How to Screen Applications Without Wasting Time

You’ll get applications. Lots of them.

Most won’t be right.

Here’s how to filter quickly without being unfair.

Initial Screen: 2-3 minutes per application

Look at these three things only.

Can they do the basic job?

Do they have the technical skills you need? Don’t require 100% match. 60-70% is fine if they can learn.

Check their work history. Have they done this type of work before?

Look at their portfolio if it’s a design, dev, or creative role. Actually click through it.

Can they communicate?

Read their cover letter and application responses.

Is it clear? Well-organized? Easy to understand?

Don’t expect perfect English. But you should be able to understand what they’re saying without re-reading three times.

Are they actually available?

Check their stated hours. Do they match what you need?

If you need someone at 9am-5pm EST and they say they prefer 6pm-2am, it won’t work.

Pass these three tests? Move them to the next round.

Video Screening Call: 15-20 minutes

The ones who pass your initial screen get a short video call.

Not an interview yet. A screening.

You’re checking three things.

Can you understand them?

Accent is fine. But can you have a conversation without constantly asking them to repeat themselves?

If basic communication is hard, it will only get harder under deadline pressure.

Do they show up prepared?

Did they test their audio and video before the call?

Did they show up on time?

Are they in a quiet place with decent internet?

This tells you about their professionalism.

Are they genuinely interested?

Do they ask questions about the role, your company, your team?

Or are they just going through the motions hoping to get hired anywhere?

Generic interest is fine. But you want some curiosity.

The Actual Interview Process

Now you’re down to 3-5 strong candidates.

Time for real interviews.

First Interview: Skills and Experience (45-60 minutes)

This is where you dig into their actual capabilities.

Start with their background

“Walk me through your work history, focusing on roles similar to this one.”

Listen for specific accomplishments, not just responsibilities. Results, not just tasks.

Ask follow-up questions. “You said you increased response times by 40%. How did you do that?”

Test their technical knowledge

For developers: ask them to explain their approach to a common problem in your stack. Not a coding test yet. Just thinking out loud.

For customer support: give them a sample customer issue and ask how they’d handle it.

For designers: show them one of your current designs and ask what they’d do differently and why.

For marketing: ask them to critique one of your campaigns.

You’re not looking for the “right” answer. You’re looking for how they think.

Ask about remote work specifics

“Tell me about a time when async communication failed. What happened and how did you fix it?”

“How do you stay productive when no one’s watching?”

“What do you do when you’re stuck on something and your manager is asleep?”

These questions reveal whether they actually understand remote work or they’re just saying what sounds good.

Discuss time zones and availability

“We typically have team meetings at 10am EST on Tuesdays. Does that work for you?”

“How do you handle requests that come in outside your normal hours?”

“What’s your backup plan if your internet goes down during a critical deadline?”

Get specific. Don’t accept vague answers.

Second Interview: Culture and Working Style (30-45 minutes)

Bring in someone else from your team if possible.

This interview is about fit.

How they handle feedback

“Tell me about a time you received critical feedback. How did you react?”

“How do you prefer to receive feedback—in writing, on a call, in a public channel, privately?”

Some people shut down with public feedback. Others want radical transparency. You need to know.

How they communicate problems

“You realize you’re going to miss a deadline. What do you do?”

“You disagree with a decision your manager made. How do you handle it?”

“You notice something broken that’s not your responsibility. What do you do?”

These scenarios tell you if they’ll speak up or suffer in silence.

How they approach collaboration

“Describe how you like to work with teammates.”

“What frustrates you most when working on a team?”

“How do you handle time zone differences when collaborating?”

Listen for self-awareness. People who know their communication style and can adapt are gold.

What they need to succeed

“What does your ideal manager do that makes you most effective?”

“What kind of support do you need in your first 90 days?”

“What would make you want to stay with a company long-term?”

This tells you if you can actually give them what they need.

The Trial Task (If Relevant)

For most roles, a paid trial task is the best way to see someone actually work.

Not free spec work. Pay them. Even if it’s a small amount.

How to structure it

Make it real work. Not some made-up scenario.

Something that would actually happen in the job.

Keep it short. 2-5 hours max. You’re testing competence, not free labor.

Be clear about what you want delivered, format and tools they should use, deadline, how they should ask questions, and how much you’ll pay.

