In most organisations, the hiring manager or human resource professional is in-charge of the initial phases of recruitment. Interviewing helps you know if the applicant has the necessary attitude and aptitude that suit the culture and needs of your company.
While people often talk about candidates preparing for the interview, the remote recruiter mustn’t sit on their laurels either. You are responsible for determining who has the most potential then vetting them to the next person who is in-charge.
What to ask when hiring remote assistants
The interview is when you gather knowledge about potential employees that you’re unable to get out of their resumes. Preparation is crucial in order to provide a good recruitment experience for every one of the applicants, and that includes having a standard set of questions ready.
To check if an individual has the following qualities, let us suggest a good question you might ask them during the interview.
Responsibility
No one is perfectly responsible but it’s hard to talk about this flaw. People want to leave the impression that they are responsible in anything and everything, even in minor assignments. Your goal is to help them relax so they may be honest in talking about themselves.
Start the conversation by mentioning a time when you failed yourself. This might be a situation where you weren’t able to show you were responsible and how things ended up. Ask the candidate to share about a similar experience in their personal or work life.
What to ask: What would prevent you from completing a task?
It’s inevitable for people to encounter this kind of situation. This makes it hard for them to answer with the typical ‘I’m always accountable for my work’. How they answer will inform you how they may act in the face of an unexpected challenge.
Self-motivation
You want to be sure that the candidate knows the difference between working in a physical office and working in a remote location, and if they are prepared for the latter.
What to ask: If you had the choice, would you work in an office or at home?
If all they’re able to say is that they don’t care as long as they’re able to work with you, you may not have the ideal applicant. You want to hire Filipino remote specialists so they must have an interest in working remotely and good reasons why this is the case.
Self-organisation
Since you’re hiring remote employees in other states or countries, pick someone who’s capable of managing their own personal and work schedules.
What to ask: What was the biggest project you came up with and how did you handle it?
People who are self-organised and self-motivated will easily answer this question, especially if they’re in the IT field. They are naturally interested in solving problems and taking responsibility for situations on their own. This is an excellent question to ask when you want someone who is driven and energetic.
Punctuality
The ideal virtual assistant remote is capable of submitting their assignments before or on the deadline, but this is hard to evaluate during a short interview. To check if an applicant possesses this trait, speak with their previous employers or clients plus ask them the right questions.
What to ask: Are you ready to adjust your schedule according to the different time zones?
Should your business have a specific working schedule, it’s a given that the person adhere to it when they get hired. If you’re allowing for some flexibility, pay attention to their thought process rather than the figures. It’s good news if the difference in office hours doesn’t go beyond three.
Open communication
Communication is a crucial part of cooperating and collaborating with a remote team. This happens naturally when you’re in a traditional office space as people bond during lunch breaks or after work, but this needs effort when people are based in different geographical locations.
Evaluate if the individual knows how to communicate with their colleagues and superiors virtually. There are always going to be lone wolves but it’s a problem if most of the members are like that. Avoid having an awkward working environment by ensuring chats are active.
What to ask: Who did you turn to when you ran into difficult problems?
This gives the person an impression that it’s okay to ask their superiors questions at your company. Additionally, it enables you to determine who they will respond or react under pressure. Depending on their answer, you’ll also know who to best assign as their mentor.
Where to hire Filipino remote specialists
Screening, interviewing, endorsing, and finally hiring someone for a remote team is a big challenge for many organisations today. This is why it’s popular to get help from a remote personal assistants agency. Not only does a staff remote agency save them the hassle but also the costs of recruitment.
We at Remote Workmate are a remote workers agency that has been in the business for years. We are connected to experienced and qualified virtual professionals in the Philippines and elsewhere. Our existing talent pool is large but we also conduct additional screenings to meet specific requirements.
Hire Filipino remote specialists for your team today. Click the button below to see how our staff remote agency can help you.
