8 Tips for Conducting an Excellent Remote Interview

When you’re working in a distributed team, you’re going to run into situations where you don’t know how to do something you’ve been tasked to do. While that’s normal, it’s important that you can demonstrate that you know how to self-educate or ask for additional help where needed. When you’re not in the same physical space, you need to be proactive and find the information you need. Remember to demonstrate that you understand how caustic conflict can be in a remote environment.

  • According to our State of Remote Work survey, 83% of employees agree that being able to work remotely would make them happier.
  • Just as with the traditional interview process, every company is different.
  • And with remote workers (like Sondra and Jeremy Orozco on the oDesk blog) adopting titles like “digital nomad,” it’s clear that remote work doesn’t just mean clocking in from your home office.
  • Communication is essential for all teams, but it plays a vital role when workers are based in different locations.
  • Most remote employers don’t require you to have worked remotely before.

It can be tough when you’re out of work and don’t have good news to share — and people might be more overwhelmed than usual at the moment — but remember that people want to help when they can. I recently reconnected with a former colleague who is looking for work and it felt great to be able to offer her advice and even a few job leads. “You have a lot of independence in how you manage your time when working remotely,” Taparia says. There’s no one sitting next to you to make sure you’re working on this or almost done with that.

Ask these 7 interview questions to hire great remote workers

“It’s more dynamic and your vocal chords warm up faster and it’s easier to project,” he says. “Candidates should demonstrate an awareness of how caustic conflict can become if unresolved in a remote environment,” Leech says. Talking things out in person tends to be the most straightforward way to resolve issues, so when you can’t do that in a timely manner, conflicts can simmer.

With all the recruiting challenges in an evolving market, recruiting teams shouldn’t have to worry if filling a remote position will hurt their hiring, retention, and quality of hire metrics. Fortunately, with a good set of remote job interview questions, you’ll discover ideal candidates who will become great remote workers and help your company grow. After your top candidates have made it through the initial phone screening with the recruitment team, you’ll want to get ready for the remote interview portion of the hiring process. Think about who will be working with the candidate the most, managing them, and if anyone will be reporting to them. Acknowledge and adjust for any hiring biases members of the hiring team might have. Be honest with your team when you’re hiring for a position and think through whether in-person interviews may be appropriate, depending on the role and feasibility.

Tell me about a time when you had a conflict with a remote coworker. How did you handle it?

By now, you’ve likely discovered the advantages of conducting a remote interview. When the remote interview is over, thank the candidate for their time, and tell them what’s going to happen next in the process and when they can expect to hear from you. Don’t assume the candidate is familiar with the video platform you’re using, even if it’s a well-known, popular platform like Microsoft Teams or Zoom. When you send the interview invitation, include instructions on how to call in at the scheduled time and additional steps the candidate might need to take to sign in.

remote job interview process

When looking for a new remote team member, look for what we call a good culture fit. Online interviews should always be with the camera on; that way, you can establish a deeper remote interview meaning connection with candidates instead of just talking like if you were a robot. Also, don’t try to mimic the onsite experience online, because honestly, it’s impossible.

Apply for Remote Jobs

Anyway… Do you know what remote team managers dread more than inefficiency? The only thing worse than a worker dragging her heels is a worker who’s rocking in the corner in fear of opening her laptop. In Kelli’s answer, she’s showing the potential boss that she knows how to prioritize tasks, realizes her limits, and can decide when it’s actually MORE efficient to take a break than slog on. It might seem a bit vague and general, but the reason you might get asked a question like this is because your potential employer wants to get a handle on your management skills.

Consider how long each interview will be at each phase of hiring. Use the practical advice of our global HR experts and learn how to advocate for your organization to facilitate remote work. If you receive an offer and accept the position, you can usually expect to participate in an onboarding or orientation program. Be prepared to jump on a Zoom call right away—or to be patient through several rounds.

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