Hiring remote talent? Assessing soft skills virtually is key. Here's how you can evaluate candidates effectively during virtual interviews:

• Focus Areas: Communication, empathy, problem-solving, and ability to work across cultures.
• Challenges: Limited non-verbal cues, building rapport digitally, and testing English proficiency.
• Tools & Techniques: Use structured scenarios, screen-sharing activities, and scoring rubrics to measure skills like emotional intelligence and adaptability.
• Setup Tips: Ensure stable tech (camera, lighting, audio), provide clear agendas, and offer recording options.
• Interview Environment: Create a relaxed atmosphere by starting with small talk, practicing active listening, and addressing time zone differences.

These strategies help you find candidates who thrive in remote work environments.

5 Clever Virtual Interview Tips According to Psychology

Setting Up the Virtual Interview

Creating a smooth virtual interview experience is key to avoiding interruptions. Here's how to set up a reliable environment:

• Run a quick tech check: Spend 10 minutes testing your internet connection, microphone, camera, and any software you'll use.
• Share the agenda in advance: Let the candidate know what to expect and how the interview will flow.
• Have a backup plan: Provide an alternative way to connect, like a phone number, in case of technical issues.
• Enable screen sharing: Make it easy to share presentations or demonstrate skills if needed.
• Offer to record the session: With the candidate's permission, recording can help with post-interview reviews.

With everything in place, you're ready to focus on evaluating the skills needed for remote work.

Technical Setup for Skill Assessment

A solid technical setup is essential for effectively assessing soft skills during virtual interviews.

Video Call Essentials

Creating the right video call environment helps you evaluate a candidate's behavior and communication style more effectively:

• Camera positioning: Keep your camera at eye level to maintain natural eye contact and capture non-verbal cues.
• Lighting: Use front-facing lighting, like a ring light or desk lamp, to clearly highlight facial expressions.
• Background: Choose a neutral and professional background to minimize distractions and keep the focus on the candidate.
• Audio quality: Invest in a USB microphone for clear sound, making it easier to assess tone and pacing.
• Internet connection: Test your network speed beforehand to ensure a stable and fast connection.

Adding interactive screen-sharing activities can further improve the evaluation process.

Screen Sharing for Interactive Exercises

Screen sharing allows for hands-on tasks that showcase a candidate's problem-solving and teamwork abilities.

Real-time collaboration exercises:

• Use platforms like Miro, FigJam, or Google Docs for whiteboarding or collaborative writing tasks.
• Share hypothetical scenarios via tools like PowerPoint to gauge how candidates approach challenges.

Technical tips:

• Adjust screen settings to ensure shared content is clear and easy to follow.
• Close unnecessary apps to avoid interruptions from notifications.

Observation during activities:

• Use gallery view to monitor the candidate's reactions and engagement.
• Take advantage of annotation tools within collaboration platforms to highlight key moments during the exercises.

sbb-itb-d7e6fca

Practice Scenarios and Tests

Practice scenarios help assess how candidates manage situations that highlight their soft skills in a remote work setting.

Job-Specific Test Cases

Develop assessments based on real workplace challenges:

Customer Support Scenario:

• Simulate a situation with a frustrated customer.
• Ask the candidate to craft a response to a detailed complaint.
• Pay attention to their empathy and problem-solving abilities.

Project Management Challenge:

• Provide a project timeline with conflicting deadlines.
• Have candidates explain how they'd prioritize tasks.
• Focus on their decision-making and leadership skills.

Team Collaboration Exercise:

• Present a mock conflict between remote team members.
• Ask candidates to describe their approach to resolving the issue.
• Look for emotional intelligence and conflict resolution strategies.

These scenarios help you objectively measure soft skills relevant to the role.

Scoring Candidate Responses

Once candidates complete these exercises, evaluate their performance systematically.

Use a scoring rubric like this:

What to Evaluate:

• How quickly and thoughtfully they respond.
• The quality of any follow-up questions.
• Creativity and practicality of their solutions.
• Non-verbal cues in video or live exercises.

