Many employers have sent their entire workforce home to work remotely in the response to the Covid-19 pandemic with talent acquisition teams now reassessing how they conduct candidate interviews and shift to a remote recruitment strategy which is an adjustment businesses need to make in order to move forward. As such it’s important you give it thought and get it right first time as an unpolished process can come across as unprofessional and damage your employer brand.

We have used video software to recruit for our clients for the last 3 years and have put together our hints and tips on how to effectively conduct interviews in order to ensure the best candidate experience possible.

• Outline your process

Put a formal plan together with your hiring team to ensure the process is clear and consistent. Agree the process and ensure your team are comfortable with how to interview virtually

• Chose a video platform and test the equipment

Once you have chosen your video software be sure to ensure your team know how to use it and ensure you complete test interviews to ensure you are in control of the process and there are no hiccups

• Fully prepare your candidates

Send confirmation of the interview to the candidate outlining how they access the interview, the format of the interview along with the relevant job description and any further information that will help them to prepare for the interview

• Set up a suitable interview space

Ensure the interviewer picks a quiet, well lit space to conduct interviews with a good internet connection. Sounds obvious but first impressions count and it’s a two-way process so ensure your team conducting the interviews are dressed appropriately

•  Highlight company culture

The most important part of any interview is outlining why a candidate should want to work for your organisation, in this situation they can’t see the office or get a feel for the culture within your business. Therefore, you need to take time to talk about company values, share stories and paint a picture of what it’s like to work there

•  Be considerate

Minimise background noise to ensure there’s no interruptions during the interview. Give the candidate your full attention and use positive body language. Show empathy with the situation

• Consistent questioning

Ensure you are consistent with your questioning to each candidate. Ask the same questions you would if it was a face to face interview, even consider a scoring system so you can provide structure to your interviews

• Consider pre-recorded interviews

If you have a high volume of candidates, you could consider a soul interview in the first instance whereby you provide the questions to be completed in the candidates own time. They record and submit their answers for you then to shortlist to 2nd stage

• Plan B

Ensure you have a plan B should you need it; the candidate is looking for you to control the situation so be prepared for things not to go to plan

• Follow up and ask for feedback

Be sure to send an email thanking the candidate for their time, manage their expectations in regard to when they will receive feedback and ask them for their feedback to constantly review and enhance your process

A well thought out and executed video interview allows you to deliver an exceptional candidate experience and will showcase you as a business they want to work for and will enable you to keep the process moving through the hiring pipeline.

If you are looking for a video platform that allows you to complete solo interviews, record interviews with one or more line managers, share screens and manage all of your candidates in one place then get in touch with our team, packages starting from just £299. For further details head over to our website https://www.chrysalisrecruitmentsolutions.co.uk/packages.html