Recruitment, whether face-to-face or remote, still relies on the same fundamentals and a delicate balance between assessment and seduction: asking the right questions to assess candidates' technical and behavioral skills, while making them want to join the company. However, remote recruitment has its own particularities in terms of communication, posture and organization of the process. In this article, we guide you through concrete practices and tools for conducting effective remote interviews.

What doesn't change

Remote recruitment is based on the same fundamentals as face-to-face recruitment: rigorously assessing candidates' skills, while making them want to join your company.

The first interviews: a decisive moment

At this stage of the process, videoconferencing or video calling is widely used and mastered by most managers and recruiters. At this stage of the process, it poses no problem and, above all, makes it possible to efficiently manage the volume of candidates to be interviewed. But beware: just because an interview is conducted remotely doesn't mean it should be taken lightly.

• Take care of your setting: it's just as important for the recruiter as it is for the candidate. Make sure your Internet connection is stable, and that your camera and microphone are of good quality. Set up in a calm environment, free from distractions, so that you can make the most of your conversation.
• Maintain a quality exchange: create a pleasant exchange: Even at a distance, initial interviews should remain warm and welcoming. Take the time to break the ice at the start of the session: a warm introduction and a few words about how the interview is going to unfold help to compensate for the coldness of the screen. Remember: first impressions are often the ones that stick.
• Prepare well: A successful interview requires rigorous preparation. Define the key information you want to gather and prepare precise questions to explore the candidate's technical and behavioral skills.

Feedback: an indispensable part of recruitment

Whether the interview took place remotely or face-to-face, post-interview feedback should be a systematic part of any recruitment process. They play a key role for two reasons:

• If the candidate refuses: giving feedback, even negative feedback, is a sign of respect. It's a mark of respect that shows your profile has been considered. Good, constructive feedback leaves a good impression and reinforces your company's image.
• If the process continues: offering comprehensive feedback, highlighting strengths and areas for improvement, helps the candidate to progress. It also gives you the opportunity to assess their ability to integrate your feedback into the next steps, and capitalize on their strengths.
  

Optimizing the remote candidate experience

Recruiting from a distance should never mean neglecting the candidate experience. On the contrary, it' s essential to make it as fluid and engaging as possible, even from behind a screen. This means taking care of every detail, from sending the first messages to the final interview. The objective of the candidate experience? To transform every exchange into a positive moment that reflects your company's culture and values. It's as much about enabling candidates to project themselves into their future working environment as it is about giving recruiters the elements they need to assess whether the "fit" is mutual.

Transmitting corporate culture

One of the greatest challenges of remote recruitment lies in your ability to convey the essence of your company's culture and what makes it unique, without having to resort to a physical visit to the premises, often the simplest and most meaningful way of getting to grips with it. But a few good practices can help you convey it very well: 

• Provide access to a library of immersive content, such as employee testimonials, event clips, team or process presentation videos, etc. These are invaluable for gaining a better understanding of your internal operations. These are invaluable for gaining a better understanding of your internal operations. 
• Share a culture book that goes into more detail about your values and how these are embodied in everyday behavior and processes.

Taking care of the videoconference interview

Videoconferencing is an essential tool for remote recruitment, offering flexibility and speed. However, when used incorrectly, it can undermine the quality of the exchange and give a negative image of the company. Here's how to turn these virtual interviews into quality moments.

• Create a comfortable setting: make sure the interview takes place in a distraction-free environment. Natural light, a neutral background and professional attire all contribute to an atmosphere conducive to discussion.
• Pace the interview: to keep the candidate's attention, structure the interview in a fluid, interactive way. Alternate between technical questions, discussions of past experience, and time for the candidate to speak, to make the exchange dynamic.

Validate the fit with the team

From a distance, assessing alignment with your values and working methods can be more complex:

• Multiply your contacts throughout the process: involving different people at each stage gives the candidate a complete picture of your culture and working environment. It also helps you to better assess their alignment with your values. Each exchange brings a different perspective, and the cross-fertilization of feedback between teams reinforces the reliability of your decision.

For the candidate: these interactions give a better idea of internal dynamics, company values and job-specific expectations.

• Organize a "fit" interview: schedule a meeting or video coffee with other members of the team or another team with whom the candidate will be working on a regular basis. The aim? To get to know each other better and, above all, to check that we'd like to work together on a day-to-day basis. Here, we're looking to recreate. The aim is to recreate, as far as possible, the informal interactions that would naturally occur in a face-to-face setting.
  

Assessing skills

At a distance, the assessment of skills, whether technical or behavioral, must be rigorous and adapted to digital tools. In an environment where face-to-face contact is being replaced by video exchanges, recruiters need to favor formats that enable skills to be tested effectively without meeting the candidate in person.

