Remote Interviewing – Client Advice
During the Covid-19 outbreak many companies are implementing homeworking strategies as a safeguarding measure.
However, this doesn’t mean the hiring process has to suffer.
Many clients are now choosing to conduct their face to face interviews remotely.
Here we offer some help and advice to our clients on how to successfully implement and conduct a remote interview process.
Why conduct interviews remotely?
1. Simply put it’s a very effective substitute. Clients still get to see the candidate face to face and get a good impression of the person and their potential cultural fit within the business.
2. Flexibility. In the current circumstances most people are working from home. Capitalise on this fluidity of time. Interviews can often be waiting weeks for diaries to coincide. A remote interview can be held anywhere at any time with little disruption to all attendee’s day.
3. Timescales. A remote interview can be booked and conducted within a matter of hours. You have the ability to see a candidate and make a decision very quickly. You also have the benefit of interviewing numerous candidates with little disruption to your day.
4. You have an ‘out’. Quite often interviews go on longer than needed due to a need to fill the time slot and make the most of someone taking potentially a whole day off work to attend. During a remote interview if the feeling is that the candidate isn’t right the interview can be concluded quickly.
5. Staying ahead of the curve. Don’t sit back and wait until the situation calms down – other companies will not be waiting around to snap up those excellent candidates you are putting on hold.
6. Beat the rush. After the crisis is over there will be a rush to complete delayed projects and a huge push to find candidates. Remote interviewing means you already have your new staff signed and sealed.
7. Displays flexibility and adaptability. Show potential employees that you are able to move forward during difficult periods and adapt to changes progressively.
8. Niche skillset shortage. If you require niche skill-sets then you cannot afford to sit around waiting to see what happens. These candidates will not wait around for you to catch up.
9. Candidate worth. Adapting to the situation and interviewing a desirable candidate remotely shows that you value their potential to your company, you are wiling to do what it takes to speak with them.
10. Reduces risk. With the current Covid-19 outbreak many people are concerned with spreading the virus. Remote interviewing gives the benefit of being able to meet with numerous candidates with zero risk to public health or compromising your health and safety policies.
Client Etiquette
1. This is still a formal interview. Don’t be too relaxed in your approach and language, the candidate will be viewing this as a formal interview and you should do the same.
2. Don’t be complacent. Yes, the candidate wants the role but remember you are not only there to assess them, you are there to sell the role and the company too. They need to see your enthusiasm for them and the opportunity.
3. Appropriate location. Make sure you conduct the interview in a well- lit location with no distractions and good acoustics.
Remote Interview Technology
There are many different technologies that can be used to conduct remote interviews.
Some of the tools we know to have been successful with our clients are;
Zoom Meetings
Skype
Microsoft Teams
Don’t let the current circumstances stop you from hiring the best talent for your business!