With this being said, the function of businesses needs to reconvene as usual. Businesses still need to interview and onboard candidates. Although, for the safety of both candidates and employees, this will be done remotely.

Besides getting over a few technical glitches and frozen faces on video conferencing calls, businesses need to consider how they can appropriately interview candidates in the most effective and efficient way. Whether it’s establishing clear communication channels, being extra prepared for the interviews or keeping in close contact with candidates throughout the remote interview stages, there’s a few things businesses should implement when interviewing remotely. To help, we have compiled a list of the top tips for remote interviews.

Establish appropriate communication channels 

When interviewing candidates face-to-face, employees will be able to quickly gauge the individual’s personality based on first impressions. Unfortunately, remote interviews can form a barrier and prevent companies from gaining an understanding as to whether this candidate is desirable for the job role itself. Social cues such as body language and facial expressions are hindered during remote interviews, which can typically make or break a candidate under normal face-to-face interviews, making the remote hiring process that bit more difficult to narrow down.

Consequently, establishing a clear line of communication is integral for a successful remote interview. A company should consider the different types of remote tools they should use to hire candidates at the different interview stages. For example, a phone interview could be a great hiring communication tool at the first stage, to quickly narrow the candidate pool down. For the later stages of the interviewing process, technological tools that facilitate video conferences with multiple people may be your best option. Platforms such as Zoom or Microsoft teams are useful for this, as you will be able to see the candidates facial expressions and hand gestures as well as having a few members of your team on the call too to help interview the candidate. 

Wondering how to conduct a remote interview?

Be prepared and plan your interview meticulously

As with anything, planning is key to a successful interview. Structuring your interview with the main objective and key questions is important for remote interviews. Not being able to see the candidates and freely speak to them in an unscripted and naturalistic way can be hard for both college and candidates alike. Consequently, having a template of questions to ask can ensure that the conversation runs smoothly and avoids awkward delays, whilst still being able to assess whether the individual has the necessary skillset and experience to fill the job role. 

Top tip: start with the more simple and friendly questions to allow the candidate to open up and feel at ease. This will allow you to establish a rapport and bridge that gap that is prototypical of remote interviewing. 

At this stage, it is also really important to be prepared with who you want in the interview too. Now that you have to onboard remotely, you have to be selective about who can join the call/ meeting with you. It’s no longer the case that one of your colleagues joins mid-interview. Most platforms facilitate 4 people max (unless you pay for pro), so pick the best colleagues based on the job role. 

In light of this, the interview team should be prepared about who is asking what questions and in what order. It can be very easy to talk over one another when on conference lines, which can cause confusion and disrupt the flow of communication. Make sure you all have a structure and attempt to stick to it as much as possible. Obviously, there will be deviations, but having a structure in place can help facilitate a smooth remote interview process. 

Keep in contact with your candidates 

Working, interviewing, or even living remotely has its challenges. It can be very isolating (pardon the pun) to be stuck at home. This is only exacerbated by the current job market, which carries with it much uncertainty for candidates. 

Consequently, it is important for you as an employer to stay in contact with your candidates and update them about the interviewing process. Let them know when they should expect a callback, or when the next stage of the interviews will be held. Keeping them in the dark can sometimes cause more damage than necessary, planting a seed of doubt in their minds – a damaging proposition if that candidate was someone you really liked! 

Be communicative and provide feedback. If there is a delay for any reason, check in with your candidate to let them know you are interested but need some more time and give them a realistic time frame.

Be prepared

In light of this, it may be useful to create a pre-onboarding process for your new starter, presenting them with a digital welcome package that can be easily circulated via email or host on a shared digital drive. Do this a few weeks before they are due to start. This may seem self-explanatory, however, there is a large proportion of companies that do not have these facilities in place. While 63% of employers have staff working remotely due to COVID-19, only 43% have remote company policies in place. In order to facilitate the changing work landscape, you should prioritize creating one. 

The welcome packages should cover your companies policies and guidelines, so they know what is expected from them within their new role, allowing them to digest key information about your business. You should also set out an itinerary for them for the first few weeks, with each day broken down and structured into morning and afternoon tasks. 

The welcome packages should also contain a main point of contact. If your company facilitates a ‘work buddy’ or mentoring process, make sure to include this within the welcome package too, so that they can reach out to the prospective person prior to starting. 

