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The current context is prompting us to rethink our staff management practices, including our hiring process. Here’s a quick guide on remote hiring.
For a few months now, businesses have been operating in a context that’s prompting us to rethink our HR management practices, including our hiring process. It’s crucial to stay proactive by continuing to offer effective, innovative recruitment activities—it will make it easier for you to get back to business.
During the pandemic, businesses must use the new technologies at their disposal for their recruitment needs.
Naturally, welcoming a candidate with the good old-fashioned handshake is no longer standard practice.
However, your hiring process can be just as effective when done remotely. Here are some tips you can use for your video conference interviews.
Video conference interview: Inform the candidate
1. Contact the candidate by phone or email beforehand to explain how the video interview will take place. You want to make sure they have the right technological tools (computer, tablet or smartphone, internet connection, video conference software, etc.).
2. Do a test run before the meeting to make sure everything works and that the candidate is comfortable using the tools (that will help set them up for success).
3. Email the candidate at least 48 hours prior to the meeting to provide all meeting details: date, time, length and software to use (Teams, Skype, etc.).
How employers should prepare
As an employer, you should apply the same best practices you use for in-person interviews:
1. Be on time and be available for the candidate (avoid interruptions).
2. Choose a quiet place with good lighting.
3. Make sure you have a stable internet connection.
4. Observe a few moments of silence throughout the interview to allow the candidate to express themselves fully (very often, the candidate will ask some excellent questions towards the end of the interview).
Before you start, let the candidate know how long the interview will take, how many people are present and how it will go about in general.
The job interview process
For a first interview via video conference, we recommend not going over 45 minutes. You can address five to seven usual interview points, including:
- Career (résumé);
- Reasons for seeking a job change;
- Career goals and expectations;
- Achievements and successes;
- Understanding of the position they’re applying for;
- The type of business sought by the candidate;
- English proficiency (if relevant);
- Computer skills and salary expectations.
Use a structured interview questionnaire and real-life scenarios to guide you and make sure you don’t forget anything.
The meeting will essentially run like a normal job interview. You may consider the following as important elements during the video conference:
- Candidate’s presence, availability and level of comfort;
- How well the candidate prepared for the interview;
- How the candidate presents themselves (outfit, neat appearance, posture, language, etc.);
- The location chosen by the candidate (ideal, quiet, well lit, discreet, etc.);
- Non-verbal signs (e.g. tics, restlessness, signs of stress of discomfort, eye movements, etc.).
Before ending the meeting, ask the candidate if they have questions and explain the next steps of the hiring process.
If the candidate has an interesting profile, you can hold a second interview via video conference to help you delve deeper into certain specific aspects and use one or two other real-life scenarios.
Many employers have already been using a videoconference system for years, but not as much as they are now.
Video conference interviews ensure businesses are proactive, innovative and ready to go when it’s time to resume their operations.
If you have questions about the hiring process or other concerns regarding HR management, our experts will be happy to help you.