Suggest technical scenarios

Case studies and simulations remain an essential means of assessing candidates' technical and behavioral skills. These exercises allow us to judge their ability to solve concrete problems, while observing their methodology and soft skills. Here are a few examples of approaches that are particularly well-suited, even at a distance:

• Live problem solving: ask the candidate to solve a concrete case in real time, while sharing their screen.

How to do it: Provide a simple case, accompanied by the necessary documents via collaborative tools such as Google Drive, Notion or Miro.

Why it's effective: You can observe how the candidate thinks aloud, analyzes the problem, and structures his or her approach. It's an excellent way to assess rigor, creativity and stress management.

• Remote role-playing: many professions today involve interaction via videoconferencing. Take advantage of this format to set up realistic simulations.

Simulated customer call: the candidate has to manage a complex request or negotiate a contract.

Strategic presentation: presents an analysis or project to a "committee" of recruiters or collaborators.

Collaborative interview : simulates a discussion with a colleague to resolve a given situation.

These exercises assess key skills such as empathy, clear communication and adaptability - all essential qualities in a remote working environment.

Assessing soft skills

In a work environment where telecommuting is becoming increasingly important, soft skills are becoming just as important as technical skills. They not only guarantee productivity, but also the ability to collaborate and thrive in a flexible working environment.

• Test autonomy and organization: autonomy is a key skill for success in telecommuting, where direct supervision is limited. To assess this quality :

Ask practical questions: ask the candidate to explain how he/she organizes his/her teleworking day. Find out how they structure their tasks, set priorities and deal with unforeseen events.

Explore his past experience: ask him about a concrete situation in which he had to show initiative. For example, how did he solve a problem without waiting for a superior to intervene? Or how did he manage a complex assignment on his own? These stories will give you clues about his ability to make decisions and move forward alone.

• Evaluate communication and collaboration: working remotely requires an excellent command of digital tools and the ability to maintain clear, regular communication. To achieve this:

Analyze his or her level of discourse: during the interview, observe his or her clarity, ease and ability to synthesize ideas. Fluid communication is essential to maintaining effective professional relations, even at a distance.

Simulate a collaborative situation: propose a mini-simulation where they have to solve a problem or prepare a presentation in collaboration with you. This will enable you to see how they adapt to digital tools and interact in real time.

• Test resilience and adaptability: telecommuting often involves juggling unforeseen events or managing a work-life balance. These situations call for great flexibility.

Find out more about the way he works: ask him how he deals with stress or adapts to sudden changes. For example, how did he react to an unexpected situation on a telecommuting project?

Assess his ability to learn: ask him about the tools or methods he had to master quickly to adapt to new working conditions.

Testing asynchronous communication

In a telecommuting environment, asynchronous communication is often essential to maintain effective collaboration. It enables teams to remain aligned despite time zone differences, scheduling constraints or the need to reduce interruptions. This skill is therefore invaluable, and it's crucial to test it right from the recruitment process.

• Evaluate the choice of communication channels: a candidate's ability to identify and use the right channels for the right situation is essential for smooth remote collaboration.

Suggest a situation: describe a scenario in which the candidate has to solve a problem or communicate important information. Ask them which channel (email, project management tool, instant messaging) they would choose and why.

What this reveals: his answer measures his discernment and adaptability in the face of digital tools, as well as his understanding of the nuances between formal and informal communication.

• Testing writing skills in an asynchronous context: writing is often the mainstay of asynchronous communication. Writing clear, concise messages tailored to the audience is a key skill.

Suggest a concrete exercise: ask the candidate to write a brief report based on a data set or a simulated discussion. You can also ask them to formulate a clear and precise request via a messaging tool or e-mail.

Analyze structure and clarity: observe whether his messages are well organized, easy to understand and adapted to the context. This will give you an indication of his ability to avoid misunderstandings and convey information effectively.

• Observe your understanding of asynchronous issues: working in asynchronous mode is not just about mastering the tools: it also involves proactively managing expectations and deadlines.

Ask behavioral questions: how does the candidate deal with delayed or unexpected responses in an asynchronous environment? For example, how does he or she follow up a message without excessively following up?

What this reveals: his ability to plan, organize and anticipate the needs of others, without creating overload or unrealistic expectations.

Remote recruitment relies on human connection and rigor, despite its digital specificities. Adopting appropriate practices, such as accurate skills assessment and employer branding, enables you to offer a professional and enriching experience. However, it is advisable to maintain the link with the candidate before arrival, through regular exchanges, careful preparation of onboarding and, if possible, face-to-face meetings. By taking care at every stage, you'll attract the best talent and keep them on board for the long term, even from a distance.