How a Pro Interviews Remote Talent

• February 6, 2023

The cost of replacing an employee is high—sometimes as high as 215% of their salary. This is one of many reasons it’s important to conduct an effective interview so you can be certain you’re hiring the right candidate.

But how do you ensure you choose a great candidate when the interview process is done remotely?

Larry Zogby, President of RDS Same Day Delivery, has been a WBN client for 2 years and employs seven WBN virtual assistants. Larry has had tremendous success interviewing, hiring, and retaining WBN virtual assistants and in-person employees. So, we asked him for insight into his interviewing process, and here’s what we learned.

Look Beyond Their Resume

Of course, it’s critical to hire an employee that can get the job done. When working with WBN, potential job candidates have already been vetted for their skill set so you can focus on finding someone who fits your company’s culture and values.

“I have to make sure they’re going to fit the values of my company,” Larry said. “Not only do they fit the values, but they will align with the WBN people and my internal team.”

Keep in mind that resumes don’t always show the full scale of what potential employees are capable of. In fact, Larry often pretends to rip up resumes in interviews. He said, “I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how much more skill they have behind what their resume says…they’re able to do everything! And it’s up to us who’s interviewing them…to open them up and see what they can do.”

Have a Conversation, Not an Interview

Some believe interviews should be intimidating in order to observe how candidates work under pressure. Larry wholeheartedly disagrees. “I think if you put somebody at ease and they can breathe, you tap into their heart… and if their heart fits my culture, it works.”

Larry’s strategy for interviewing any employee centers around creating a comfortable atmosphere to have a discussion rather than a draining interview.

For an in-person hire, Larry visits with the potential candidate during their fourth or fifth interview and always meets them out for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. He applies that same concept to his remote interviews, creating a relaxing atmosphere for a conversation.

“I’m always consciously aware of how nervous they are and I [want to have a] normal conversation where they don’t feel like they’re being graded,” he said. “Then I can get to their core and I’m having a conversation and…understanding if they’re going to be able to fit in our culture.”

Allow Them to be Vulnerable

Larry finds that part of his job as the interviewer is to lend his trust, belief, and confidence to the potential job candidate so they feel comfortable being authentic and vulnerable. “[We] discuss their dreams, desires, what they like, what they don’t like, without them feeling judged and without them overthinking,” he said.

Asking questions they know the answers to, such as where they live or what their hobbies are, helps puts them at ease and allows Larry to get to know them on a personal level—which gives him a better understanding of their cultural fit. This also helps them feel more comfortable asking questions throughout the interview to learn more about the organization.

Hiring WBN Talent

Larry’s success with WBN can be seen in his workforce. He has WBN virtual assistants based all across Latin America who do inbound sales, support human resources, and even work in dispatch. His Executive Assistant takes care of his travel, internal and external meetings, and is an incredible asset to his team.