5 Quick Tips For Interviewing Remote Employees

May 29, 2016| read

By Maicel Lucena

interviewing remote candidates

Technological advancements over the years and savings in overhead has increased the popularity of hiring remote employees. Many companies of varying industries have employed either freelancers or an outsourcing agency. This can open doors and get access to an enormous source of talented employees. The same can be applied to your business, provided you know where and how to scout for them.

In the world of freelancers, you will typically carry out the entire recruiting process from screening of resumes to facilitating the interviews. Outsourcing agencies on other hand, perform all the recruitment steps and usually do both active and passive approach in attracting as many qualified candidates as possible. There are also other agencies who allow their clients to interview the candidates so they can get more involved in the hiring journey.

Whichever road you decide to take, the interview process is always a key component in acquiring the best and brightest. It’s important to understand that having someone to work for you remotely is an entire different ball game.

Here are 5 tips when interviewing remote employees to help you make the right moves to reach your hiring decision.

Tip #1: Objectively assess the candidate’s skills and experience based on your needs.

Wants and needs are two different things and it’s productive to focus more on the latter. Have clear job responsibilities and requirements then review them right before you dive into an interview with a candidate. This will help you stay objective and deviate less from what you really need out of your remote employee.

Tip #2: Be mindful of their history with past companies and their length of stay.

If you’re hiring people to work with you in the long term, it’s useful to know the time period they have stayed with their past companies and reasons for leaving. The last thing you want is to hire someone, invest time and effort in training them only to find out that they will soon quit. Their longevity with past employments can be an indication of their future commitment and stability, which may increase your chances of hiring workers who will be with you for the long haul.

Tip #3: Find out about their personality to see if they will fit in the work environment.

Not having to see your people face-to-face in the office doesn’t mean getting insights about their personality is hardly important. Ask questions such as, “What kind of work environment do you like?” or “Do you prefer working with a team or alone and why?” These can give you a good idea if they have the ability to work on their own or within a small team rather than in an environment full of countless colleagues. You can also learn if the virtual candidate has a higher likelihood to be more productive and can manage on their own or in smaller groups.

Tip #4: Gauge how well they can follow instructions.

Your path will be uphill if your remote employee can’t follow instructions given you have provided them clearly. In interviews, situational questions can shed light into a candidate’s behavior and critical thinking skills when faced with certain challenges. Ask a simple question like “Tell me about a time when you had to follow instructions from your boss even if you knew your other decision was right.” This gives you a sense of whether the candidate has the courage to voice out their ideas but still can be depended on to take directions when required.

Tip #5: Get a sense of their self-direction.

Prioritizing and completing tasks with minimal supervision defines self-direction. It’s a sought after trait especially for virtual employees. Questions you may ask to reveal whether a candidate has this characteristic are, “How do you try to solve problems on your own?” and “What do you do if you encounter a big problem that you don’t have the information to fix and your other team members are unavailable?”

If you’re interested to find out if acquiring remote employees through an outsourcing agency is right for your business, talk to us today.

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