Blog

That means you need to be an absolute pro at managing your time, prioritizing tasks, and communicating with your boss and coworkers. Don’t get me wrong – jobs like those have done their part in making it possible for more of us to earn a living without driving to a traditional office every day. Good dressing, good research about the work of the company, clear communication during the interview, and being polite throughout are few things to keep in mind in order to ace a remote interview. Interviewing remotely is just as much a risk for the candidate as it is for you, so provide plenty of opportunities for candidates to ask questions and be ready to give answers. Your candidates might not have the opportunity to see your office and meet your team. So make sure candidates don’t miss out on finding out all about you.

The hiring manager is trying to gauge your level of interest in and comfort with taking on a fully remote role. Remote interviews are a proven means of saving time and resources while ensuring you recruit the best talent for your organization. However, before you conduct any remote interview, there are a number of aspects to consider. These include selecting the right interview platform, familiarizing yourself with the questions that need to be asked, and ensuring that you have a backup plan if technology fails.

What to Expect in the Remote Interview

A remote interview, in simple words, does not involve a face-to-face interview. Exercise after work hours is always a good option and to feel free to take sufficient breaks. Ensuring a good sleep, maintaining a good diet plan, and taking a few off for vacations should be a part of the cycle to stay mentally fit. And remote interview meaning don’t hold any tech issues against them – they may not have fast internet or the most modern devices at home. Make sure every team member is aware of how many rounds of interviews there are and who is involved in each one, who is responsible for them, as well as what is required from all interviewers for each one.

• If you think online interviews are awkward, then you’re not the only one.
• One of the main questions related to remote work is how to monitor employees.
• As any hiring manager knows, an interview (whether remote or in-person) will reveal much more than an interviewee’s answers.
• 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.
• For starters, let the interviewer know that you are very familiar with the benefits of working from home.
• For instance, the absence of body language and facial expressions during a phone interview makes it tougher to let the hiring manager know you’re actively engaged in the conversation.

Have a question or two prepared for each of these remote­-specific skills. Assuming all of these hires happened with a traditional face-­to-­face interview, making a complete remote hire—and conducting a remote interview—may be a brand new practice. If you generally need a lot of guidance, don’t say that you work well independently; you may run into problems when you start working on a remote team. Instead, explain that you like a lot of information and direction, and then explain how you will get what you need from your remote team members. Also, point out the value of regular check-ins by audio or video chat to gain feedback and ensure nothing slips through the cracks.

How can we get old-school executives/upper management to be more open to virtual interviewing?

Those leading the interview should encourage candidates to identify solutions or support mechanisms that may help them succeed within your remote team. In many respects, a remote interview is the same as an in-person interview. You may have a panel interview, or have a one-on-one interview with several people back-to-back. You can expect the “regular” interview questions and perhaps some curveballs or brain teasers.

Companies gain more than $270 million each year as a result of employees being more satisfied in their work due to flexible work options. Most interviews will turn the tables at the end, giving you the chance to ask the questions. Beyond any of the “usual” questions you might want to ask, make sure you ask some remote-specific questions, too. Don’t be surprised if you’re asked to take a pre-employment test for a remote position. When your team is fully distributed, supervisors and coworkers may miss some of the subtle cues that help them understand and assist you. You may be surprised to learn that remote interviews can take place in a variety of ways.