Companies around the world are taking precautionary measures to protect their employees and customers against coronavirus. To slow the spread of COVID-19, companies have adjusted by making adjustments to recruitment practices.

This is true not only for companies but also for recruiters and hiring managers who are changing up how they conduct interviews.

While video interviews may not be a new concept, for many recruiters and hiring managers this type of interview may be difficult to conduct with remote candidates. Video interviews can be more difficult than traditional phone or in-person interviews, and they require more time investment from both the interviewer and interviewee.

The good news is that video interviewing technology has come a long way in recent years. This means there are still ways to conduct an efficient remote job interview with quality candidates while meeting company goals of reducing COE.

Video Interview Tips for Employers

Despite not being new, though, a huge chunk of the industry is still unfamiliar with how to integrate this method into their overall procedure. Those who were forced to give it a go may already have found a way to make it a part of their hiring process but those who paused hiring and onboarding processes in the past year may need a tip or two on how to do so effectively.

To assist in this area here’s a very quick guide on how companies can integrate video interviews into their already established and well-tuned hiring processes.

Why Add Video Interviews to the Hiring Process

Before going into the steps of adding video interviews in one’s hiring process, it would be useful to go through the list of advantages this method can offer. It’s an extra step that some recruiters may not be too thrilled about but it has a number of pros that help it make a good case for itself.

1. It will let you interview without any issues with time zones.

Since the process is done online, the employer or the applicant can easily adjust to time differences when recruiting from other parts of the country or even the world.

2. It will let you save time.

Squeezing in a video call is easier to do than setting an in-person appointment for a lot of people. This makes video interviews a lot faster to accomplish, allowing recruiters to reach more candidates in a smaller amount of time.

3. It can boost attendance.

Since there’s no need to commute and conflicts in schedules can be minimized, video interviews offer higher attendance rates. 

4. Video interviews can be recorded.

As long as the interviewee is informed and consents to the recording of the video interview, these interactions can certainly be recorded and referred to later on. Recruiters can go back to it or show it to other colleagues involved in the hiring process. It’s convenient as there’s no more need to go back and forth with the applicant and go through the same set of questions over and over again.

Get Familiar With The Necessary Technologies

The very first thing to do if you wish to add video interviews to your hiring process is to learn about the tools and technologies required to carry out the task. You’ll need the right hardware and software for this task and there are lots available. Not all of them will suit your needs so it’s important to find the right ones.

The most basic requirements in this area are computers and an internet connection. Both should have the capacity to run a video call program. The devices that are going to be used for the interview should also have a good quality microphone and camera to ensure proper communication with the applicants.

The right video-calling program is also an important element in this process. There are lots to choose from nowadays so there’s no need to worry about options. There are free options like Zoom and Google Meet but there are also recruitment-specific solutions like Spark Hire and VidCruiter that can offer more to you and your applicants. It would be ideal to do a thorough comparison so you can be sure to use the right tools for the job.

Add Video Interviews Early On

Some experts believe that video interviews are great tools for screening applicants more thoroughly. A lot of companies do video interviews in the later parts of their hiring process but it can also be a good alternative to screening calls. This alternative to a face-to-face interview will tell recruiters a lot more than a simple phone call.

Standardize The Review Process

Face-to-face interviews have standard review processes so the same should be done with video interviews since they are now replacing certain in-person procedures. The steps can follow the format of in-person interviews with the addition of certain elements that are made available by the new setup. 

Prepare Your Video Interview Questions Ahead of Time

In order to get the most out of your interview, be sure to plan it accordingly and stay on track. Write down what questions you’d like to ask in advance to ensure they’re all answered before the meeting ends

Start the video with some ice breaker questions to help put the candidate at ease. Video interviews can be just as unfamiliar to the job seeker as they are for you.

Once you finish screening candidates, you’re ready to ask in-depth questions. For example, you might want to know their skills and past work experience as well as a few behavioral interviewing questions that explore how the candidate used skills in prior positions.

We also recommend having some prepared remarks at the beginning of your video interview so that you can start off on a solid footing. Prepare a sentence or two before you start speaking so that you know what to say and have the confidence to make a good impression.

Try To Control Background Noise

Finding a quiet location to conduct video interviews is a best practice for those who work from home. To minimize interruptions, make sure that your spouse and children know an interview is happening and ask them to be on standby while the interview takes place.

Sometimes, regardless of your best efforts to create a quiet environment for video interviews, background noises like lawn mowing or barking dogs are going to slip in. Though you might feel frustrated by this eventuality, it’s worth keeping yourself positive as there is still hope that the sound leakage won’t ruin your interview entirely.

Keeping a level head in interviews can be difficult, especially if you have background noise. While the interviewee probably isn’t able to control the sound environment, as an interviewer, noting possible distractions from the start makes it clear that you are in control. Plus, acknowledging these pre-existing distractions prevents them from feeling awkward when they inevitably come up.

Maintain Your Professionalism And Be Personable

There are many ways you should be acting in a video interview that would differ to an in-person meeting. From what you wear to what you say, there is minimal difference. Talk to the candidate like if they were right next to you and even pay attention by actually sitting up straight — this shows them that their words have merit.

Eye contact is essential for video interviews. Make eye contact with the webcam – not the candidate on your screen – and remember to use a liberal amount of eye drops to provide yourself enough moisture in order to avoid dry eyes.

Pausing between questions and checking for signs the candidate is ready to answer is just as important during a video interview.

It’s also important to make sure that you’re not miscommunicating due to the differences between video and in-person communication. There are some subtle gestures we do in person, such as eye contact or looks of confusion, which don’t translate well to a camera. Additionally, your tone can be misinterpreted easily since it won’t match your body language.

Review and Tweak Your Process

Most companies are still practically winging their video interview processes and that’s fine. As mentioned above, for many, it’s a new method that is enforced out of necessity. It doesn’t have to be perfect right away. There’s always room for improvement when it comes to this task. 

What’s important is that you take a good look at the process and improve it accordingly if there are areas that need to be enhanced or developed. 

So far, applicants have had a positive reception of video interviews. The setup is beneficial to them as well as it eliminates the need to disrupt their current routine as well as travel. When done correctly, it can certainly be a favorable addition to any hiring process.