Interviewing Techniques for Remote Positions

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Working from home has become one of the most popular trends among professionals. People are sharing their work-from-home suggestions on a daily basis, and another well-known corporation has announced plans to expand its remote work policy.

COVID-19, on the other hand, has simply accelerated an already rising tendency. According to FlexJobs, the number of remote jobs has climbed by 44 percent in the last five years and 91 percent in the last decade.

Working from home will be the new reality for many people, whether or not they expect to return to work in the near future. As we’ve all done in recent months, they’ll continue to develop new ways to interact and connect with others from afar.

Take, for example, a job interview. Meeting with candidates allows you to ask questions that will help you identify the best candidate for the job. You can also see how they behave, think on their feet, and deal with pressure.

You can still obtain a feel of a candidate’s aptitude by using video conferencing software to conduct interviews remotely—you just need to make a few tweaks. You’ll learn everything you need to know about conducting a successful remote job interview in this blog post.

Expectations and advice for the interview should be sent through email ahead of time.

Any job interview is stressful for a candidate because of the uncertainty. That’s why we advise giving them as much information as possible before they arrive.

This normally include providing the candidate an interview schedule, directions to your office, and success recommendations. In the case of a remote interview, you’ll preserve some of the directions while also providing new information to help them mentally prepare. Send an email with an interview schedule and instructions on how to use the video conferencing programme, for example. The idea is to give the candidate as much information as possible about what will happen once they click the meeting link.

On your end, prepare for a successful interview.

You want candidates to arrive on time and prepared to present their best self. That implies you must provide them with the opportunity to make their case for the job.

Make sure to test your technology and select a peaceful spot in your house where you can converse with the candidate as if they were standing right in front of you. Lack of preparedness for an interview looks negatively on both you and your company, so take a few minutes before you begin the call to double-check that everything is in order.

Assess prospects based on the criteria that are important to you.

While the candidate should prepare for a successful remote interview, keep in mind that video calls can have unexpected complications.

When you’re meeting with multiple applicants, don’t let irrelevant aspects sway your judgement. A barking dog or the lawnmower of a neighbour may disrupt an interview. Wifi problems often seem to occur at the most inconvenient times. These transient annoyances are inconvenient, but they have no bearing on a candidate’s employment requirements.

Consider asking the candidate to reschedule or finish speaking on the phone if an entire interview is disrupted. Give them every opportunity to explain why they’re the best candidate for the job. You were impressed enough with their background to give them an interview.

Team interviews should be avoided.

Interviewing candidates with numerous members of the team has become a frequent practise. Consolidating interviews speeds up the hiring process and gives the candidate a more conversational experience.

However, we all know that when too many individuals are requested to participate in a video chat, issues are more likely to arise. Having candidates interview with only one person at a time reduces the risk of technical complications. Because there is no need for a candidate to go for a remote interview, it is acceptable to schedule many interviews over a few hours.

Be focused and aware of your surroundings.

We must recognise that interviewing someone through video has a unique dynamic. With everything going on in the world today, it’s easy to lose focus and let your mind wander.

Keep in mind that a remote interview isn’t the same as another appointment on your calendar. Your company has put its faith in you to recruit its next employee. And the candidate is attempting to capitalise on a chance to boost their career. Respect everyone involved, and make sure you’re present and paying attention during the interview.

Don’t start the interview right away.

When a candidate arrives for an interview, there is normally a brief period of small talk to assist them feel at ease and build a connection with you. And the casual discussion allows you to build an initial impression.

When conducting remote interviews, try to emulate the relaxing start. Take a moment to get to know each other before diving into the tough questions. Discuss your professional background as well as what you enjoy about working for the company. To ease into the formal interview, use a fascinating tidbit from the candidate’s resume.

Take the time to discuss the team’s culture, the environment, and the people of the team.

Candidates can observe your company up close and personal during in-person interviews. They’ll know if they’d be satisfied working at your place every day with the folks they met when they left.

When candidates interview from home, they don’t gain the same insights. Fill in the blanks for them by explaining the work environment, your team’s operations, and the people with whom they’ll be working closely. Discuss what your company values and how it differs from other positions you’ve held. This is where you make your presentation to the candidate, hoping to entice them to accept a possible offer.

Use screen sharing to your advantage.

Many of the suggestions in this article are answers to the problems that remote interviews might cause. However, because to the functionality provided by video conferencing software, the format has some advantages.

Job interview questions are typically generic and hypothetical (“what would you do if…”). You can use screen sharing in a modern remote interview to show applicants genuine projects your team is working on and ask how they would help. Find out what they like about what you’ve done and what they would change.

Interviews should be supplemented with an assessment exercise.

The choice to hire a new employee is a huge one. And it’s not uncommon to finish an interview and still be undecided about who is the best candidate for the position. You learn about a candidate’s professional accomplishments, but the chat doesn’t reveal much about their abilities.

By requiring your final applicants to perform a skills assessment or a sample project, you can eliminate uncertainty and focus on the most qualified prospect. Come up with a role-appropriate exercise that can be performed in under an hour. If you’re undecided about who to recruit, a skills assessment will help you make an informed selection.

Continue to hire.

Even if business picks up, you and your candidates may not feel comfortable conducting face-to-face interviews. Don’t let physical distance stop your company from expanding its workforce. On remote interviews, you can find new staff to hire and meet them in person when the moment is right.

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