Hiring remote candidates can feel risky compared to the way we’re more comfortable with. After all, if you can’t speak to someone in person, how can you know how they really are?

Unfortunately, the truth is that even in-person interviews don’t give you as much information about a candidate as we wish they did. People can be good at hiding their flaws until we get stuck with them.

The good news is that there are ways to find out some of these essential details before you make a hiring decision. Here is what you can do.

Use a Pre-Interview Questionnaire to Save Interview Time

Our pre-interview questionnaires are a great tool that can give you an in-depth understanding of each candidate without having to do pre-screening interviews. That means you can evaluate more candidates in far less time.

More candidates mean that you have a better chance of choosing the one that’s right for your position and your company. Our questionnaires are easy to use and customize. Choose from our library of questions, write your own, or use one of our pre-created templates. 

A pre-interview questionnaire allows you to only interview the candidates that are the best fit for the position. It can dramatically lower your time-to-hire, helping you snag high-demand candidates before your competitors can make an offer.

Don’t Skip References

Some HR departments are tempted to skip references as a way to speed up the hiring process. Unfortunately, this can lead to hiring less-than-ideal candidates and costing the company tens of thousands of dollars.

Are references worth it? They can be, if done correctly. It’s all about finding efficient ways to ask the right questions — and that’s where automated reference checks come in.

You can send an email directly to the reference asking specific questions about job performance and skills. Consider asking specific questions about situations like you would do in an interview. You can include something like, “Describe a time when Sam had to manage a difficult coworker. What happened?” Or, you can ask about specific work experience, like times they handled projects or used specific software.

With less in-person interaction in the interview process, these references are vital to avoiding someone who is the wrong fit.

Take Advantage of Video

One of the things we miss most when we don’t have an in-person interview is the ability to gauge someone’s body language, attitude, and professionalism. Fortunately, video interviews can make a huge difference in this area.

Video interviews are a great way to get the non-verbal cues that we look for in person, but they also serve another important purpose — ensuring that the candidate has the right environment, software, and internet connection to do remote work for your company. 

If you’re hiring someone who isn’t going to work in the office, you can tell a lot about their work environment and focus using video. You can also ask questions about their remote work history and what they do to manage communication and relationships. 

Hire Remotely With Confidence

With all of the changes in today’s workplace, you need a way to hire remotely with confidence. By taking the steps we’ve outlined above, you’re well on your way to making the right choices for your company under any conditions.

We make it easy for you to use pre-interview questionnaires and automated reference checks without being locked into a contract. Ready to get started? Get free credits today!

Gary Kirksey – CEO

Hiringcue.com

The Latest Articles