How to Conduct Interviews Online

So you need to recruit IT or engineering candidates? The technical industry is always a challenge to hire in due to demand for top talent. However, COVID-19 has made it even harder. With the reality of this pandemic, your hiring process must change and this often means conducting remote interviews, during which you interview candidates online.

The good news is that today’s tech candidates generally expect companies to host these kinds of interviews. The bad news is that as an employer, they can be a bit trickier to conduct, not to mention harder to truly assess if a candidate is the right fit for you.

How can you handle remote video interviews in a way where you’re able to hire right, both quickly and in a way that’s cost-efficient? Here are some tips to keep in mind:

Prepare as you would for a traditional interview.

Even though the interview will feel a bit different than a face-to-face one, you still must prepare thoroughly. This means developing a list of questions that you’ll ask across all candidates, as well as specific ones to help you delve deeper into the background of each one. Also, research them online, read through their LinkedIn profiles, and send the interview time and link well before the actual video interview.

Troubleshoot to avoid any glitches.

Whatever software you’re using, make sure you do a technical check before each interview. Software can be glitchy and what worked yesterday, might hit some trouble today. So make sure that the visual and audio quality are good and you have time to troubleshoot if there is an issue. If you’re on a laptop or tablet, check that it’s also charged and ready to go ahead of time.

Have a plan B in place.

What happens if technical difficulties sabotage your interview? Have a plan B in place. This can include phone screens or rescheduling interviews to when you can conduct a traditional one, once it’s safe, using social distancing guidelines. In addition, if there’s a problem with the interview software or Wi-Fi at a certain time of day due to a high level of use, then try to schedule your interviews around it.

Get rid of distractions.

Remote interviews can be tricky because any noise or outside distraction is going to cause both you and the candidate to lose focus. If you’re both currently working from home, then dogs barking, lawn mowers, kids and other noises in the background might be the norm. But try hard to limit these distractions so you can focus completely on the candidate. The best way to do that is to conduct each interview in a private room with the door closed.

Assess body language.

The positive of video interviews over phone screens is that you can still see the candidate and therefore assess their body language. This can give you some additional insight into their level of confidence and enthusiasm, as well as their interpersonal skills. So don’t be so caught up in looking at your notes or jotting down thoughts that you don’t take time to watch the candidate and listen to what they say and watch how they say it.

If you’re not experienced with conducting video interviews and would like professional help, turn to Provisional Recruitment. Not only are we experts when it comes to all forms of interviewing, whether over the phone, in person or via a video call, but we have extensive experience in the engineering and IT fields. This means our engineering and IT recruiters know where to access top technical talent, so you can quickly fill your skill gap. To find out more and get help with your remote interviews, contact Provisional Recruitment today.