The Covid-19 pandemic has had a major impact on interviewing candidates. The overwhelming reduction in face-to-face contact has resulted in a fundamental shift to virtual interviewing of candidates as an integral part of the recruitment process.

We've put together a list of the top 5 tips to help ensure your virtual interviewing is as effective as possible.

1. Test the technology

A key difference of a virtual interview to a face-to-face interview is the technology. Ensure both the software and hardware is fully tested in the room you will be undertaking the interview in. Nothing will be more frustrating for you or the candidate if the technology doesn’t work properly and runs the risk of mishearing questions or answers.

This is even more important if there are multiple interviewers across multiple locations. Ensure you have an agreed structure in place as to who is asking what questions and in what order, to reduce the risk of people talking at the same time.

2. Increased focus on listening

Greater emphasis is placed on listening during a virtual interview due to the reduced ability to interpret the candidate’s body language. A continual awareness of a candidate’s tone of voice can help determine how engaged they are and the level of passion in the answers they are providing. If possible (and only with the candidate’s express permission), try recording the interview via the video software. This will allow you to solely concentrate on listening to the candidate’s answers and not be distracted by having to write them down.

3. Sell your brand

Many candidates get a feel for the culture of an organisation by attending their offices for interviews.

Without this element, it’s really vital to highlight and share your brand values and office culture with the candidate so they know what kind of environment they will be working in.

4. Body language remains important

Although it may be harder to interpret body language via a virtual interview, there are some aspects that can be assessed. In particular, ensuring you sit up straight and maintain eye contact with the camera as this will help create a more engaging conversation with the candidate.

5. Don't forget the basics

Just because it’s a virtual interview, it’s still really important to prepare properly. You should follow the same process as you would in a face-to-face interview with well-prepared, structured questions. Make sure you dress as you would if the candidate is attending in person and ensure you are in a quiet, confidential room to undertake the interview, free from any possible distractions and background noise.

Summary

As virtual interviewing becomes a standard element of the recruitment process due to Covid-19, it’s vital to ensure you can still assess a candidate effectively prior to making an appointment decision.

Although virtual interviewing can bring additional benefits such as greater flexibility for candidates who may not need time off work to attend the interview, the challenges it presents should also be acknowledged.

Following our top 5 tips above will help you address the key challenges and ensure you assess each candidate accurately and ultimately appoint the right one!

About Us

At Hiring Wizard, we are experts at providing fully branded and optimised advertising campaigns across all the major UK job boards and delivering significant cost savings for our clients. We also excel at creating bespoke and responsive careers microsites, designed to inform candidates and really demonstrate your brand values and your Employer Value Proposition. In addition, we have a state-of-the-art Applicant Tracking System and can even help you build an EVP if you don't already have one.

So if you want to improve the quality of candidates you receive through your own website, give us a call on 0161 696 8899 or email us on info@hiringwizard.co.uk