You don’t manage a remote worker in exactly the same way you manage an employee who sits two cubicles away from you. Likewise, conducting a virtual job interview for a remote position requires different preparation than you use when seeking an in-office worker.
That’s not to say you need to develop a completely different hiring process, but your standard operating procedures may need a bit of tweaking if you want to find the right fit for a virtual position.
Here are five suggestions to help you prepare for a virtual job interview and hire the best remote workers for your company:
1. Communicate verbally.
Verbal communication is key.
Of course you’re going to seek information about the candidate’s background, experience, and skills. But when you’re hiring a remote worker, it’s also vital to understand how she will communicate and collaborate with people back at the office, or with other telecommuters.
In an article on the Justworks blog, company CEO and founder Isaac Oates says hiring managers need to figure out the candidate’s communication style: “How do they use email? How are they on the phone? Or on Skype? Or Slack?”
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Using a video interview is one good way to get a handle on this. It lets you see how the potential employee handles important technology, while also giving you a look at her home office. If her work space is messy or noisy, or her internet connection isn’t up to speed, she may not be the right fit for a remote job.
2. But remember that written communication is equally important.
While a video interview is likely a necessary—and expected—part of the hiring process for a remote position, you’ll also want to test the candidate’s abilities to communicate in writing.
As noted in a Remote.co blog post, you may want to use “written formats like Q&A tests, text-based conversations, written exercises, and email. Longer written exchanges provide a valuable means for determining a job candidate’s ease with technology, and their ability to convey complex ideas in a format more complex and involved than conventional (i.e., shorthand) texting. In other words, can the candidate communicate in complete sentences?”
You may want to conduct a detailed conversation using document sharing software. This will give you a good feel for how well, and how quickly, the candidate can write. It also will reveal any problems she may have using software vital to her success as a remote worker.
3. Prepare the right kinds of questions.
Once you’ve determined the mix of video, voice, and written styles you’re going to use for the virtual job interview, craft questions that will address the unique aspects of your position.
In general, you’ll want to ask about the candidate’s previous experience with remote work. What kinds of virtual positions has he held, and what projects did he complete? How does he motivate himself? How does he do at meeting deadlines? What does he like and dislike about remote work? How does he stay involved with the other members of his team?
You also can ask about the candidate’s motivation and work environment. Why does he want to work remotely? What kind of schedule would be ideal for him as a virtual worker? With what hardware and software is he most comfortable? How does he build a distraction-free work space?
4. Check the candidate’s team fit.
It’s common for job candidates to interview first with a recruiter from HR and next with a hiring manager. The third round, if there is one, could be an interview with several members of the team on which she will work.
While it may be tempting to skip that final interview for a remote candidate—after all, it’s not like she’ll be in the office with those people—it’s probably even more important for a virtual worker to spend a few minutes talking to the team.
The collaboration process is hard enough when people are in the same room. When they are hundreds of miles and many time zones away from each other, it’s even more difficult. Give your team a chance to talk to their potential coworker. Try to get a feel for the meshing of personalities and work styles. Seek feedback on the potential teammate’s communication style. The input you receive from the team could be the final piece of the puzzle when deciding whether or not to make the hire.
5. Take your time.
When you’re hiring for a remote position, you need someone who is a self-starter, has a strong work ethic, meets deadlines, communicates well verbally and in writing, and has all of the necessary skills and abilities to complete the tasks of the job.
That sounds like a tall order, because it is. So don’t rush the process. Take the time to thoroughly review and get to know the job candidates. Seek someone in whom you have complete confidence. And understand that it might take many, many interviews to get you there.
By following these suggestions, you should be able to find a remote worker who will be the equivalent of a human “easy button”: you give her a task, and she gets it done quickly, efficiently, and effectively, with no missed deadlines or management headaches. Those ideal employees are out there. Now it’s up to you to find them.
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