It looks as though remote work will become increasingly common, even as vaccines are rolled out and COVID-19 restrictions ease. And as you hire, whether it’s in person or from a distance, cultural fit cannot be overlooked. In fact, in many ways, it’s more important than ever – as not everyone is conveniently located under the same brick-and-mortar roof anymore.
When hiring remotely, you need to find candidates who can not only do the job while working from home or elsewhere, but also are aligned with your company’s mission, vision and culture.
It’s a tall order … but with a few – five to be exact – tips to help keep you on track, you’ve got this!
1. When interviewing candidates, ask relevant questions.
Ask questions that incite candidates to reveal details about their personalities, preferences, and work styles.
- Hypothetical scenarios tend to work well. Paint a picture of a situation, project, or challenge and ask an applicant what they would do if presented with it. Their response should provide insight into how they problem solve, rally a team together, and think outside the box.
- Find out how a person would work independently. Don’t forget this one. It takes on a whole new level of importance when it comes to remote work.
2. Pay attention to the answers.
Use a candidate’s responses to translate what they say into whether or not they would be a good cultural fit. This boils down to active listening.
- Let them do most of the talking. Nod, paraphrase what they have said to indicate that you truly heard and understood it, and avoid interrupting.
- Don’t stop at an initial answer unless you’re completely satisfied. Dig as deep as you need for additional information, clarification, and context.
3. Assess responses objectively.
Interviewing teams sometimes tend to romanticize or play up roles as they try to fill them. To accurately evaluate a candidate’s cultural fit, all interviewers should think realistically about what a role entails day to day, the team dynamics involved, and how your company as a whole is run. Then, place an applicant’s responses in this context.
4. Psychometric insights.
Leverage psychometric assessments to learn more about a candidate’s work style and preferences, what motivates them, and the type of environment in which they are most likely to thrive.
- Psychometric evaluations can also provide further insight into a candidate’s competencies. This is a further barometer of how well a person will fit your culture and be a successful remote worker.
5. Focus on communications.
When working remotely, communication looks and feels different – on both ends. But, it’s just as important and effective.
- Nonverbal communication speaks volumes. You can tell a lot about a person from their mannerisms, way of speaking, posture, and other body language. Put video interviewing tactics to use for you in this regard.
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