During the last decade of this century, Internet has been a useful tool to find jobs or to generate them, and many companies and professionals have taken advantage of this. Remote interviews are among the advantages that this tool provides, and they become more common in the digital world we are living in.
In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about remote interviews and how to ace them successfully with a short guide we will show you, which includes steps, useful tips, and more information about how to increase the possibilities of success in a remote interview. Let’s observe:
1. How do remote interviews work in the current times?
2. What are the best practices for remote interviews?
3. Tips to conduct remote interviews with success.
4. Tips for candidates to achieve success in a remote interview.
5. How can Connect Resources help you?
1. How do remote interviews work in the current times?
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic that we have lived these last months, many companies have decided to use different tools to interview new candidates and hire them. The remote interview option is one of the most used ones nowadays, and it works as excellent as any other face-to-face interview.
However, it is important to understand how a remote interview works and the methods or steps that must be followed in order to ace a successful one. Having the necessary resources is the first step to ace a fluid video interview. A fluid Internet connection, a standard-quality camera, a microphone, and earphones are some of those resources.
Besides these technological resources, another detail that must be taken into account is the platform where the interview will take place. Currently, the most popular ones are Skype and Zoom. Nonetheless, other platforms are also useful for a remote interview, like Google Hangouts, Facetime, Houseparty, Google Duo, WhatsApp, or any other.
Once you have these resources ready, the next step will be planning a strategy to make the interview more efficient and dynamic. Remote interviews and virtual interaction are more popular every day, and not only because of the pandemic but also because they have proven that everyone can get benefits from them.
2. What are the best practices for remote interviews?
Since remote interviews are something new to many employers, they might find it difficult to use and seize this tool to hire new workers, and that is the reason why we have made this short guide. Here we will show you some of the remote interview best practices to help you understand and improve your skills.
2.1. Set up your tools correctly and be prepared
Before starting a remote interview with your candidate, you need to set up everything to avoid making mistakes, and that includes your technological resources (camera, microphone, earphones, Internet connection, among others) and the material you need to interact with the other person (for example, the questions you will ask or any other information).
It is essential to prepare yourself too if you want to make a good impression, and this advice works for both employer and employee. Besides the required skills that the employers and candidates should have, having technological knowledge and related skills will help them avoid mistakes or glitches during the interview.
2.2. Test your candidates’ skills
Some jobs require workers with specific skills, like programming or any other skills related to it. As an employer, you have the opportunity to test remotely these types of skills on each candidate in a matter of time. You will realize that this practice will help you save your time significantly, discarding those candidates who do not meet the company’s requirements.
Besides the skills, you can also observe and analyze the body language during the interview. Despite the fact that it is not a presence-based interview, it is still possible to examine your candidate’s body language through the video, including the way he/she speaks and develops conversation skills.
2.3. Eliminate any possible distraction
Any distraction will surely interrupt your remote interview with the other person, and just like the first recommendation, it works for both employer and candidate. Make sure that nothing and no one will interrupt the virtual interview, and the best way to do this is to find an appropriate spot to avoid being these distractions.
If you are having this type of interview from home, make sure to find a private room where no one enters, including family, friends, or any other people. Also, it would be better to have a clean background behind you. It will give you a professional image and will not distract the other person.
2.4. Be always transparent and decisive
Before starting a remote interview with any candidate, you must specify the type of skills and experience your company requires from them. By doing this, you will make things easier for both your candidate and your company. Besides, it will help you save a great part of your time.
Another useful element that will help you save your time is the business decision-making skill, which you can develop with time. In case you are a candidate, this advice will help you too if your job is not working or in any other critical situation. Be transparent with yourself and set clear goals.
3. Tips to conduct remote interviews with success.
Once your remote interview with a candidate has started, you will have to keep following some recommendations to make it more interactive and easier for everyone. A good first step is communicating clearly the reason for the interview, along with the requirements you need to cover in your company.
Let’s see some other good tips for conducting remote interviews with ease and guaranteed success:
- Looking professional is essential to transmit a fresh, businessperson image. It might not seem as important because it is not a regular face-to-face meeting, but there is still the need of having a professional image. If you are a candidate, you should follow this advice too and check what to wear for a job interview in case you need it.
