When it comes to interviewing potential remote employees, the interview handbook must be thrown out completely. Along with the fact that these individuals won’t be with you in the room, most of the questions asked during the interview will be vastly different than that of an on-site worker. Here are a few things to keep in mind when interviewing potential employees for a remote position.

Outline Expectations

One of the most common mistakes made by business leaders is not outlining their expectations for their remote workers. Thus, when people are brought on board, they are labeled lazy or not skilled enough when the issues are often that they simply don’t have direction from their management team. Take the time to understand what you want out of your remote workers, and lead from there.

It’s the Little Things

During an interview, an applicant’s skills and experience shouldn’t be the only things you should pay attention to. Dig deeper into the little things, such as integrity, motivation to work, and knowledge of your company. Those willing to research what your company is doing will no doubt provide you with the best quality work.

Temporary Meeting Space

One of the challenges when it comes to hiring remote workers is just that—they are remote and, thus, cannot come to your place of business to be interviewed. Experts advise that a virtual office can provide a temporary interview space. A virtual space won’t only allow you to connect with the person being interviewed, but it also will allow you to add extra elements to the interview, such as examples of applicants’ past work or demonstrations on your end. The quality and speed of connecting with people during a remote interview can provide you with either a negative or positive impression of their work.

Team Involvement

Bringing a new person into your organization can really shake things up, for the better or for the worse. Therefore, one of the best ways to make sure that your new remote worker is going to fit in is to include your team in the interview process. Allow them to ask questions or raise concerns. Doing so will provide you with the best possible outcome.

Hiring remote workers has become a very popular strategy for most companies. There are benefits, but in order to truly have a favorable outcome, you must be prepared. Adhere to the tips listed above to begin implementing these strategies into your own interview process.

You might also be interested in this article: What Factors to Consider When Hiring a Remote Employee