The Covid-19 pandemic has ensured that remote work has now become the norm for almost every non-essential worker. With the possibility that the virus may be ongoing, it is safe to say that remote work and hiring remotely for critical metal positions will be a norm for the next few years, at least.
Thus, as an employer or an interviewer hiring for a critical position in the metals industry, you must learn to hire for remote work. You must also understand that interviewing remotely and for a remote job requires a different set of skills than hiring for an in-office position.
In this piece, we have shared a few tips on hiring for remote work that you will find helpful.
Let’s dive in!
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Ask the interviewee whether they have worked remotely before.
This might seem like a trite question to ask a potential employee, but it is perhaps the most pertinent one to consider during a remote interview.
A question like this will give you an idea of the interviewee’s industries and whether they would be a good fit for the metals industry. Their reply will also give you an idea of how much onboarding you will have to do to get them up to speed, or how much experience they are bringing with them.
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Ask the interviewee how connected they are to the internet.
Asking a potential employee about the communication apps they are familiar with should give you an idea of how conversant they are with communication technology that facilitates remote work.
Furthermore, it will help you decide how easy it will be to communicate with them, how frequently they will turn in work, or how best to reach them in case of an emergency.
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Ask the interviewee whether they have ever had a dispute with a co-worker or a superior in a distributed team.
Work conflicts can still arise in remote work. Conflict management is a desirable skill to have in an employee, regardless of whether their position is critical or not.
From this question, you can determine the management style that best suits prospective remote employees and who is best in your team to manage them if they are hired.
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Ask the interviewee about their soft skills.
As I have pointed out, working from home requires a different mindset than in-office work. It is easy for an employee to work on a team when the team members are only 6 feet away, but can the employee work well when the members are scattered across cities or different states?
How does the employee manage stress mentally? How flexible is the employee during emergencies? These are questions that can be the sole factor in determining whether you are hiring the right employee or not.
As we have noted, hiring for remote work for critical metal positions requires a lot of skill and flexibility, not only for the potential employee but even for the interviewer. However, knowing the right questions to ask makes the interview and the hiring process seamless for all the parties involved.
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