From interviewing to onboarding to your first day, you’re probably doing all of it remotely. Virtual interviews are job interviews that don’t take place in person. Typically, interviewers use videoconferencing tools to see and speak with remote candidates.

We’ve compiled a comprehensive list of tools to help you run a virtual workplace. A hiring freeze – whether it’s due to a global crisis like COVID-19 or internal company processes – is an uncomfortable situation. Since you can rarely say for sure when the hiring process will start again, it’s best to be honest about it and show empathy towards candidates. Ryan Malone, founder and CEO at SmartBug Media, says that reluctance to use some of those tools is often a matter of confidence. So, he encourages supporting employees who feel less tech-savvy through mentorship, small videos, exercises and small wins where they can build momentum.

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All info is shared with the team leader of the team we’re hiring for. We decide together if the candidate passes to a second technical interview. For some roles, like support, the second interview is the last. For developer roles, the technical part involves two different interviews and a task to be delivered. We go through multiple rounds of video interviews, often with test projects incorporated into the hiring process. Because we work remotely and all of our meetings are video calls, this process accurately represents our day-to-day work style.

Currently, we hire locally and the interview is done in our office. We are prepared to do this in a Google Hangout or other virtual method as we continue to move forward with complete virtual hiring. And it’s always great to know that even a rejected candidate still has positive things to say about our process.

Prepare your candidates for virtual interviews.

The initial interview involved a Skype voice chat with the standard interview questions. The panel interview took place via Google Hangout and included existing team members. The questions were geared towards cultural fit and gave the team interview experience. We’re currently blending our previous hiring remote interview meaning process with the established process at Automattic. It’s the same process as office hires, except that we do video interviews rather than in person. This is one of the last stages in the recruitment process, and it’s a good chance for us to clarify our processes and for the applicant to ask us questions.

Don’t encourage the candidate to schedule in the middle of their night; this won’t be a good experience for them or you. Plus, doing so could create an unfair advantage for others interviewing for the same role at normal hours. Add 10 minutes into your calendar after your interviews to give you time to fill out a scorecard or write notes about the interview. If you don’t have back-to-back meetings, you should be able to handle this task within the hour. Even if you need to wait a bit, set a minimum agreement internally that feedback is documented the same day as the interview.

Glassdoor Interview Reviews

As a business manager, you need a close-knit team to grow and expand your company. Hiring in virtual teams isn’t only about skills and expertise but also about sharing ethics and vision. While someone who fits your company culture can increase productivity and enthusiasm, bad hires are expensive, drain energies, kill productivity, and, in the long run,  drag the company down. I’m really grateful for Intuit’s final round interview process.

So while the remote jobs you’re pursuing may be very similar to in-office roles you’ve had in the past, working from home requires a different work style. There is usually one hiring manager who leads the process and does all/most of the CV reviews and screening calls. We spend time on both culture and values click as well as professional ability.

Next, a portion of the applicants are chosen to take assessments to demonstrate their skills. For software engineers, for example, we give them a sample project– a problem or project we have personally had to work through at Crossover. They are given three days to complete this, and it usually takes about 10 hours. Next, they are interviewed by several people, and they are finally offered the job. It’s not an easy process by any means, but it means that our contractors really are the best of the best.

Today, we conduct telephone and webcam interviews with potential candidates. We have a full time Recruitment Manager, and a weekly recruiting meeting with the Executive team and relevant Directors to discuss current hiring needs. Our Manager vets resumes based on direction from our discipline leaders (seeking a second opinion where necessary), and performs a short minute video chat culture interview with those who make the first cut. If that goes well, and the relevant Director is still onboard, we vet samples and / or conduct a couple of practice exercises (depending in part on the role, in part on the availability and quality of samples).

Who stands to benefit from creating a remote hiring process.

This allows us to see how we work with this person in a true work environment and allows them to experience what it’s like working with us. It’s a really great way for potential employees to know if they love working our hours, with our team, etc., or if there are parts (e.g., GMT time requirement) that are too difficult given their lifestyle. Once we’ve gathered a talented pool of candidates for the role, we enter the review and interview phase. While reviewing candidates, we have everyone involved in the hiring process leave notes on every application. The applicant also does a short, paid trial with us so that we can both experience how it is to work together and if there’s a good fit.