How the Remote Hiring Process Works

When you’re applying for remote jobs, the hiring process will typically be conducted remotely as well. What can you expect when you’re looking for a remote job? How can you get your application considered, how are interviews handled, and what’s the best way to prepare?

If you’d like to join this workforce and land a work-from-home job, it’s helpful to understand the remote hiring process. While many aspects of the interview process are similar to the in-person version, there are enough subtle differences that it pays to read up on how it works before you jump in. 

Here are some steps you may take or encounter during the remote hiring process.

The Remote Hiring Process

Just as with the traditional interview process, every company is different. Some make offers quickly, while others have multiple rounds of interviews, require pre-employment tests and sample work, and take a long time to make an offer. 

Here are the steps you may encounter during the remote hiring process:

Find Remote Jobs

The first step in the process is to find remote job listings. The best job search plan is multi-pronged. Don’t rely solely on one source for job opportunities. Let your professional network know that you’re looking, search for online job listings, and follow your dream employers on social media. You never know where your dream job will come from.

Companies are more willing to take a chance on a short-term contract worker. Plus, your temporary job may evolve into a full-time role, or give you the remote work experience that other employers are seeking.

Are you looking for online job listings? While you can find plenty of opportunities on job search engines and general job search websites by searching for keywords like “remote,” “work from home,” and “telecommuting,” you should also give niche job boards a try. Remote job boards such as FlexJobs, We Work Remotely, and Remote.co offer work-from-home job listings.

Apply for Remote Jobs

To get to the interview stage, you need to get past the applicant tracking system and impress the hiring manager. The best way to do this is to show the employer that you’re a fit by highlighting your most relevant qualifications for the job. If you have remote work experience, be sure to mention it. 

Show You’re a Match

This means decoding the job listing to determine which skills, qualifications, and achievements are most attractive to the employer. Then, use those keywords in your resume and cover letter, as well as during the job interview.

Showcase Your Skills

When you’re applying for a remote job, it’s crucial to show that you have both the hard and soft skills that are necessary for success in the role.

Remember that your prospective manager may not be able to train you in person. In fact, they may not even meet you in person for quite some time—or at all. You need to demonstrate that you can jump into the role without a lot of oversight and be a success, starting from day one.

Emphasize Job-Specific Skills

Emphasize your job-specific skills such as project management, administrative skills, or your familiarity with software packages. Also, demonstrate your people skills like communication, teamwork, and self-motivation.

Mention Remote Work Experience

Finally, if you have experience working from home, be sure to highlight it. Managing your time, collaborating from a distance, and troubleshooting technical difficulties are valuable skills. 

Many employers with remote positions would prefer to hire someone with remote work experience, whether from a previous job, freelance and contract work, or entrepreneurial ventures.

Expect Multiple Video Interviews

The interview process seems to get longer and more involved every year, and the remote hiring process is no different. It would help if you prepared for multiple phone or video interviews, which may involve hiring managers, prospective colleagues, and human resources.

If you’re new to video job interviews, prepare beforehand, and you’ll feel more relaxed during the discussion. A ResumeGo survey shows that employers most commonly use these video platforms:

• Zoom: 43%
• Skype: 12%
• Google Meet/Hangouts: 19%
• Microsoft Teams: 7%
• Webex by Cisco: 5%
• Other: 14%

Get comfortable with the most common technologies and use them to do practice interviews with friends who can critique your performance. Be sure to dress appropriately and set up a professional workspace before interviewing so that you’re ready to go. Skip the zany Zoom backgrounds and keep it work-appropriate.

Be ready to do a video interview right away. Employers may send screening questions or do a phone call first, or they may move right to video chat.

Prepare for Remote Work Questions

Prepare to answer interview questions about your work experience, qualifications, skills, and goals. Also, expect the hiring manager to ask interview questions to determine whether you can work from home productively and successfully. These may include:

• Why do you think we should hire you?
• Why do you want to work here?
• Give me some examples of situations you've encountered while working in a team.
• What problems have you encountered at work, and how have you solved them?
• What motivates you?

At some point during the interview process, the employer may also ask you for your location—even if your job is entirely remote. This is because some jobs are location-specific due to legal or tax requirements, among other reasons.

Many employers conduct pre-employment skills assessments or ask employees to complete a sample project during the interview process. For remote jobs, these tools may be even more important. Anyone can claim to possess a skill, but these techniques provide proof of an applicant’s abilities in addition to offering insight into how they work.

Follow Up After the Interview

Regardless of whether you intend to pursue the job, send a thank-you note or email as soon as possible after the job interview to express your gratitude for the opportunity. You can also use this note to re-emphasize your qualifications or clarify points from the interview.

Once the interview process is completed, you can expect either an offer letter or a rejection letter. Typically, these will be sent via email and follow a template that the company uses for these communications.

As frustrating as this situation might be, consider that you’ve probably had a lucky escape. A company that treats its job candidates poorly will probably do the same to its employees.

How To Handle a Job Offer

If you receive an offer, you’ll need to decide whether to accept it, make a counteroffer, or decline. To evaluate the job offer, consider the following:

• Do the compensation and benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, and sick time meet your needs?
• Are the corporate culture and work environment a match?
• Are there other perks that would make up for a lower salary?
• Will you be able to achieve the work-life balance you need?
• Will you have opportunities to learn and grow?
• Is there a path to promotion if you want one or other chances to move closer to your goals?

Onboarding and Orientation

If you receive an offer and accept the position, you can usually expect to participate in an onboarding or orientation program.

These often take the form of interactive sessions and meetings via Zoom or a similar platform for remote workers. Some companies use video chats to help new co-workers connect socially during the onboarding process.