With COVID-19 and stay-in-shelter orders still in effect across the country, in-person interviews are not always feasible. Many companies are still working remotely and others are taking measure to be cautious as employees return to work. So what do you do when you need to hire additional staff?
The Interview Process has changed…Now what?
Tools such as ZOOM and Microsoft Teams make it very easy to conduct interviews just as if the candidate was in the office. Most companies will elect to use a video interview only for the top candidates chosen after the initial screening process.
So, whether you are new to conducting remote interviews or not, here are a few best practices to consider when conducting your next virtual interview to ensure you and your company look professional and like a pro!
Communicate details
Prior to a virtual interview, be sure to let candidates know what video platform will be utilized, what to expect during the interview, whom they will be interviewing and level of professional attire expected.
Set the candidate up for success
Provide a pre-interview test run a day or two before the interview to ensure no connectivity issues. This can be handled either personally or by one of the staff members on your team.
As with an in-person interview, most candidates arrive early. Therefore consider having a virtual waiting room with a host. The host can talk with the candidate and make sure they are comfortable before handing them off to the interviewer.
To provide a feel of the office environment, consider conducting a virtual tour of the office.
A virtual team lunch is a fantastic way to provide candidates an insight & introduction to their future colleagues and company culture.
Etiquette
Just as in an in-person interview, start off with introductions and some small talk before diving into the interview. This will help build a connection between candidates and interviews and most importantly help set-expectations for the interview.
When taking notes, consider taking them on paper. Typing while the candidate is talking can be distracting and seem like they are talking to an empty crowd.
If the interview is set for over an hour and with multiple interviewers, consider having a 5 minute break in-between interviewers. This will allow all parties to get a glass of water, take notes or have a bio-break, if needed.
Tech Support
Connection issues happen. The best way to deal with it is to plan for it.
- Plan A – Disconnect from the meeting and rejoin.
- Plan B – If the issue is still occurring, switch to audio only.
- Plan C – If the above steps fail, give the candidate a call to continue or re-schedule.
Post Interview
At the end of each session gather feedback from both the interviewers and the candidates to continuously improve your process. Zoom even allows the ability to add a poll so you can directly gauge the candidate’s experience.
The better experience you can create during the interview process let’s you focus on what is most important…interviewing. This also exemplifies your company’s core values and professionalism.
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