- Your candidates need to know about your company and everything related to the job they are aiming for, so take your time to introduce your company’s culture, vision, and mission. Provide them with useful and essential information, background instructions, stories and references, and everything that you consider necessary.
- Do not just limit yourself to talk for an hour about your company or the instructions your candidate needs. If you make a two-way conversation, the interview will be more dynamic and comfortable for both sides. It is good to talk and express your needs, but you should also listen to your candidate’s speech about his/her needs, experience, or any other information he/she needs to transmit to you.
- Make sure your team is up-to-date with the information you collect from the candidates or the results of each virtual interview. Your team must be aware of your job as the interviewer and give their opinion. Keeping the team aligned will provide the opportunity for everyone to express their thoughts, and this way, you all will be satisfied with the final decision.
4. Tips for candidates to achieve success in a remote interviews.
In case you are a candidate and you are about to have your first remote interview, let us give you some recommendations to successfully get your desired job by approving your online interview. First, you need to update your CV and add essential information to it, not to mention you can learn how to make an outstanding CV to increase your chances of getting hired.
Once you have your CV ready to submit, start preparing yourself for your virtual interview and follow these tips to increase your possibilities of success:
4.1. Prepare for common interview questions before starting
Interviewers always ask some questions that may be considered common in every interview, and you should come up with quick and precise answers to them. Here are some of those common questions that you need to be prepared for:
- Tell me about yourself.
- Why should we hire you?
- Why are you interested in working with us?
- What are your weaknesses and strengths?
- What are your salary expectations?
- Why did you leave your previous job?
- What are your goals?
To summarize, you need to keep in mind your previous experiences, your skills, and your goals, and share them with your recruiter with confidence and responsibility.
4.2. Be confident when speaking to your recruiter
Besides having knowledge and excellent skills, you will need the confidence to express yourself and make a good impression. A useful recommendation you can follow could be learning some tips to be confident in a job interview and control your body language. It will show that you are motivated and ready to start working.
During the online interview, your recruiter will be able to see the way you express yourself, and you must follow some essential tips to show confidence, like looking into their eyes. This action will show them that you are focus on the interview and your goal of getting the job.
4.3. Answer questions about your experience with remote jobs
In this special case, your recruiter might ask you some questions regarding remote job experience, and you should be prepared in case they ask you. Among some of the most common questions regarding this matter, your recruiter might ask you these:
- Why do you want to work remotely?
- Do you have previous experience working from home?
- How will you manage to keep contact and coordinate with your colleagues to ensure the work gets done?
There will be more questions related to these. However, it may vary according to the type of job, the work schedule and field, and many other elements.
4.4. Improve your technological skills before the interview
Take into account that your recruiter will probably evaluate your technological skills during the interview, along with many other characteristics. Therefore, practice and improve these skills to show a more professional profile, great knowledge, and efficient skill development. There are many ways you can show your recruiter these skills, including:
- Showing your portfolio or previous reviews.
- Preparing visual content to make the interview more dynamic.
- Showing your past projects.
- In case you have a professional website, it would be a useful tool to show.
If you have any other useful material related to your previous experiences, use it to show your strengths and skills. Apart from it, remember to set up your place for the interview and show a professional image, which includes removing distractions, using a high-quality camera, finding a spot with enough light, and many other details.
5. How can Connect Resources help you?
Whether you are an employer or an employee, you always need to have a plan B ready, and Connect Resources offers you many services to make improvements in your business or career. We can give you professional advice to help you develop the skills you need to ace a remote interview successfully or for any other situation related.
In case you are managing a company, you can leave the recruitment task for us. With our recruitment services, you will not need to spend your time interviewing new candidates. Besides, we will make sure you get the best candidates for your company according to its requirements and needs.
If you are looking for HR consultancy services, the Connect Resources team will provide you with excellent business strategies and the results you need to make your company more efficient and profitable. Among the services it includes, you can find employee fulfillment, workforce strategic development, guidance on salary, compensation, and benefits, and more.
Would you like to contact Connect Resources to learn more about remote interviews and its advantages for you as an employer or employee? You can call at +971 433 166 88 or send an email to contact@connectresources.ae, and you will talk to one of their representatives that will gladly answer all of your questions.
