By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. View our Privacy Policy for more information.
Media & appearances
No items found.

Best Practices for Remote Hiring

Upgrade your technology, refine your interview process, actively listen, and more.

TOC
...
Table of Contents
Read More

Anna Shvets/Pexels

Table of contents
By
Matt Hoffman
Matt Hoffman
By M13 Team
Link copied.
April 19, 2020
|

2 min

As remote hiring becomes more mainstream, it’s important to take a closer look at your processes around recruiting, interviewing, and hiring. It’s also possible that you may end up hiring someone who you’ve never met in person, which can be a challenging decision for both sides.

While nothing may fully replace in-person conversations, here are some ways that you can adapt to make the hiring experience more efficient and empathetic for everyone:

Upgrade your tech stack now

Leverage technology where you can for the initial screening of applications, and make sure you have a first-rate applicant tracking system (ATS) to capture candidate data and feedback.

When working remotely, it’s even more important to have all the information for each candidate readily online. Systems we like include Greenhouse and Lever.

During the interview phase, any sort of tech failure can make you and your company look sloppy, and decrease the time recruiters and hiring managers have to evaluate each candidate. It will lead to poor data for you as interviewers and a mediocre candidate experience. To avoid this outcome, make sure to answer the following questions:

1

Is your internet connection strong?

2

Is the interview room clean and presentable?

3

Does the interviewer have the interview information, including the time, date, and links?

Zoom is recommended for video conferencing and interviewing. Get a Pro account for longer meetings and dedicated addresses.

Everytimezone is a great tool for coordinating different time zones.

For those who are hiring engineers and need to manage the technical piece of the interview, look for tools that allow you to show the code and collaboratively whiteboard together while still keeping a video connection active. Here are some tools we recommend:

  • Coderpad: Designed specifically for this purpose and used by many top companies
  • Invision: Their Freehand application is basic, lightweight and easy to use for most teams
  • Hackerrank: Robust end-to-end application for hiring developers

    Once you’ve made your hire, there are some great tools to support remote onboarding. Consider using Sapling to automatize your process from a distance.

Be thoughtful about choosing your interview team

Even more so with remote sessions than in person, be mindful of overall time commitment. If possible, limit the number of interviewers to the core team. Three is a good number——research has shown that there are diminishing returns for each individual interviewer after a certain point.

Have each person focus on one area (examples for engineering: coding, design, general problem-solving skills, role-related knowledge, empathy) using behavioral interviewing. Prep them beforehand on the types of questions that will be most predictive of success.

Keep the process structured and repeatable——this is even more important in a remote environment where the team is not in the same space.

Take the time to document all feedback immediately after the interview while it’s fresh. When everyone is remote, that written feedback becomes even more critical.

Pro Tip

If your standard interviews are 45 minutes, block 60 minutes on your calendar and use 15 minutes for writing feedback.

Overcommunicate and actively listen

Remember that you’ll be missing out on opportunities for non-verbal communication, so look for ways to emphasize verbal cues. Overemote and look for ways to build connections.

When communicating over text or Slack with candidates, feel free to use emojis liberally. They add needed context and emotion to the content of your communication. Don’t just simply hand out communications tools, and expect employees to know how to use them. Provide a clear communications protocol and training for all interviewers.

Phone and video interviews can be more difficult to show you’re truly listening to someone. Here are some tips to help you actively listen:

Because it increases a connection and provides a strong presence, use video, instead of audio. Look into the camera to show you’re listening.

Give someone the appropriate amount of time to respond after you ask a question. A few seconds of “lag time” are fine. As with in-person interviews, the interviewee may need time to get her thoughts together prior to responding.

Close out the interview professionally

Always make sure the candidate understands the next step(s). During a period of heightened anxiety, helping them understand what to expect makes a big difference.

Will they be receiving a follow-up call from the hiring manager or recruiter?

Will they be having another Zoom interview?

The hiring manager needs to communicate the follow-up plan with every interviewer, and this must be articulated clearly to the candidates at the end of each interview.

Assess what you can do differently or better

In this time of turbulence, stick with the proven basics. Think more about tightening up your process versus changing things altogether. Remember: A good interview process should be channel agnostic and as long as you’re creating a bias-free way to collect data, connect with the candidate, and share feedback, you’re off to a great start. But the following will enhance the process when hiring remotely:

Skip the phone screen, and go straight to video. This will save time and get you both better candidate data and create a better employer brand experience.

Overcommunicate when using technology.

Tighten up your tech stack. You can get away with a more casual on-site interview but not on video.

Choose your interview team wisely—no more than three interviewers.

Consider hiring for potential rather than experience.

Given that recruiting, interviewing, and hiring can be stressful and time-consuming for everyone, we hope these tips can help you adapt to the new world of remote hiring.

Resources we love

Building Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Into Your Startup

Discover how to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies that can make a difference.

8 min to read


A 5-Step Guide to Startup Recruiting and Hiring

Here’s how creating an efficient, fair, and scalable interview process can help you recruit top talent.

12 min to read


This article was co-authored by Homebrew Ventures’ Head of Talent Beth Scheer.

As remote hiring becomes more mainstream, it’s important to take a closer look at your processes around recruiting, interviewing, and hiring. It’s also possible that you may end up hiring someone who you’ve never met in person, which can be a challenging decision for both sides.

