A job interview helps you narrow your list of candidates and pinpoint the best person to hire for each vacancy. However, filling out positions means you’ll have to carry out the screening online. The objective may be the same, but the process varies now that it has to be done via the internet.

There are factors that you can quickly and easily notice when you’re speaking with a person directly, such as their level of confidence or sincerity. You may miss how their feet keep on fidgeting, for instance, since all you can see is their face or upper body.

Or, you may overlook how they take so long to respond to your questions as they excuse the delays as a problem with the connection. Either or all of these may signify issues that you’ll suffer through if you choose them mistakenly.

To know how to conduct a job interview that’s both comprehensive and effective, consider the tips we share below for guidance:

Agree on a schedule

Unlike with a traditional interview where you wait for the person to show up at your office, you’ll have to make arrangements with the candidate through email.

Just know that most remote workers are in a different time zone so you’ll have to double-check if they’re awake or online on the day and time you prefer. They may request that you have the video call at a specific time when their workspace is quiet.

Inform them of requirements

Make it clear that you’ll be conducting an interview and get them to prepare accordingly. You might require a web camera with high resolution; Zoom or Skype (or any other video chat software) already installed; a neat and clean background; and a well-lit space.

Understand that your interviewee may need some time to get all these ready; hence, tell them of the specifics as early as you can.

Understand the position

Identify the responsibilities and duties of the job they’re applying for, as well as the abilities, skills, and knowledge needed to perform them. When you’re aware of the selection criteria, you can prepare objective questions that will thoroughly evaluate the remote virtual assistant candidate’s suitability for the work and their potential to succeed.

Organise your questions

If you have the list of attributes that you’re looking for in an offshore assistant employee as suggested above, you must next prepare what you’ll be asking them during the interview.

Make sure that these questions are open-ended so you can dig for more details with ease. Examples include “Why did you leave your last job?” or “What kind of role are you most comfortable with?”

Put them at ease

Have and maintain a friendly demeanour all throughout the job interview. This will help the applicant relax and encourage them to talk more naturally.

Make eye contact even if it’s through video and find a shared topic to break the ice. However, be careful about small talk that can lead to discriminatory topics such as political beliefs, ethnic groups or marital status.

Spend more time listening

Remember that the video call is about the virtual assistant offshore candidate and not you, so be attentive. You can provide insight about the business, the job and the team, but limit your own time for talking.

Allot a period for the candidate to ask you questions at the end of the interview rather than abruptly end it. If you’d like, you may even ask them for suggestions on how to conduct a job interview better in the future.

Document the interview

One of the main advantages of an online job interview over a traditional one is that documentation is far more convenient. Skype, for instance, has a function that lets you record video or even voice calls with a simple click of a button.

You can then review the file to see if there’s any information that you missed. Don’t forget to jot down notes on your computer or on a paper pad for cross-checking too.

Involve others

For positions which will report to a supervisor or manager under you, you can choose to include the leader or authority figure in the interview.

For instance, if the interview is for the position of copy writer, have the content manager, operations manager and maybe an editor present in the call as well. This enables your leaders to ask more job-specific questions and assess if the candidate will fit into their team.

What Comes Next

Now that you know how to conduct a job interview more effectively, you’re ready to schedule one with a remote virtual assistant candidate. For best results, evaluate the qualifications and potential of each applicant properly and without any bias.

Working with Remote Workmate removes many of the steps involved in recruiting a remote assistant. We’ll put up listings and screen candidates for you before we endorse the best ones. All you have to do is interview them, then choose.