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Remote interviewing is here to stay as the pandemic and its evolving offshoot, The Great Resignation, continue to reshape the modern workplace. Today’s job seekers aren’t just looking to increase their paychecks. They also seek flexibility, well-being and a workplace culture that aligns with their own values and sensibilities. Interviews that delve into these topics can provide both parties with valuable information about whether a prospective employee is likely to feel fulfilled and engaged in a particular organization. We absolutely can have these conversations face-to-face, even when we’re not in the same physical room. The author presents eight tips for employers looking to master the medium to identify top remote talent.
As companies scramble to fill a record number of remote job vacancies, the internet is full of advice for candidates looking to stand out from the crowd while confined to a Zoom box.
But what about the employers on the other side of the link? For them, “cracking the code” of remote interviewing is just as critical. Bad hiring decisions cost money and sap morale. Without the multitude of data points only available in person—the feel of a handshake, the way the energy in the room changes when a candidate walks in—employers must develop new strategies to gauge whether someone is a good fit.
Remote interviewing is here to stay as the pandemic and its evolving offshoot, The Great Resignation, continue to reshape the modern workplace. Here are some tips for employers looking to master the medium to identify top remote talent.
Focus on emotional intelligence.
We often make hiring decisions on skills and intelligence — or our perception of a candidate’s IQ. But emotional intelligence, or EQ, is often more important to success in the workplace. In a time of immense uncertainty, when workplaces announce grand reopening plans one day and suddenly reverse them the next, EQ is perhaps more important than ever. EQ determines one’s ability to connect with others, roll with the punches, navigate difficult situations with grace, and “read the room” (which is especially difficult when it comes to a Zoom room).
When conducting a virtual interview, it can be tempting to discount the EQ aspect, as it seems like a quality best assessed in person. But this can lead to incorrect decision-making. As you refine your interview questions, think about what each one can tell you about a person’s EQ. Here are some of my favorites:
- If you were starting a company tomorrow, what would its greatest values be?
- Tell me about a workplace conflict you were involved in, either with your colleagues or with someone else in the company. How did you manage this conflict and were you able to resolve it?
- If you previously reported to multiple executives at the same time, how did you manage to get to know each person’s preferences and juggle conflicting priorities?
- Tell me about a time when you received feedback on your performance and disagreed with the feedback. How did you handle the situation?
- What inspires you?
Lean into the intimacy of the screen.
There is a lot of hand-wringing about all that is lost when screens mediate our interactions. But there is a certain intimacy that screens can actually facilitate. During a remote interview, the interviewer and the interviewee sit inches apart. The screen creates a sense of psychological safety that can allow people to open up more than they might in person. Employers can rely on this phenomenon to attract candidates faster. One client, a head of school at a premier independent school, told me that at the start of a remote interview, “I immediately go to the interviewee’s story—where they’re from, their family, what makes them tick.”
Get to know the challenges of the pandemic for real.
Classic interview question: “What is your biggest weakness?” Classic answer: “I work too much!” The current predicament offers an opportunity to break out of that familiar posture. We’ve all faced a huge array of challenges over the past year and a half, and it’s possible to learn a lot about someone by examining how they’ve dealt with the turbulence of the pandemic. Ask a question like, “What was the biggest challenge you faced during Covid and how did you overcome it?” Then look for signs that the answer you’re getting is authentic: Does the candidate pause to think about the question , do you take a moment to think? Does their facial expression match the tone of their voice?
Note reactions to distraction.
It can happen to any of us: the doorbell rings, a dog barks, a child cries, or an emergency phone call is received during a remote interview. If this happens, consider it an opportunity to see another side of the candidate. Do they get confused and lose focus? Did they handle the interruption as gracefully as you would want them to in front of a client or colleague? If no such distractions arise during the interview, consider asking, “While working remotely, can you recall a time when something unexpected or distracting came up? What was that and how did you react?” Or put more bluntly: “Tell me about your worst Zoom nightmare. What happened and how did you react?’
Banish back to back.
It’s technically possible to cram in interviews without getting out of your chair. A client of mine — a senior partner at an employment law firm who has conducted many interviews — advises against it. “You need about 10 minutes between each interview to get up, move around a bit, and capture thoughts and impressions,” she says. “There are fewer differentiating factors to trigger your memory in video format, so write down your notes and impressions immediately.”
Expand your group (and add some diversions to the mix).
Remote interviewing reduces the risk of a bad interview. Why not take advantage of the environment to throw some unconventional candidates into the mix? Maybe it’s a candidate with roots in a completely different field who lacks the traditional prerequisites but has submitted a cover letter that’s bursting with energy. Maybe it’s a high-potential candidate who lives in another state or country. Maybe it’s even a candidate you’ve identified through TikTok resumes.
Prepare your candidates for success.
A client recently completed a successful job search that resulted in multiple offers. The company she chose excelled in several ways, including the interview process. Every time she interviewed someone, she received a detailed schedule with links to their biography. “What was most impressive is that before the interview they sent me a ‘how to prepare for a virtual interview’ sheet,” she told me. “This includes guidance on changing the Zoom background and how to troubleshoot. It really gave me the feeling that they wanted me to do well and that they supported me. Now that I’m with the company, I understand that they send this to every single applicant to create a fairer process and give everyone leg up.’
Remember that you are also interviewing.
As the above anecdote illustrates, top candidates are bound to receive multiple offers these days. How you, the interviewer, present yourself—how you dress, what appears in your background, and your own cadence, tone, and choice of interview questions—will determine how your prospective employees view your organization. So while these tips for a successful online interview may be aimed at the record number of job seekers out there, they’re becoming increasingly relevant to those extending offers.
Today’s job seekers aren’t just looking to increase their paychecks. They also seek flexibility, well-being and a workplace culture that aligns with their own values and sensibilities. Interviews that delve into these topics can provide both parties with valuable information about whether a prospective employee is likely to feel fulfilled and engaged in a particular organization. We absolutely can have these conversations face-to-face, even when we’re not in the same physical room.
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