Tips on how to decide a job is right for you when remote interviewing

Interviewing for a job via remote interviewing is a very different experience from an in-person interview for both the candidate and for the interviewer, but it can help connect more of the right candidates with the right companies.

Some candidates may have concerns as to how much they are able to ascertain about the job and the company during such a remote interviewing. Communicating via video conferencing technology is a different experience from meeting face-to-face, and some remote employees worry about proximity bias in the workplace. But there are ways to get a feel for the company you are video interviewing with.

Here's our advice on this breaking it down into 4 steps...

Assessing a job’s suitability for you

As experienced and qualified professionals, it is essential to determine if the role provides the desired level of career progression and matches your skill set. Double-check the salary and benefits on offer, and ensure as far as possible that your preferred working arrangement is available.

Do your research

Before remote interviewing begins, make sure to conduct plenty of research into the company. It sounds obvious but you would be surprised at how often candidates don’t! Find out as much as you can about the company’s vision and purpose, and how this aligns with your own values. Examine the language the company uses in adverts and promotional material, and especially in any ‘About Us’ or careers webpages.

You can also read reviews of the company on Glassdoor to gauge what it’s like to work for a particular employer or hear more about their typical recruitment & interview processes. Social media content can also tell you a lot of about how the company operates and how they like to present themselves. Additionally, you could look up existing employees on LinkedIn to get an idea of the personalities that work the company, their profiles and activity can provide an insight into the working environment and the types of individuals they attract. The content they share can shine a light on their EVP, showing their values, culture, and employee engagement.

There may also be a virtual office tour to see the workspaces, and perhaps even videos of other employees explaining their roles in the company too.

During remote interviewing

Once remote interviewing begins, you can continue assessing the suitability of the role. Pay attention to the background and environment during the video call, as there could be some indication as to what it is like to work there. Look out for clues as to the company culture, such as technology or objects in sight. Such objects can sometimes say a lot about the person or organisation (for example an employee of the month award).

Ask plenty of questions about the role and the team, as well as the company culture and about any training and development opportunities. Ask what a typical day for the role looks like, or what would constitute a successful performance for someone in that position. How the interviewer answers your questions will help you get a better understanding of your fit into the company.

If the interviewer is the hiring manager and therefore is your potential boss, then the remote job interview is a great opportunity to assess them as your potential manager. Take note of their communication skills and their clarity of thought and expression. Do they make their point succinctly, or ramble off on unnecessary tangents?

Pay attention to how they describe your role and their expectations of the successful candidate. 

While body language can provide many clues, bear in mind that remote job interviews it can be difficult to interpret body language on a screen as you can’t see the entire person. While it’s not necessary to scrutinise an interviewer’s facial expression and posture, do look out for noticeable changes in their body language in response to something you have said.

After remote interviewing

As soon as your remote interview is over, it’s worth reflecting on everything you have learned and observed. Make notes regarding how you felt about the different aspects you experienced. Were all your questions answered? Did anything seem a bit off? Did you like the interviewer and any other workers you saw during the remote job interview?

Slowly go through everything from start to finish and you should have a good overall impression of the company's culture & role.

Further considerations

Do not underestimate knowing your worth when it comes to deciding if a job is right for you. Candidates still hold a good deal of power in the current jobs market, so exceptional candidates can ask for a remuneration package they feel reflects their true worth. Just make sure you have conducted enough research to ensure what you are asking for is reasonable in the sector you work in.

Don’t forget to evaluate all of the non-financial benefits on offer and other positive factors too. These include the amount of annual holiday on offer, access to training and development, networking opportunities, and even if you have a good synergy with your potential collegue/s.

If you are unsure about the salary & benefits benchmarks on offer in your specialism why not download our 2023 Salary and Benefits Guide here?