shop occasionally. Download a Work profile on your phone with the company portal, Outlook, Teams and all Microsoft Office apps, including Edge. Remote is truly a blessing. Congratulations!

5. AnonymousMarch 11,2026 at 12:33PM UTC

   I remember being one of 4 already remote employees before COVID. alot of the team was worried about the transition and lack of interaction.

   I find that I am more productive but sometimes work more as the whole "I gotta leave at this time to avoid rush hour" goes away.

   1. Keep your daily routine as if you are commuting. Wake up and work out as normal. Take lunch and breaks as normal.

   2. Wear pants

   3. Most companies are camera on and end up with more meetings for remote roles and it might get exhausting

   4. Consider ways to wake up during the day like a walking pad, going for a walk, quick cardio burst

   5. You can still build relationships with your coworkers remotely but it requires intention

   Some of the things I did to help my team was to have regular team meetings. Even with an agenda I allowed water cooler talk. I also did periodically coffee chats and happy hours virtually. For team building we had to do virtual experiences.

6. AnonymousMarch 11,2026 at 1:14PM UTC

   All of this is great advice. In addition, if there's ever an opportunity to do in person coffee breaks, lunches or training with your colleagues, take full advantage of it. I have had a few remote and hybrid positions so meeting colleagues in person at some point usually makes sense and helps build good working relationships.

   If using a group chat like Teams, it's helpful to say hello to the group or individuals each day just like you would in an office. The way you interacted in the office can be translated online rather seamlessly and via phone or video calls, if you really need the contact.

7. Rosa GoesMarch 11,2026 at 4:09PM UTC

   I would suggest looking presentable at all times in the event you get a zoom or MS Teams call. In my experience, callers would turn on their camera.

8. Beverly DowMarch 11,2026 at 5:59PM UTC

   Besides making sure you are dressed professionally, make sure your remote work environment looks professionally and stays ready as well.

   You will need a quiet area with all supplies charged/plugged in, and in place. Also make sure you have exceptional WiFi and the ability to create a Hotspot from your phone in case the Internet goes down.

   If you have pets, kids, or noisy appliances or loud neighbors, they need to be in a different area away from you while you're working-- especially if you're in a meeting. Quality, noise-cancelling headphones are worth investing in, if your employer doesn't supply them.

   Although most online meetings have virtual backgrounds to use or the ability to blur yours, just in case you have to turn off the virtual background, make sure wherever you work is neat and looks professional on its own. (I said this twice because anything can happen during a meeting, and you need to be ready for anything. During Covid, I had a manager who liked to invite guest speakers as icebreakers during the first few minutes of meetings. One day she bought in a yoga instructor who wanted to relax us with a breathing exercise. When she asked everyone to turn off any backgrounds and to stand and stretch, the below-the-waist outfits combined with the REALly not ready for prime time backgrounds were embarrassingly outrageous!)

   Make sure you are properly heated and/or cooled in your space. If your heating/cooling system can be controlled with a remote, you can adjust them as needed without having to go off camera.

   Invest in a decent office chair. You will be spending a lot of time in it; now is not the time to sacrifice your back.

   To remain in contact, my department had a Teams chat group with only our group where we would reach out as needed anytime during the day. We also had the ability to schedule impromptu, individual teams chats to speak with anyone we wanted to. After hours we actually had an on-call texting group, so that anyone on-call had the means to tap into our whole team for support if there was an issue beyond our expertise.

   With the right equipment, you can literally work anywhere and take full advantage of your remote location by being flexible.

9. Justine ClarkeMarch 12,2026 at 1:12PM UTC

   A key skill here is async communication. No worries, you already do this with email and Slacks etc. BUT the unlock here is in the following:

   -- Know the timezones of coworkers and key stakeholders

   -- Look into using tools like Loom to send quick video updates as needed and add a personal touch

   -- Overcommunicate

   -- It does help to find a coworking space and see if your company provides a stipend for this (optional)

   Congrats on the new role!

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10. AnonymousMarch 13,2026 at 12:21PM UTC

    I've worked remotely on and off for 25 years. My current role is fully remote but requires a lot of video calls with both coworkers and clients so I'm definitely not missing human interaction. I did work in the office for several years so I know most of my colleagues. Messaging is huge at our company and we have multiple platforms to do so. I have a small space in my house set up and I go there as I would an office and simply work. I don't make dinner, do laundry, clean, or run errands unless it's the time I set aside for a break or lunch. It takes some extra discipline in the beginning but I love it. No worries about traffic, car expenses, office drama, interruptions, etc. The days I had to go in for a random meeting were a complete waste and left me having to work half the night because of interruptions all day. People have less boundaries about interrupting you on a call or simply doing work in person. I've gone to a conference room to work or have calls and some colleagues will just walk right in without a thought even if the door is closed or wave their arms wildly to get my attention. Being in the office now is so draining to me as a result. I'm hoping to have remote roles for the remainder of my career.