How To Remote Interview

05 Apr 2021 - Syed Muhammad Shahrukh Hussain

Consider this a hitch hiker guide or method / manners to deal with a remote interview. Interviews no matter where they happen on location or remote have one common goal, which is filling the gaps.

The interviewer is either filling a spot on his team, or if it’s company-wide hiring, then he has a quota to fulfill. HR personnel are more interested in their conversions, just like a salesperson, while technical staff focus on quantifying a candidate for a role. On the other hand, a candidate is either already sold on the advertised role, or they simply need a job to make ends meet. This may sound dismissive, but it’s the necessity that drives a candidate, often stemming from fear and insecurity.

I’ll discuss both parties in detail later, as both the interviewer and the candidate have to go through this process.

Lets Dig Deep

To delve further, let’s discuss perspective. From the perspective—what I mean here is a perspective is a framework for how we react to different situations. Humans, like any other creatures, learn through experience, so perspectives evolve over time. There’s no right or wrong; if you put a person in a zoo, they will become a zookeeper. I hope I’m making myself clear. People living simple lives are simple, and people living complicated lives are not necessarily simple; they just tend to overreact to simple things. I hope the term “overreact” doesn’t lead to an overreaction from my readers :-). While this is an informal blog and nothing too serious, you can take it as it is or leave it if it’s not worth your time.

From the interviewer’s perspective, if they’re not an HR person, the main concern is whether the candidate will be suitable to work with, making the choice very person-centric. On the other hand, the candidate is not particularly interested in the interviewer themselves; they focus on the bigger picture, such as the role, salary, company reputation, and other factors, aiming to present themselves in the best possible light.

So, now, shifting the focus back to the reader’s perspective, a common scenario for an interviewer is being in the midst of something when the HR person calls for an interview. Consequently, the interviewer has to switch contexts, which can sometimes be challenging. It’s rare that the interviewer is free and available to conduct interviews to his heart’s content. However, even three to four interviews in a row can turn him into a brick.

Commonly, we have at least two people (the interviewer and the candidate) interacting remotely. If there is a board or more than one person, it’s likely that one interviewer is responsible for leading the interview, while another reads between the lines.

Much of the details above is to get you on board, i’ll quickly mentions tips for each participants.

Interviewer

Tips

• Present your self as company, this is a pure selling role. For startups this is must, bigger companies may no require passion or something else in the interviewer.
• Judge how far down the road the candidate will be helpful, nothing is constant so judge based on the value proposition.

Don’t

• Don’t lie be practical, you can convey a message in many ways through an argument or question.
• Don’t just jump into an conclusion, if you believe you have the write candidate to interview or if you have a gutt feeling of something positive.
• Don’t turn interviews to vent out your feelings.
• Don’t take interview if you don’t like the company you work or represent.

Candidate Tips

• Always inquire about the interview process, so you know what to expect.
• Research the company and the interviewer to better understand their expectations.
• Always present yourself as prepared for challenges.
• If it feels like things are not right, take note. This is the only point where you can effectively make a decision; once you say “YES,” the HR process begins, and it may not align with what you like or feel is right about the opportunity.
• Be concise in your answers; too much talking in a technical interview may not work in your favor.
• If the interviewer doesn’t seem to understand your point, it’s a sign to consider the company culture.
• Try to remain neutral, even if the interviewer insists on an opinion.
• If the interviewer identify your weaknesses, listen and explain your position.

Don’t

• Don’t be too honest to be a fool. Your information is your, if its not asked don’t share.
• Don’t share your feelings.
• Don’t fight your opinion.
• Don’t expect too much.