Move over to in-person interviews, as virtual interviews are gradually changing the way recruiters approach hiring. A virtual interview is much like an in-person interview, except that it happens remotely. In a virtual interview, the interviewer and the candidate meet over a video conference call or platform and exchange their views.
A recent report suggests that over 60% of HR managers have confessed using virtual and video interviews during the hiring process. Virtual interviews save the precious time of recruiters and candidates alike.
As a fact, virtual interviews have witnessed a 49% jump since 2011, and 74% of recruiters believe that virtual interviews have simplified their task of hiring the best candidate.
While virtual interviews have become the default, we still see the usual challenges associated with them. Read on to know how you can make the experience seamless and close to face-to-face interaction.
Top-3 Things to Consider When Conducting a Virtual Interview
The following are the Top-3 things the recruitment team must consider to conduct a seamless virtual recruitment drive:
Test the Technology and Lay Down the Guidelines
Laying the guidelines in advance is crucial for facilitating a professional virtual interview. The recruitment team needs to finalize the technology and communicate the same to the candidates. The candidates need to be aware of the expectations of the interview, specifically around the interview mode and platform.
Recruiters can send a consolidated email to the candidates with all pre-requisites required for attending the virtual interview. This will help the candidate to be prepared for the interview well in advance.
Testing the technology is essential before deployment. Some high-quality video conferencing apps in the scene are Google Meet, Skype, Cisco Webex Meetings, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams. The recruitment team must ensure that the technology suits both the interviewer(s) and the candidates. Staying extra cautious with the microphone volume helps, as a loud and untuned microphone may lead to background noise, ruining the interview experience for interviewers as well as candidates.
Another thing the recruitment team may consider here is what the interviewer and the candidates do with their videos. If a candidate is not okay with a video interview, they should be upfront. This needs to be communicated to the interview panel in advance. In such cases, recruiters can think of a telephonic round of interviews also.
Structure Your Interview Right
Virtual interviews are time-bound and need to be finished within the given period of time. A well-structured interview gives more clarity and helps the interviewer to finish the interview in time.
Unstructured interviews increase the probability of incomplete evaluation of the candidate. Since virtual interviews are time-bound, it is necessary to know more about a candidate’s profile before the actual interview. Knowing a candidate profile in advance will give an idea to ask specific questions. and helps interviewer to understand the candidate better in lesser time.
Rating and feedback scorecard will also help the interviewer avoid unconscious bias. As a result, evaluation is done more objectively. Recording discussions with candidates helps other panelists understand the candidate better.
Most high-quality virtual interviews are to-the-point and brief. The interviewer needs to prepare a list of essential questions and keep them handy. The questions must be aimed to understand candidate’s professional skills, future goals and analyze whether their goals align with the job requirements.
Background, Light, and Dress – 3 Things You Must Not Overlook
In a virtual interview, it is required to be every bit professional and there are certain basic things that tend to skip our attention. Candidates and interviewers should ensure that the respective phones are on silent mode, notifications for email, or instant messaging platforms are turned off and confidential documents are not open on the desktop.
If we talk about appearance, the background must be plain and appealing since a noisy and cluttered environment may distract the candidate. A well-lit room with a decent background will not divert the attention of the candidate.
The interviewer and candidates need to stay away from the window since light from an external source may hamper the visibility.
Although the interview is virtual, it is advisable to dress formally for the interview.
Also, during the interview participants need to be mindful of their movements. Moving around on the chair might seem more distracting in a virtual interview than an in-person interview. Both interviewers and candidates must be conscious of their eye movements since, in a virtual setup, these minor things are noticeable as well as distracting.
Conclusion
A recruitment management software can help you manage the logistics before or after an interview. Our integration-ready recruitment software can help you excel in the task by providing you access to real-time analytics and actionable insights. Check Talentpool for staying updated with the latest trends in recruitment.
