Here at Fullmoon Digital, we’ve been trying to sharpen our skill in hiring new people remotely. And it’s really been an uphill battle to figure out the right questions to ask.
After interviewing over 100 candidates for various roles, I’ve come to grip with these key elements that make a candidate stand out from the crowd.
As businesses are getting used to remote hiring, I thought it would be a good idea for me to share with you what I look for that has helped me build my agency as a 100% remote digital marketing agency since 2017.
Raw curiosity
I’m not referring to book smarts or intellectual prowess. It comes down to the candidates naturally ability to be curious. At FMDM, we need people who ask questions, get excited to discover new things, and learn new skills.
Candidates who share with you what they learn on their own is by far one of my favorite things to listen to. Why? Because they are curious enough and possess the desire to learn on their own accord.
This is the type of person you want on your team. They learn thing for the sake of increasing their knowledge on a topic. WOW!
Getting S*it Done
This is so critical especially when your candidate could be half way across the country. In fact, that was what got me my first job as a website developer — even though I went to school to learn how to design microchip processors.
I told my hiring manager that I did not know HTML (20 years ago), but I’m ready to dive in, learn, and get it done! Self-motivation can take you far, especially because remote work is not a babysitting activity. The candidate must be self-sufficient, know how to find a solution to problems, and not complain and whine.
Achieving goals and targets is all that matters when it comes to getting s*it done.
Technical chops
There is no escaping having at least some technical understanding of the industry you’re working in these days. Candidates who claim they have done this or that usually do not know much — from my experience. The vague generic answers is a red flag.
Look for candidates who can dive deep into the technicalities of the skill set, so much so, that you feel they know more than you do.
In my remote interviews, I like to ask for specific wins. And then see if they have excitement in their voice — which is all I can hope for. You see, when most people geek out on their accomplishments, I find that they love to go into details not because they want to be cocky — in fact, they go into details because they were there and they had a hand in it.
The culture must fit like a glove
Not talking about the country the person is from or the way they were raised. You know that I’m talking about. Even though you are working remotely, you have to be excited when you web-conference with the person.
For me, this usually means they demonstrate enthusiasm for the topic we’re talking about — SEO, PPC, audience segmentation, business development — whatever it is.
Basically, I want to feel this person will push me as hard as I or anyone else on the team, remotely, will push them.
Remote teams break the mold
Remote teams is an entirely different beast. What you know about team building and work environment goes out the window. Remote teams go against the grain and tradition of a normal workspace.
Who you bring on board your remote team is equally as important as how you bring them in.
The challenges you face when trying to interview, understand, and decipher the person on the other site of the screen is not easy.
But once you hone in the craft of remote interviewing, you’ll be building the best remote team you can for your organization!
#HappyRemoteWorking