How to Interview Job Applicants for Remote Work Positions
We’re moving into a virtual world—and a virtual workforce. This “new normal” of COVID-19 means that remote work is top of mind as we consider how to pivot and thrive. As we enter this uncharted territory, it is essential to employ best practices for hiring new team members.Today, I share nine tips for interviewing job applicants for remote work positions:
1. Post in the right places.
How effective is your job listing strategy? Are you solely posting through generic, traditional channels, such as Indeed or Glassdoor? Or are you taking time to find the platforms and job boards that will reach the people you are truly looking for? Consider posting your job listing on websites that promote remote work jobs, as well as niche sites specifically related to your company’s industry. Don’t wait for your candidates to stumble across you—take time to intentionally find them.
2. Look for cultural fit.
Most companies approach job listings by describing the day-to-day responsibilities of the position. There may be millions of candidates who have the skills to perform the job, but if an employee is not a fit culturally, these qualifications don’t matter. Rather than emphasizing job description, focus your attention on culture. Clearly articulate your mission, vision and values from the start so you reach candidates who truly resonate with the culture you are working to build. A candidate’s sense of alignment directly relates to their ability to embody your brand in the long-term.
3. Consider those who find you directly.
Candidates who fit your brand’s culture are usually those who feel connected to your brand, not just the specifics of the job. Recruitment is one example of this, as people who match your company culture will recruit others who do as well. Those who find you directly on your website are also more likely to align with your culture, as landing on your site shows that they have done a lot of work to find your company specifically, rather than finding you via a curated job board list.
4. Curate questions.
Thoughtful questions will help you more thoroughly vet for culture in the interview process as well. People are more likely to pass a skills test than a culture test, so assume that there are people out there with the skills you need, and look beyond that to find who you are really looking for. Ask questions that will expose a cultural fit.
Some examples:
How will you contribute to building our brand vision?
Our vision is to double our size every single year, how will you contribute to this goal?
Learning is an important part of our company’s culture. What is something you learned recently in your personal or professional life?
Asking culture-based questions not only assures alignment, but also highlights the way a candidate thinks. After this component of interviewing, then assess skills through an online exam.
5. Interview in stages.
Don’t worry if your interview process is longer than “normal.” Design a staged process that narrows down candidates to those who fit your culture and truly want to work for you. Are they there because they believe in the values your company emphasizes, or do they need a job for financial reasons, first and foremost? By crafting a multi-level process, you will get a sense of why a candidate is interviewing with you and ensure that your priorities are aligned with those of your candidate.
6. Leverage technology.
Leveraging technology in your hiring process creates an engaged experience for both you and your candidate. Video is key. Seeing your candidate on video allows you a fuller sense of who they are and how they communicate. Ultimately, video cultivates a positive, transparent experience in which both you and your candidate can assess whether there is a fit. Zoom and Google Meet are some of the many virtual meeting platforms you can utilize through your interview process.
7. Assess tech capabilities.
Tech will be the window of connection between you and the candidate once they begin working for you as a remote employee. In addition to helping you connect with your candidate, integrating technology into your process will help you determine whether the candidate has the technological capabilities to succeed as a remote worker and interact with team members and customers via virtual platforms. One tool you can use to test your candidates’ video capabilities is Spark Hire, which allows candidates to submit video answers.
8. Connect candidates with your team.
Allow candidates the opportunity to interview with different types of people of your team, from HR representatives to organizational leaders to fellow employees. The goal in this is for you to see the candidate in action as they interact with your company—and its culture— directly. If you give candidates the chance to engage with you as a leader, this also gives them the opportunity to witness the culture of your company and how it is carried out from the top-down.
9. Avoid unconscious biases.
How do you objectively approach “cultural fit”? The best filter for accurately assessing alignment is ensuring that your values are articulated in writing so they can be used as filter points and help you frame your interview questions. The more you emphasize culture, the less likely you will be to fall into your own biases as your culture will be more defined, and there will be more culturally-aligned people involved in the hiring process to keep you in check.
If you build a great organizational culture, you’ll get a lot of applicants. While remote work might not be the norm after COVID-19, it will certainly be a competitive advantage. The key? To curate a positive experience and to keep cultural fit at the forefront of your strategy.
Looking for support to develop your remote hiring strategy?