Potential Issues to Watch For:

• Defensive or dismissive behavior.
• Difficulty staying professional under pressure.
• Insensitivity to cultural differences.
• Poor time management during tasks.

Adapt the weight of each skill based on the role's priorities. Document specific examples to explain the scores you assign.

Making Candidates Comfortable

Creating a relaxed virtual environment helps candidates showcase their interpersonal skills naturally. Once the technical setup is solid, focus on fostering a setting where they feel at ease.

Starting the Interview Right

Kick things off on the right note with these practical steps:

• Start the session five minutes early to resolve any tech hiccups.
• Share a small personal detail to break the ice.
• Outline the interview structure upfront, covering the audio/video setup, screen sharing, activities, and the expected duration (45–60 minutes).
• Acknowledge any time zone differences and express appreciation for the candidate's flexibility.

These actions set a positive tone and pave the way for effective communication throughout the interview.

Active Listening Skills

Showing you're engaged and attentive is key to building rapport. Here’s how to practice active listening:

Visual Engagement

• Look directly at your camera to simulate eye contact.
• Use nods and facial expressions to signal you're paying attention.
• Ensure professional lighting and a well-framed video setup.

Verbal Acknowledgment

• Offer short, affirming responses like "I see" or "Got it."
• Allow extra pauses to account for potential lag.
• Briefly summarize key points to confirm understanding.

Fostering Trust

• Stay calm and patient if technical issues arise.
• Give candidates ample time to respond.
• Use inclusive language and show genuine interest in their remote work experience.

When candidates feel at ease, they’re more likely to demonstrate the interpersonal skills essential for remote collaboration. Pay close attention to how they respond to your active listening cues - this can reveal their ability to work effectively in a virtual team.

Professional Hiring Services

Once you've honed your virtual interview skills, you might want to take things a step further by using professional hiring services. While virtual interviews help assess candidates, these services make evaluating soft skills easier by pre-screening for essential remote work capabilities.

Why Choose Hey Foster?

Partnering with a remote hiring agency can simplify the process of identifying candidates with the right soft skills. Hey Foster specializes in finding professionals with excellent communication skills and an understanding of remote team dynamics.

Their screening process focuses on three main areas:

• Communication: Evaluates English proficiency to ensure seamless collaboration.
• Cultural Fit: Screens for familiarity with Western work practices.
• Remote Work Experience: Confirms prior experience in virtual team settings.

These steps can help cut hiring expenses by as much as 80% ^[1].

What Hey Foster Offers

Hey Foster provides a structured and straightforward approach to hiring remote talent. Their process is designed to thoroughly assess soft skills while keeping things transparent. Key features include:

• Thorough Screening: Their experts deliver the top three most qualified candidates.
• Risk Reduction: A 6-month Right Match Promise allows for real-world performance evaluation.
• Clear Pricing: A single fee is charged only when a placement is successfully made.

"Hey Foster made hiring offshore talent in the Philippines effortless. The process was smooth, the team was professional, and the quality of hires exceeded our expectations. Highly recommend!" - Billy Sandy, Real Estate Agent ^[1]

Summary

Effective virtual interviews strike a balance between structured evaluation methods and meaningful candidate interactions. Assessing soft skills requires combining practical techniques with genuine engagement.

Key Elements for Virtual Soft Skills Assessment:

• Use STAR questions to uncover key competencies.
• Practice active listening to gather detailed responses.
• Leverage professional video setups and interactive tasks to observe skills in action.

Tips for Successful Implementation:

• Define clear evaluation criteria.
• Design activities that highlight communication skills.
• Document observations for unbiased reviews.
• Blend technical and interpersonal skill assessments.

The STAR method, paired with active listening, offers a solid approach to understanding how candidates handle challenges and collaborate with others. Services like Hey Foster streamline this process by thoroughly evaluating both technical expertise and interpersonal abilities.

"Hey Foster made hiring offshore talent in the Philippines effortless. The process was smooth, the team was professional, and the quality of hires exceeded our expectations. Highly recommend!" - Billy Sandy, Real Estate Agent ^[1]