Part advice column, part career resource, we are here to answer your questions about job searching, hiring, culture concerns, recruiting, and business in general. If you have a question you want us to answer, submit it HERE. Be sure to tune in every Monday as we answer the questions that YOU want to know the answers to.
Q: As a hiring manager, how can I better prepare for video interviews?
We’ve discussed how candidates can have successful video interviews, but what about hiring managers or recruiters? Well, the advice is actually quite similar! First, we need to go over the benefits of virtual video interviews: it’s cost-effective (you don’t have to pay for candidate’s travel, parking, etc.), saves time (if you don’t think the person will be a good fit, you haven’t lost a lot of time), and you can broaden your candidate pool (people may apply that would not have before, plus you can get people from outside your city).
In prepping for the video interview, it might be good to just skip any phone interviews and go right into the video one. This can save time for both you and the candidate, and give you a better sense right away if it will be a good fit or not.
During the interview, it’s important to remember to:
- chose a platform that you trust and test it beforehand (Zoom and Teams are the best, but there’s many viable programs out there)
- give candidates the benefit of the doubt and be patient if their internet lags and creates delays on the video
- remain professional (dress as you would for an in-person interview and make sure your area is clear and not distracting)
- put some more effort into creating a rapport, especially at the beginning, to make the candidate feel comfortable (this is a new experience for many people)
- take notes and jot down feedback so you can remember what you thought about this person
- make sure to discuss things that aren’t obvious, like company culture and how things are running differently remotely
- you don’t need to reinvent the wheel; it should still be a normal interview, it’s just digital
What other video interview tips do you have for hiring managers? Feel free to comment yours below!
