Adopting Video Interviewing Technology: Tips You Need to Know
Recruiting has long been a dynamic field and it’s always been important to our company to keep up with the innovations that help us recruit talent and pair job candidates with the companies that need them. Key Corporate Services recently upgraded our phone systems to include video conferencing capability, for instance, so that we can easily meet with candidates and clients near and far. Although we’ve long been relying on technology to meet with clients and candidates, we know that the recent pandemic has called for some new robust protocols that will enable us to work and meet remotely successfully. If your company is new to using online platforms for interviewing remotely, use the following tips to help.
Find the Right Tools for You
Our company has chosen to use RingCentral, an all-in-one phone and video conferencing solution. There are various applications you can choose from today on which to conduct interviews. Some tools are free but if you tend to conduct a wide range of interviews, you may want to subscribe to a service. Take time to explore the various types of applications and software available today. Although we’ve been happy with Zoom, you might consider other software products and their features.
Help Candidates Prepare for the Interview
With all the different interview platforms available today, you can hardly expect job applicants to have a command of the one you work with. Be kind to candidates by prepping them for the interview. Let them know about the platform you use ahead of time and provide them with a link to the platform’s tutorial if it has one. Some candidates are more tech savvy than others, so take time to create a helpful set of step-by-step instructions for applicants so they can get comfortable with the interview software or platform before you conduct the interview.
Focus on Professionalism
It’s important to treat your online interview like any other. Don’t multitask while you are interviewing a candidate and dress as you would for any office interview. Today’s software programs are helping users get past the barriers of the screen with improved clarity and speed. Just as you are focused on professionalism, you’ll want to see that candidates, especially executive management candidates, are also treating their online interview just as they would an in-person interview.
Prepare Your Questions
As with any interview, you’ll want to have a list of prepared questions to ask candidates, but be sure to take this a step further. Tailor some of your questions to the candidate on the screen. You don’t want to have to look down during your video interview in order to read their resume. Get to know their credentials and experience before you conduct the interview so you can maintain good eye contact and gauge their expressions and answers to your questions. Ask open-ended questions that allow candidates to reveal as much as possible about their experience and career goals.
Although the recent pandemic has required many companies to embrace technology in ways they never expected to, the use of video interviewing is not new at all. As one of our partners Dave Kerns mentioned, “we’ve been using video interviewing software for quite some time because it’s effective and convenient.” As your company looks to technology to enhance its processes like interviewing, be sure to keep these tips in mind and develop a strategy for embracing new interviewing technology. Of course, we’re excited to show off our new phone system and would be happy to share our experience with you and help you adopt the right technology for you.
