And with so many potential candidates to manage, you may overlook some great options. You may want to keep a notepad to hand as well, which will come in useful when you ask your own questions at the very end of the interview. It’s best to have a series of questions written down, just in case your mind goes blank or you forget something important. Asking about the company culture, what success looks like, and the main challenges of the role are good questions that show that you’re engaging with more than just the job description and salary. Instead, use the time to explore cultural fit, career goals and give the candidate plenty of time to ask questions in return. To get the best hiring outcomes out of the remote interviewing process, follow these steps before, during, and after the interview.

If your program crashes or the internet cuts out, you should rely on a backup plan so your candidate knows what they should do. For example, if your interview was on video, you could pivot to a phone call. Without someone physically showing up to an office for an interview, it’s easy to lose track of time and forget about a previously scheduled meeting. If you need more than one reminder, you can set a few throughout the week before the interview begins. Include relevant information like the date and time of the interview and instructions for joining the virtual meeting. Since you’re already making use of technology to conduct the interview, consider using technology to schedule it as well.

Why do you want to work remotely?

Based on the remote position that you’re hiring for, you can start by compiling a list of skills and traits that a new employee should possess. When compiling this list, don’t neglect the fundamental traits that are required of a remote worker – such as teamwork, technical knowledge, and of course, communication skills. In the present business climate, online assessments are more important than ever. When conducted correctly, online assessments enable businesses to quickly narrow down their candidate pool.

If you’re positive your interview won’t include video, all you need is a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted. But if it will be a video interview, you should take a few more steps to prepare your space. And even if it’s a phone-only meeting, remote interview process settling on a quiet space ensures you create a more professional atmosphere—and impression. So while the remote jobs you’re pursuing may be very similar to in-office roles you’ve had in the past, working from home requires a different work style.

How to Conduct a Remote Interview: Process, Tips, and Best Practices

Instead, you can jump to the next one, limiting your questions to the most vital ones you need answers to. Even if a randomly stacked pile of paper is your preferred filing method, don’t show it off during the interview. You built a solid resume and wrote a meaningful cover letter, and now you’ve got an interview for a remote position. This also happens to be an excellent opportunity to learn more about the company culture so that you can determine whether a prospective employer is going to be the right fit for you. “The employer wants to know whether you can recover if things break down,” Leech says. Disagreements are inevitable, so knowing how to navigate and defuse misunderstandings before they get out of hand is an incredibly important skill—especially when you’re part of a remote team.

This makes it more difficult to communicate and as such, it’s important that you listen actively to what the interviewee is saying. Video platforms including Skype, Meet (formerly known as Hangouts), and Zoom are excellent choices to conduct a remote interview. Based on your company’s budget, this will help you to decide which is the best software to utilize. Also, remember to always test the software before commencing a remote interview.

How to ace a remote interview

Be sure to time each section, estimate how long you want to spend on each, and keep the interview moving to ensure you hit every section within the allotted interview time. With Google Meet and Microsoft Teams, you have the ability to integrate with Google Workspace and Microsoft Office if you want to review documents or projects with candidates in real-time. But to really get the most out of your tech stack, you’ll need to find software that’s reputable and user-friendly.

• Fortunately, one-way interviews during the screening process can make it easier to catch a break by allowing you to find the best candidates before moving to a live remote interview phase.
• Some employees need more guidance than others, but remote employees need to work independently from their managers and team.
• Many employers with remote positions would prefer to hire someone with remote work experience, whether from a previous job, freelance and contract work, or entrepreneurial ventures.

This might feel like a conversational ice breaker question, but it’s one you need to answer thoughtfully. The hiring manager is trying to gauge your level of interest in and comfort with taking on a fully remote role. If you’ve never worked remotely before, talk about how you’ve tackled distractions while working in the office. In-person https://remotemode.net/ offices can have just as many—if not more—distractions, and explaining how you handled them can give the interviewer insight into how you’ll deal with distractions while working at home. When you’re applying for a remote job, it’s crucial to show that you have both the hard and soft skills that are necessary for success in the role.

Assessing Remote Readiness

As interesting and relevant as those examples may be, the goal is to keep the focus on your conflict resolution skills. Some employees need more guidance than others, but remote employees need to work independently from their managers and team. But preferring a lot of direction shouldn’t automatically disqualify you from a remote role. For starters, let the interviewer know that you are very familiar with the benefits of working from home.

Instead, practice sitting still and keeping your focus on the interviewer. Finally, practice active listening to prevent your mind from wandering. Sit up straight and maintain an open posture to make a good impression. Lean slightly toward the screen to show that you’re engaged and invested in the conversation. At least 10 minutes before the scheduled interview, ensure everything is in place—including you! Being out of breath because you ran to get the phone doesn’t exactly show the person on the other end that their call is the most important thing going on during your morning.