What you’re evaluating

Did they follow instructions exactly?

Did they ask clarifying questions?

Was the quality good?

Did they deliver on time?

How did they communicate throughout?

A trial task reveals more than any interview question.

You see their actual work. Their communication. Their reliability.

Must-Have Qualifications

Proven remote work experience

Someone who’s worked remotely before knows the discipline required.

They don’t need supervision. They communicate proactively. They manage their time.

If they’ve only worked in offices, there’s a learning curve.

Not a dealbreaker. But factor it in.

Strong written communication

In remote work, writing is everything.

Can they explain things clearly in Slack? Write coherent emails? Document processes?

Test this during the application and interviews. It’s more important than verbal communication.

Technical proficiency in relevant tools

They should know the core tools for their role.

Developers: Git, relevant programming languages, dev environments.

Designers: Figma, Adobe Suite, prototyping tools.

Customer support: CRM software, ticketing systems, help desk tools.

Marketers: Google Analytics, ad platforms, email tools.

They don’t need to know YOUR exact stack. But they should know the category.

Self-direction and problem-solving

Remote workers need to figure things out.

Look for evidence in their work history: launched projects independently, solved ambiguous problems, took initiative.

Ask: “Tell me about a project where you had to define the problem yourself before solving it.”

Nice-to-Have Qualifications

Previous experience with US/UK/AU clients

They already understand the communication style. The expectations. The pace.

Less cultural adjustment needed.

Industry-specific experience

If you’re in fintech and they’ve worked in fintech before, they’ll ramp up faster.

But don’t overvalue this. Skills transfer across industries more than people think.

Language skills beyond English

If they speak Portuguese and Spanish and English, they can work across multiple LATAM markets.

Only matters if that’s useful to you.

Qualifications That Don’t Matter As Much As You Think

University degree

For most roles, skills and experience matter more than a degree.

Developers especially—the best ones are often self-taught.

Years of experience

A junior person with strong fundamentals and work ethic beats a senior person who’s coasting.

Focus on what they can do, not how long they’ve been doing it.

Perfect English

As long as communication is clear, perfect grammar doesn’t matter.

Native-level fluency is unnecessary for most roles.

Office work experience

Some of the best remote workers have always worked remotely.

They’ve built their entire workflow around it.

Don’t penalize people for not having traditional office experience.

Red Flags to Watch For

Some warning signs you should never ignore.

Vague about availability

If they can’t commit to specific hours, they’re either juggling too many clients or not serious.

Reluctant to do a paid trial

Everyone legitimate will do paid work to prove themselves.

If they refuse, they’re probably not confident in their skills.

No references or portfolio

Everyone has someone who can vouch for their work.

If they claim they don’t, that’s suspicious.

Too eager to agree with everything

Yes-people are dangerous in remote work.

You need someone who’ll push back when something doesn’t make sense.

Poor communication during the hiring process

If they’re slow to respond, vague, or unprofessional now, it won’t magically improve after you hire them.

Dramatically underpricing themselves

Someone offering to do senior dev work for $5/hour is either not senior or not sustainable.

You’ll get a few weeks of work before they bail for someone who pays fairly.

Making the Final Decision

You’ve interviewed. You’ve seen their trial work. Now what?

Here’s how to decide.

Score candidates on these criteria (1-5 scale)

Technical skills for the role. Communication clarity. Cultural fit with your team. Reliability and professionalism. Problem-solving ability. Enthusiasm for the work.

Add up the scores. But also trust your gut.

Ask yourself

“Can I see this person on my team six months from now?”

“Would I trust them with an important project?”

“Do I want to work with them?”

If the answer is yes, make an offer.

When you’re stuck between two people

Pick the one with better communication. Technical skills can be taught. Communication is harder to fix.

Pick the one who seems more self-directed. Remote work requires autonomy.

Pick the one who asked better questions during interviews. Curiosity is underrated.

After You Decide

Nothing kills momentum like making an offer and then going silent for a week.

The hiring process doesn’t end when someone says yes.

It ends when they’ve completed their first successful month.

But that’s the onboarding and management part.

The hiring process is about finding the right person.

Do this deliberately and you’ll find great people.

Rush it and you’ll waste months on bad fits.