How to Organize Remote Interviewing in 2022?
How to Organize Remote Interviewing in 2022?
Introduction
Remote work interviewing is becoming more popular in Covid times. Here we have collected some tips and trends for the upcoming 2022. For HR personnel, hiring managers, and recruiters, remote interviewing is now a necessary skill. A large number of organizations are conducting virtual interviews to evaluate and hire new employees. Check out some ways to recruit top talent here.
In remote work interviewing, your ability to read someone’s body language is limited; however, sometimes body language can be misinterpreted. This may be an advantage as now you have to focus more on the content of what candidates are saying and less on how they are sitting and moving. Recruiters and hiring managers have to learn to establish rapport and objectively evaluate candidates without face-to-face interactions.
Here are some tips for interviewing remotely:
- Evaluate your present interview process
If you’re switching to remote interviewing, now is a good time to review and streamline the process you already have. Is it effective? Since you won’t be meeting the candidate in person, your interview process must be structured to make sure you can assess applicants’ skills, competence, and suitability for the job.
- Select the Right Communication Tools
When remote interviewing, having the right tools is key to success. You will need a high-speed and reliable internet connection and easy to use video chat platform with high-level security. You may use video platforms such as Skype or Zoom, etc., to host the interview. You may use dedicated remote interviewing tools that offer you additional functionalities for efficient recruiting, like embedded evaluation forms and interview recording. Ensure that the interviewee knows how to use the software platform you plan to use. Here is a review of some remote interviewing tools.
- Prepare for it
Good preparation is the key to a successful remote interview. Test the virtual platform and ensure that the candidate has access and familiarity with the platform. Review the job description and what the main job responsibilities will be. Review the candidate’s resume and compile a full list of interview questions you plan to ask.
- Plan the Interview Time
Send a detailed schedule to the candidate to make sure you’ll stay on topic and make the most of your time together, including breaks for interviews if it is longer than 60 minutes. Identify the hard and soft skills, attributes, and competencies that are most important for the position. Review your interview checklist to ensure that you are asking all the relevant questions to get a good insight into your candidate.
- Avoid Distractions.
Get rid of all potential distractions by finding a quiet space. Minimize any ambient noise in the room you will be using. Check that the background is clutter-free and professional-looking and that there is sufficient lighting for the video. Turn off notifications on your computer. Set your mobile on mute, arrange to lock your door, and put up a ‘Do not Disturb’ sign to avoid unintended interruptions.
- Reduce the Awkwardness
Take extra efforts to put candidates and yourself at ease in video interviews. It can lighten the mood just to acknowledge any lag in video or other problems. Both you and the candidate should have the time to make sure you can hear and see each other so that any technical difficulties won’t eat into the interview time. You could even prepare a few questions for small talk beforehand.
- Keep Your Focus on Communication
Have a clear picture of who and what you need for this position. In a remote video interview, it is often difficult to focus, as video chats are sometimes distracting and require more concentration.
Body movements, facial expressions, eye contact, hand movements, body posture, even tone of voice carry depth and create meaning for the words we are saying. When remote interviewing, most of these non-verbal cues are not easily observable, making it harder to communicate. You need to listen actively to what the interviewee is saying.
- Introduce your Company Culture
Devote a significant portion of your interview process in telling the candidate about your company. Give background introductions, talk about your company culture, and core values. Talk about the atmosphere in the office, the team rituals, and events, etc.
- Do they have Good Remote Skills?
Keep in mind that not every professional is cut out for remote work. To ensure you hire someone who will be successful as a remote employee, make sure you’re asking about their remote skill set. Here are a few skills to consider:
- Ability to work alone
- Time management
- Organizational ability
- Good and concise communication ability
- Ability to handle tech stuff easily
- Proactive and ready to learn new things
If the candidate has worked from home before and done successfully, that probably means they have a good handle on how to do it with you. However, a lack of remote work experience shouldn’t necessarily disqualify a candidate who possesses other skills that you’re looking for.
- Have a Backup Plan
Remote interviews rely on technology. And technology can also fail. Have a backup plan in case something goes wrong. For example, if the internet connection fails, make sure you have the candidate’s phone number so you can easily switch to a phone call from a video interview or have a system set up so you can reschedule for the first possible opportunity. You may record interviews using a screen recorder for later review.
Conclusion
Developing a structured interview process, making it a two-way, informative conversation, focusing on candidate communication before and after the interview goes a long way in conducting productive remote interviews. Remote interviews can be effectively used for hiring your employees. But you have to pay extra attention by building good connections with the right candidates as you both have to do it without actually having a face-to-face meeting.
