Virtual bench: build relationships with hires months before hiring

Don't hire strangers. Build relationships with potential team members over three to six months through conversations and small projects before making formal hiring decisions. This 'virtual bench' approach lets you really get to know candidates in real work conditions before you commit. Virtual teams come with real trade-offs: you lose human broadband communication, body language, spontaneous conversations, and the ability to quickly gather everyone for discussions. But these trade-offs come with major benefits, including access to better talent from anywhere. The tandem interview technique also helps: two people interview one candidate simultaneously — one asks questions while the other takes detailed notes. This lets the questioner focus entirely on the responses and probe deeper while ensuring nothing is missed in documentation.