In addition to transforming where employees actually work, the Coronavirus pandemic is also affecting the staffing process.
After all, in-person interviews aren’t really appropriate in this era of mandated social distancing. Instead, companies are now relying on videoconferences to interview their top candidates. With an eye towards making the right virtual hire, here are a few tips on conducting interviews using video. Leverage these insights to get the best possible read on a candidate even when not in the same room. In the end, this process is not that dissimilar to interviewing candidates in person.
Hiring Via Video? Here Are 4 Tips For Doing it Well
1. Get Familiar With Being On Camera
For many people, seeing themselves on a videoconference for the first time is somewhat distracting. If your organization is currently conducting its internal meetings using Zoom, Skype, or a similar platform, you should be starting to get more comfortable with the process. Toggling off your on-screen image during an interview also helps you focus on the candidate.
2. Use a Similar Process as With In-Person Interviews
Other than the medium, video interviews generally follow a similar process as their in-person equivalent. Of course, this process needs to be well-defined and followed by your interview team. Using standardized questions and a scoring system is essential for accurately rating each candidate.
3. A Conversational Interview Approach Still Works Best
Determining a candidate’s cultural fit is an essential part of making the right hiring decision. After all, this fit plays an important role in their success with your organization, as well as your chances for retaining their services. So leverage a conversational approach during an interview to truly get to know a candidate. Open-ended questions leading to interaction between you and the candidate is the right approach.
4. Be Flexible With Candidates Unfamiliar With Video Interviews
So you are interviewing a great candidate from home and one of their pets makes an undignified appearance. Or perhaps they are suffering from technology issues throughout the interview due to a poor Internet connection. You need to be flexible when encountering these situations. In short, don’t disqualify a great candidate due to circumstances beyond their control.
Instead, focus on the interactions with the candidate and their answers to your questions. In the end, possessing the right technical skills and cultural fit are far more important than the quality of their ISP.
Looking for the right talent?
If your company needs help building a great team during a pandemic, talk with the experts at The CERES Group. As one of the top technical staffing agencies in New England, we provide great candidates able to make a difference for you. Contact us today to find the talent you need.