The pre-onboarding stage is also a key opportunity to ensure all the tech requirements are in place. If the employee requires a work laptop, phone or various office equipment, make sure to send this over with ample time to set up their remote workplace. Given the nature of the government guidelines concerning COVID-19, deliveries may take longer than usual, so preparing in advance safeguards you from delayed delivery slots. 

Set up all the necessary technology 

Once the pre-onboarding process is complete, it is essential that your new starter has the necessary technological requirements expected to do the job role itself. 

A desk, chair and computer is a prerequisite for most office employees when they join a new company. However, those candidates working remotely may not have this in their home. The pre-onboarding process should clarify what the new starter has and doesn’t have, which is then the responsibility of the employer to complete an ergonomic check and accommodate their technological needs. 

It may be useful to set a budget for each remote worker when setting up a new home office. Present them with a list of office essentials.

Additionally, if you have a dedicated software specific to your company, make sure the candidate has access to a person who can set this up for them, as well as assist them in navigating the software. This can be organised as a set of meetings or in the shape of a dedicated online portal. Zoom / ringcentral or Microsoft team meetings are useful platforms to do this, as they have a function where you can share your desktop screen. It’s also free, saving your company money! 

Set up an onboarding buddy/ mentor 

As aforementioned, if your company facilitates a ‘mentoring’ style of learning, then this can be an extremely useful way of onboarding a client remotely. In addition to providing extensive knowledge of the company, mentors can assist in facilitating the integration of a new starter within the company. They can act as a first-line of communication and can help with providing answers to the new employees’ questions. 

Unlike office culture, working from home can be lonely and in some cases (pardon the pun) an isolating experience. A work buddy / mentor can act as that friendly face and help the new starter be immersed within the business culture. 

Set up a clear line of communication 

By now, for those employees working remotely, your company will have established a line of communication to keep each worker connected. Skype, Zoom and Microsoft Teams have been integral platforms for a number of businesses to stay in touch and maintain usual business practice expected within the usual office environment. 

While a new starter should have received a  number of a specific person (i.e., HR manager) to contact during the onboarding process, other means of communication with a range of individuals within the company should be provided too. Setting up video conference calls with key members of the business is a priority during the onboarding process, as a way of decreasing any feelings of isolation. This will also help them understand the company ethos and gain a better feel of the company – understanding their brand values and how their role fits into the wider business strategies. They can also help build relationships with colleagues during various skype / zoom / microsoft teams conference calls. 

It is always good business practice to schedule check ins with the new starter on a regular basis. A tip would be to get a member of the team / manager / buddy to pencil time aside to communicate with the employees, to ensure they are clear on the tasks at hand. This also provides a perfect opportunity to assign tasks and give feedback on the work the new starter has completed. 

Make a memorable and lasting first impression as a business 

While it is essential that an employee makes a great first impression, it is just as important for this to be reciprocated by the company.  Indeed, 11 percent of individuals have changed their minds on a job role after being onboarded. Sending a warm welcome is essential to encourage and motivate your employers that they have made the right decision working for your company. Let them know how excited you are for them to join the company and reinforce this with regular contact from a multitude of individuals. 

Set up training programs 

Finally, make sure you set up a training program that will facilitate remote working. 

It is important that induction training is varied to keep your new starter entertained and motivated. Endless days of compliance training, for example, will not be motivating! Ensure that your company’s employee value proposition is central to your training and do your best to bring it to life and make it relevant to the individual. 

Make your training adaptable to the remote workplace. This could involve introductory videos about your business, team diagrams and short introductions to key personnel. The top tip would be to keep it varied and entertaining – refraining from a stagnant onboarding process. 

Final thoughts…

Employers on a global scale are now seeing the huge benefits of a remote workforce. Despite the current pandemic forcing employees to stay within the confinement of their own home, it is predicted that nearly 40% of employees will continue remote work even after the pandemic is over. And we can see why! Companies are saving money exponentially on business premises and can recruit on a national scale – particularly those employees who have had previous experience working from home. They do not need to focus on candidates in the locality, as remote work facilitates onboarding on a global scale. 

However, the trick is to ensure that your company is prepared for this. Being prepared and ready for remote working is essential to the functioning of your business. Follow these tips and you will be on the right tracks to onboarding amazing talent for your workplace. This is an investment that will surely pay off!