No doubt the past couple of weeks have proven to be quite the learning
curve for most companies, who had perhaps never previously considered remote working as an option for staff, let alone an entire workforce.
I can imagine for the next few weeks it will be a case of finding your feet and doing the best you can whilst working remotely. However there will come a point when that vacancy you had deemed so pivotal for the business needs actioning.
So if you are an organisation that was thinking you would need to wait until a time comes whereby you can meet the candidates in person to interview, now is the perfect time to think again.
Give the technology available to you a go and with our step by step guide on
best practice for conducting a remote interview – This will ensure you don’t miss out on the best candidates available to you.
Pick a platform – I would always recommend using Zoom for an interview – you can set up a meeting and invite the candidate as well as other interviewers to the meeting. Check at least once with a colleague that all is working as it should.
Be prepared – Familiarise yourself and other interviewers with the
candidate’s CV and the job spec so to give the virtual interview the structure
of a face to face meeting. It is important to keep the candidate informed and
let them know who they will be meeting (on screen) – Both parties that way can prepare questions.
Have a strategy – Think carefully about the skills and attributes you’re
looking for in a candidate and design questions that will include each one.
Communicate openly – Keep candidates well-informed at each stage of the
process. Without being able to give them a welcome in person, when conducting a virtual interview it’s important to let them feel their time and efforts are valued.
Remove distractions – Be respectful to the candidate and position yourself
away from distractions, including phones, not positioning the camera in front of a window or computer screen. You want to stay focused on the screen at all times.
Reinforce employer brand – Ensure interviewers at all stages of the process convey a consistent message about the company mission statement and core values because again from a candidate’s perspective they are not on site with you so need to have these points reiterated to them.
Give the candidate time – Pause to ensure the candidate has given a full
response before moving on each time. In the test run check for any delays but also be aware that if you do talk at the same time – you are leading the
interview so instruct them to finish if needs be.
Double check you have left the interview before commencing debrief! No explanation needed.
As I have always said throughout this unprecedented time. If ReQuire can offer advice, or support with test runs or answer any questions you may have on this topic or anything else candidate/recruitment related we are here to help at any time and it’s all FREE!
Thanks for reading, stay safe!
LM