Remote Recruitment Process – what is a remote interview?
How has it all begun for us?
Before I dive into details of the remote recruitment process, I must admit that, like most companies, in the beginning, we carried out the traditional recruitment on a stationary basis. However, quite soon it became obvious that it was not so efficient.
We were building a remote team after all, so there was no specific geographic territory that we must limit ourselves to. For example, if the company is situated somewhere in Paris, it is challenging to have a recruitment meeting in Berlin. It also is complicated because of all the paperwork, the wages there, and the characteristics of the given area. Apart from this, we quickly realised how much effort it takes, including travelling and renting offices. That is why we digitalised the whole process just one year from the start. It has been fully remote since then, and I must say that it was one of our best business decisions yet.
So what are the pros of the remote recruitment process?
- Significant increase of applications, thus a wide selection of applicants,
- Time savings, e.g. due to the lack of travel for in-person recruitment
- Cost savings, e.g. as now we need only software, we get rid of the office spending,
- Access to better-qualified specialists, as now we do not limit ourselves to the given geographic territory,
- Remote recruitment process that allows us to assess how the given candidate will fit the fully remote team,
- Interest increases – it used to be extraordinary to recruit a team remotely, so people apply only to see what it looks like.
Now I don’t think I have to persuade you anymore. Let’s get down to details then. At first glance, the remote recruitment process might look quite similar to the regular one. Firstly, you have to set up the right candidate profile and describe the position.
Then, we prepare a job ad, which we place on popular websites and social media. At this point, it is also good to prepare a preferable wage you are willing to provide. According to a recent study, adding a salary range to your offer increases interest by 75%. Okay, all set. We add our offer and let the process begin.
What’s next? How should we set up an online meeting with the candidates? What solutions should we use to connect?
There are a lot of reliable software solutions to carry out the whole process.
As Honne Group, we do not read CVs. We base our recruitment process on the form, which each candidate needs to fill out. It is worth noting that Honne’s recruitment process is based on an innovative method of identifying ideal candidates, developed by us and backed by years of preparation and experience. During this time, we made many mistakes, but thanks to them, we are sure now that it fits our needs.
Based on the in-depth analysis of the recruitment form, we invite the best candidates for a 1-on-1 meeting. We will inform this person by e-mail about the proceeding to the next recruitment stage. Here comes the first software we use on a daily basis. Calendly helps us find the best suitable date for a meeting and automatically sends us an invitation to Google Calendar. It also allows us to check the incoming applications for the interview.
We meet with candidates online. Therefore, it’s crucial to request a well-working audio set and camera. That is the necessary minimum for this meeting to be held and to enable proper assessment of our candidate. We use Zoom to connect, but nowadays, there are a lot of programs that work in the same way as Zoom.
The fast-speed Internet connection is as important as all of the factors mentioned.
In our case, it usually takes about 1 hour to complete the meeting. During this time, we ask candidates about their answers to the recruitment form, and we prepare a set of questions regarding their experience and personality. So we focus on the soft skills first, as we will focus on their hard skills in the following stages. At the end of the meeting, we inform candidates about the next phase of the recruitment process.
Usually, in 1-2 weeks from the interview, candidates receive a follow up on its outcome. However, if we are on the same wavelength, we reach out to the chosen person immediately and invite them for an initial trial period in the Honne Group.
To sum up, the remote recruitment process is an innovative solution that helps your business grow. It enables you to decrease your costs and increase the number of applications by qualified specialists. It’s a process relatively easy to implement and, after a few meetings, you will consider it as a must. If you don’t feel too confident about it, check out our HR service, and we will help you get through this.
