In today’s world, virtual interviews are becoming more and more common. Though the technology offers flexibility and convenience, there are some extra steps you’ll need to take to ensure your candidate interviews are seamless.
After all, you don’t want a technical glitch to get in the way of learning about a potentially great-fit applicant. Nor do you want to send the message to candidates that your company isn’t professional and able to conduct a simple Zoom interview.
With that said, what are some ways to make the experience easy for candidates and stress-free for you? Here are six tips:
What Are The Best Ways to Conduct Zoom Interviews?
#1: Send out invites ahead of time
Don’t wait until the last minute to send out your Zoom invite to a candidate. Send it to them a day or two ahead of the interview. This will give them a chance to test everything out from their end, so there isn’t a problem. They also won’t have to stress about when they’ll get the link and can log in ahead of time, so they feel more at ease.
#2: Follow a checklist
As a hiring manager, you probably conduct a lot of Zoom interviews. It’s, therefore, easiest to create a checklist to follow with each one. For instance:
- Test your audio and video connection to ensure there isn’t a problem.
- Wear a headset to reduce possible noise from the background.
- Use a blurred or virtual background to keep your surroundings looking tidy and professional.
- Check lighting to make sure it’s at the right level and that there’s no glare bouncing off your glasses.
- Close all your browser tabs, so they don’t take up memory, and also turn off notifications.
- Make sure your phone is turned off or at least silenced for the interview.
- Log in a few minutes ahead of the interview to give yourself time to deal with any issues.
#3: Keep your questions nearby
Just as you would with an in-person interview, make sure you prepare a list of questions and keep them handy. Having a copy of the job candidate’s resume nearby can also help you to reference key facts or information during the conversation. Jot down any notes that are important to remember. You can later reference these to refresh your memory and compare candidates.
#4: Be personable and professional
The way you come across in video is sometimes different than in person. Since the candidate is looking directly at you, make sure you’re smiling, nodding, and sitting up straight to ensure you appear engaged. Eye contact is also important. Look into the webcam, though, not the candidate on the screen, to make eye contact. In case there’s any lag time, pause for a moment to ensure the candidate is finished answering each question.
#5: Be understanding if there’s a technical issue
If the candidate is having technical issues on their end, be patient. Everyone has them from time to time and, while it might be frustrating, being understanding can go a long way at putting them at ease. They might not use Zoom as often as you do and therefore might require some extra time logging in and navigating the software.
#6: Offer follow-up information.
Once you’re both done asking and answering questions, explain the next steps of the interview process. Let them know when to expect a response, so they’re not waiting around and stressing out. Also, if you decide they’re not the right fit, call or email them immediately, so they can move on with their job search.
How Are You Conducting Zoom Interviews?
As one of Orlando, FL’s award-winning staffing agencies, Future Force can assist you with all aspects of it, from sourcing and screening candidates to interviewing them, conducting background and reference checks, and more. You’ll get talented, hard-working candidates to consider, making the hiring process easier, faster and less costly. Contact us today to learn more.