While nothing may fully replace in-person conversations, here are some ways that you can adapt to make the hiring experience more efficient and empathetic for everyone:

Upgrade your tech stack now

Leverage technology where you can for the initial screening of applications, and make sure you have a first-rate applicant tracking system (ATS) to capture candidate data and feedback.

When working remotely, it’s even more important to have all the information for each candidate readily online. Systems we like include Greenhouse and Lever.

During the interview phase, any sort of tech failure can make you and your company look sloppy, and decrease the time recruiters and hiring managers have to evaluate each candidate. It will lead to poor data for you as interviewers and a mediocre candidate experience. To avoid this outcome, make sure to answer the following questions:

1

Is your internet connection strong?

2

Is the interview room clean and presentable?

3

Does the interviewer have the interview information, including the time, date, and links?

Zoom is recommended for video conferencing and interviewing. Get a Pro account for longer meetings and dedicated addresses.

Everytimezone is a great tool for coordinating different time zones.

For those who are hiring engineers and need to manage the technical piece of the interview, look for tools that allow you to show the code and collaboratively whiteboard together while still keeping a video connection active. Here are some tools we recommend:

  • Coderpad: Designed specifically for this purpose and used by many top companies
  • Invision: Their Freehand application is basic, lightweight and easy to use for most teams
  • Hackerrank: Robust end-to-end application for hiring developers

    Once you’ve made your hire, there are some great tools to support remote onboarding. Consider using Sapling to automatize your process from a distance.

Be thoughtful about choosing your interview team

Even more so with remote sessions than in person, be mindful of overall time commitment. If possible, limit the number of interviewers to the core team. Three is a good number——research has shown that there are diminishing returns for each individual interviewer after a certain point.

Have each person focus on one area (examples for engineering: coding, design, general problem-solving skills, role-related knowledge, empathy) using behavioral interviewing. Prep them beforehand on the types of questions that will be most predictive of success.

Keep the process structured and repeatable——this is even more important in a remote environment where the team is not in the same space.

Take the time to document all feedback immediately after the interview while it’s fresh. When everyone is remote, that written feedback becomes even more critical.

Pro Tip

If your standard interviews are 45 minutes, block 60 minutes on your calendar and use 15 minutes for writing feedback.

Overcommunicate and actively listen

Remember that you’ll be missing out on opportunities for non-verbal communication, so look for ways to emphasize verbal cues. Overemote and look for ways to build connections.

When communicating over text or Slack with candidates, feel free to use emojis liberally. They add needed context and emotion to the content of your communication. Don’t just simply hand out communications tools, and expect employees to know how to use them. Provide a clear communications protocol and training for all interviewers.

Phone and video interviews can be more difficult to show you’re truly listening to someone. Here are some tips to help you actively listen:

Because it increases a connection and provides a strong presence, use video, instead of audio. Look into the camera to show you’re listening.

Give someone the appropriate amount of time to respond after you ask a question. A few seconds of “lag time” are fine. As with in-person interviews, the interviewee may need time to get her thoughts together prior to responding.

Close out the interview professionally

Always make sure the candidate understands the next step(s). During a period of heightened anxiety, helping them understand what to expect makes a big difference.

Will they be receiving a follow-up call from the hiring manager or recruiter?

Will they be having another Zoom interview?

The hiring manager needs to communicate the follow-up plan with every interviewer, and this must be articulated clearly to the candidates at the end of each interview.

Assess what you can do differently or better

In this time of turbulence, stick with the proven basics. Think more about tightening up your process versus changing things altogether. Remember: A good interview process should be channel agnostic and as long as you’re creating a bias-free way to collect data, connect with the candidate, and share feedback, you’re off to a great start. But the following will enhance the process when hiring remotely:

Skip the phone screen, and go straight to video. This will save time and get you both better candidate data and create a better employer brand experience.

Overcommunicate when using technology.

Tighten up your tech stack. You can get away with a more casual on-site interview but not on video.

Choose your interview team wisely—no more than three interviewers.

Consider hiring for potential rather than experience.

Given that recruiting, interviewing, and hiring can be stressful and time-consuming for everyone, we hope these tips can help you adapt to the new world of remote hiring.

Resources we love

Building Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Into Your Startup

Discover how to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies that can make a difference.

8 min to read


A 5-Step Guide to Startup Recruiting and Hiring

Here’s how creating an efficient, fair, and scalable interview process can help you recruit top talent.

12 min to read


This article was co-authored by Homebrew Ventures’ Head of Talent Beth Scheer.

No items found.

Read more

No items found.

The views expressed here are those of the individual M13 personnel quoted and are not the views of M13 Holdings Company, LLC (“M13”) or its affiliates. This content is for general informational purposes only and does not and is not intended to constitute legal, business, investment, tax or other advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters and should not act or refrain from acting on the basis of this content. This content is not directed to any investors or potential investors, is not an offer or solicitation and may not be used or relied upon in connection with any offer or solicitation with respect to any current or future M13 investment partnership. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Unless otherwise noted, this content is intended to be current only as of the date indicated. Any projections, estimates, forecasts, targets, prospects, and/or opinions expressed in these materials are subject to change without notice and may differ or be contrary to opinions expressed by others. Any investments or portfolio companies mentioned, referred to, or described are not representative of all investments in funds managed by M13, and there can be no assurance that the investments will be profitable or that other investments made in the future will have similar characteristics or results. A list of investments made by funds managed by M13 is available at m13.co/portfolio.