Q&A with Izabella: How to find the best candidates around the world

Meet Izabella

• Currently lives in Romania

• Originally from Romania

• I'm a Hiring Manager

• I started at The Remote Company in April 2020

• Why I love my job: I have the opportunity to speak to interesting people from all around the world! Plus, nothing beats the feeling of offering an amazing candidate their dream job, knowing that it can be life-changing for them. Bringing people good news never gets old!

What does a hiring manager do exactly? Walk us through a typical work week

I’m responsible for most parts of the hiring process. From posting job openings, reviewing applications, interviewing and hiring candidates, and onboarding new hires to setting up monthly company meetings.

Of course, I wouldn’t be able to get the job done without the help of my lovely colleagues. I work together with team leaders from different departments. They provide all the information needed to start the hiring process for a certain role and conduct the final interviews.

Our legal team is a big help when it comes to setting up the service agreements for new team members.

Because we hire people from all over the world, my work hours are not always from 9-5. That doesn't bother me! I'm a very flexible person and actually love to work during different times of the day.

In the past year, you’ve interviewed over 450 people! What did you learn from talking to so many people from different cultures?

It’s been an amazing experience! One of my favorite aspects of this job is the possibility to meet so many different people from all over the world. I’m always curious and excited to get to know them, so I love asking personal questions and finding out more about their culture or country.

What I’ve learned from all these interactions, is that even if we come from different backgrounds, religions, and cultures, ultimately we all want the same things: to feel happy, appreciated, and be a part of something bigger.

Our company lives by our shared values. How do you find out whether a candidate is a good fit?

That’s a great question! I usually ask people about their past experiences, challenges, how they dealt with certain situations, and what they consider to be important for a perfect work-life balance.

From their responses, I can figure out things like:

• Are they passionate about what they do?

• Is growth important?

• Do they value personal connections?

• Do they want to commit long-term?

For example, sometimes I ask candidates to tell me about a mistake they made (and how they handled it). We all make mistakes and talking about them honestly shows that we’re ready to grow, learn new things, take risks, and always take responsibility for our actions.

Some people believe that revealing your weaknesses in an interview could be a disadvantage. I believe that being open and honest brings to light other great qualities, like taking responsibility, not being afraid to receive constructive criticism, and understanding that growth can be uncomfortable.

What makes people memorable? Any stories that you remember?

I don’t recall a specific story, but I know for sure that all the 450 people I interviewed had a unique personality. No two interviews were the same.

I really enjoy listening to people sharing their stories, seeing their openness during a call, and how excited they are to join our company.

I especially admire those people that didn’t get discouraged after being rejected the first time. They came back stronger and more prepared, and for some, their perseverance paid off! We have a few examples of people who got hired the second or third time they applied and now they're invaluable members of The Remote Company (like Liam)!

What advice would you give people in preparation for their job interview?

My advice is to do your homework, know why you want to work at that specific company, be prepared to showcase your skillset, ask questions, and finally, loosen up—it’s not an interrogation (at least, not at our company). 😉

From my experience, the candidates that stand out are the ones who dare to be themselves and are genuine and honest. These people are better at conveying the passion they feel for the job and team. We all like to surround ourselves with passionate, positive, kind, and like-minded people!