31 of March, 2025

What does an online interview mean? An interview of this format is a type of job interview that is conducted through a digital tool either via Skype, an ATS, or other solutions that help to connect the two interested parties, the recruiter and the candidate, usually through video format.

Currently, online job interviews are being enhanced due to Coronavirus and face-to-face interviews are being set aside. Discover how to prepare a successful online interview, what are the most common questions and what aspects you should pay attention to as a recruiter. And remember that there are tools for staff selection and recruitment designed to assist you in these tasks.

How to prepare for a remote interview as a recruiter

If you want to conduct an online selection process, there are many advantages you can get as an interviewer. On one hand, you can have the interview recorded on video and review it, on the other hand, you offer greater flexibility when scheduling interviews. And finally, you will broaden the range of options when acquiring talent, as you are not limited to the geographical territory.

Prior to the interview, both the interviewees and the recruiters must prepare for this labor appointment. This is not only about asking the right questions to potential candidates, it is about preparing the remote interview through several steps:

Analyze in depth the vacancy: be very clear about the job position you want to cover within the company’s organizational chart, the interviewer must know the skills and professional competences that are sought in the candidates that match the vacancy.
Review the resumes received: review each of the candidates and set a first filter to find the professionals that best match the job position.
Analyze the digital footprint of the candidates: Check the digital reputation of each of the professionals you have selected to check their references and professional career on social networks.
Contact the selected ones: get in contact with the potential candidates to know them better and set a time for the interview, clarify the means of communication that will be used in the online interview so that they don’t have any doubts when the time comes.
Define a scoring scale: to evaluate the results and online interviews you have to establish a set of scores associated with each part of the interview, according to its relevance.
Trace several parts of the digital interview: define a structure, the ideal is to divide the time into: presentations, questions, closing questions, open questions, and closed questions, as well as time for the interviewee to ask the questions they are most interested in knowing.
Create a list of questions to conduct the online interview: that obtain as much information as possible from the candidate and the selection process to know if they will add value to the organization and to what extent they can match the published job offer. Keep reading and discover some of the most frequent questions for this type of interview.
Once in the interview: pay attention to non-verbal communication, attire, how they answer questions, and the messages they convey when communicating. For example, a candidate who has their arms crossed shows a closed attitude.
During the conversation: try to be approachable but professional, attentive and allow the candidate to display their added value. Allow them to freely expose their achievements, projects, and successes.
Update the candidate’s information in the hiring software and optimize the hiring process and talent search. With this, you will also achieve improving the experience of people who apply for the job offer.

The most frequent questions of online job interviews

Job interviews over video calls may seem simple, but it’s important for the recruiter to establish the parts of the interview, compile a list of frequent questions for an online job interview and have the tools that will help you review all the aspects you want to know from the interviewees, take note:

How did you find out about the job offer?
What can you contribute to the company?
What are your most valuable professional skills and competencies?
What do you like most about your job?
Do you have autonomy when assuming your responsibilities?
Why are you interested in this vacancy?
What is your professional background?
Where do you see yourself in 3 years?
Are you currently working?
What increases your work motivation?
Why have you applied for this job opportunity?
What is your dream job?
When could you rejoin even if teleworking?
How do you make decisions?

The questions in an online job interview must be clear and direct to facilitate communication and evaluation of the candidate.

Questions about work experience

Tell me about your previous work experience.
What has been your greatest professional achievement to date?
What skills did you acquire in your last job that you think will be useful in this position?

Questions about skills and competencies

How do you handle work under pressure?
Describe a situation where you had to solve a complex problem. How did you do it?
What tools and technologies do you master that are relevant to this position?

Questions about adapting to remote work

Do you have experience working remotely?
How do you organize your time and manage your tasks when working from home?
What strategies do you use to maintain communication and collaboration with your team in a virtual environment?

Questions about the culture and values of the company

Why are you interested in working at our company?
How do you ensure you align with the values and culture of a new organization?
What do you expect from your employer in terms of support and professional development?

Closing questions

Do you have any questions about the position or the company?
Is there anything else you’d like us to know about you?
What are your salary expectations for this position?

Tools for conducting online job interviews

As you can see, the essential points of a job interview are not greatly altered in a remote interview. However, it is key to know the tools that can help you in this task. In this regard, there are communication tools, ATS or editing tools, pay attention and discover the best solutions for conducting remote interviews, pay special attention:

Skype
Zoom
Hangouts
Facetime
Webex
Paltalk
Audacity
Youtube Editor
Camtasia Studio
MyInterview
Filmijob

Below are some of the most commonly used ones.

1. Video conferencing platforms

Zoom: offers high video and audio quality, recording options, and virtual waiting rooms.
Microsoft Teams: integrates collaboration tools like chat and document sharing, along with video conferencing.
Google Meet: an accessible and easy-to-use option, integrated with Google Workspace.

2. Scheduling tools

Calendly: allows candidates to select an available time slot, automatically synchronizing with your calendar.
Doodle: facilitates scheduling interviews with multiple participants through availability polls.

3. Skills assessment

Codility: ideal for evaluating candidates’ programming skills through real-time tests.
TestGorilla: offers a wide range of tests to evaluate technical, cognitive, and personality skills.

4. Candidate tracking and management tools

Trello: useful for organizing and following the selection process through task boards and lists.
Asana: facilitates project management and team collaboration, allowing you to follow each candidate’s progress.

The new paradigm of interviews

Will remote interviews ultimately replace face-to-face interviews? Is the importance of finding teleworkers who are capable of working remotely with a certain degree of autonomy and independence growing? Is the search for international talent more in demand than ever?

The transition to online interviews has transformed the recruitment process, introducing new dynamics and challenges for both recruiters and candidates.

Advantages of online interviews

Access to global talent: Allows companies to tap into a much broader talent pool without geographic limitations.

Time and cost savings: Eliminates the need for travel, reducing associated costs and offering greater scheduling flexibility.

Increased efficiency: Makes it easier to schedule and conduct multiple interviews in less time, speeding up the hiring process.

Challenges of online interviews

Technological limitations: Connection issues, technical glitches, and lack of familiarity with digital tools can impact the quality of the interview.

Lack of personal interaction: The absence of face-to-face contact can make it harder to assess interpersonal chemistry and body language.

Distractions and environment: Both interviewers and candidates may face distractions in their home environment that affect concentration.

Necessary adaptations

Training in digital skills: Equip recruiters and candidates with the knowledge to use digital tools and communicate effectively in virtual settings.

Development of new evaluation strategies: Adapt interview questions and assessment methods to better identify skills and competencies in a virtual environment.

Implementation of best practices: Establish clear protocols for conducting online interviews to ensure professionalism and effectiveness.

Online interviews raise many open questions, but it’s clear that this field has made great strides. Recruiters are gaining highly valuable insights through the use of dedicated HR software with features designed specifically for recruitment and selection processes.

Professional with over 20 years of extensive experience in various areas of Human Resources (Recruitment, Training, Occupational Risk Prevention, and Personnel Management). Experience in the Management Department: Broad understanding of the company and HR.

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cristinamartin

HR Content Specialist

Basic manual for conducting online interviews