While we’ve come a long way from 2020 and the impacts of the pandemic aren’t going to be over any time soon. Many businesses are finding out that some of the necessary changes offer more opportunities. This includes the ability to conduct much of their business remotely – cutting down on the need for real estate and time-consuming commutes. But for many, the changes begin even before a person is hired.
Many companies have now taken their recruitment and hiring process to the digital world, and some even hold the final interview online. While remote hiring and virtual interviews can be tricky, it’s possible to have as thorough interaction with a potential hire without ever meeting them in person. After all, they may be working remotely as well. Follow these three essential tips to get the most out of a virtual interview.
Prepare Your Team for Virtual Interviews
No one likes to waste their time during the job interview process – either the employer or the prospective employee. This is the first impression all parties will have the chance to make, so it’s important to be well prepared. You should have a clear, structured process to ensure everyone knows their role during the interview. The potential hire won’t know your process, which makes it all the more important that everyone on your end does.
Practice makes perfect, so if your company is transitioning to online interviews, it’s a good idea to hold several test runs before the first. This will help you work out any kinks in the software, figure out the best place in the office to hold an interview and make sure the sound and picture quality is just right. That way, by the time you launch into your first virtual interview, you won’t be falling into any of the common pitfalls.
Provide Candidates With Detailed Instructions
You can prepare all you need to, but the interview will only be effective if your candidates know what to expect. Even before they log in for the interview, it’s key for any recruiter to make sure the candidates know the process. Not only will this make the interview run more smoothly, but it’ll give you the first evidence of whether they can follow directions effectively.
Ensure your candidate knows the date and time of the virtual interview and the names and titles of anyone who will be present for the interview. This will make the beginning of the interview run more smoothly without lengthy introductions.
You’ll also want to make sure the client understands the name and functions of the video conferencing tools and calling tools. Learn more here: https://www.ringcentral.com/global-office-communications/international-calling.html.
This will allow them to familiarize themselves with the technology. If you have the meeting room details in advance, giving them out along with a link and password if needed can speed up the beginning.
Finally, make sure the candidate has a phone number to get in touch with you if there are any issues getting on the virtual interview. This is especially important when recruiting from abroad, as international calling can take a few extra steps.
Ask the Right Questions
Virtual interviews are likely here to stay, so managers are quickly learning how to make the most of this new system. Part of this is ensuring you ask questions to get the relevant information out of the candidate in the limited time you have. Questions should ideally not be answered with yes-or-no responses and instead prompt a positive dialogue. They should be relevant to the job and give you a chance to understand the client’s personality and temperament.
A virtual interview should feel more like a dialogue than an interrogation in the best of circumstances. You want the candidate to feel comfortable enough to open up and let you get to know them, and they should come away more excited at the prospect of working with your team. While maintaining a focus is essential to keep the interview efficient, vetting your questions with your team in advance can make everything flow smoothly.
A Better System
It may take veteran recruiters a while to get the handle of virtual interviews, but tech-savvy talent awaits. This new system opens up new opportunities for recruiting from around the world. Mastering the art of virtual interviews is the key to growing your team.
