Are you looking for advice and inspiration to a successful online interview? Read more in this article and get inspired on how to effectively conduct interviews online.
Preparation
- It is recommended to conduct interviews as a video conference. Video conference is the closest you get to a face-to-face interview. You get to see the nonverbal gestures which are an important part of a conversation.
- Inform the candidate prior to the meeting whether you make use of webcam for the interview.
- Inform the candidate if there is anything they need to prepare beforehand.
- If there will be more than two participants present in the conversation – make sure to agree with hiring manager about what your roles are and how much and when in the process they can ask questions.
Technical Aspects
- Make sure all technical equipment works. Too often you miss the first minutes of the conversation dealing with technical issues. Make sure to get a smooth start of the conversation and allocate extra time for this.
- Consider using headset with a microphone instead of the microphone in the PC, tablet or phone to avoid unnecessary noise and echo.
- Make sure to sit in a room undisturbed and be aware of windows where people walk by and which you or the candidate can see as this might cause disturbance.
- Turn off/mute when you are not the one speaking
- If you do not have a really stable internet connection, consider turning off the camera and conduct the interview as if it was over the phone.
- Always make sure to have a contingency plan if the intended technical aspects do not work. Quickly change to the other option instead of spending too much time trying to fix the issue. It will have a negative impact on the flow of the conversation. There are many good free alternatives like Google Hangouts and Zoom if you are not using Skype/Teams.
The Feedback/Interview
- Make sure to address confidentiality prior to the conversation. Inform that you are in a closed room. The candidate is not aware of your surroundings.
- Allow for more pauses during the session than you normally do and pay attention to the pace. It is important that the candidate has the necessary time to reflect.
- Be especially aware of whether the candidate has understood the questions asked. Clarify and repeat if necessary.
- Inform the candidate if you are taking notes to make sure that the candidate knows the reason if you are not looking at the camera.
- Be as specific as possible and ask only one question at a time. Focus on the competency-based interview.
Finalizing and Wrapping-up
- Make sure to allow time for additional questions by the end of the interview.
- Thank the candidate for the flexibility and inform about which person to contact in case of additional questions after the interview has ended.
- Inform the candidate of the process to follow and when to expect to hear from you/your company.
Finally, we recommend to follow-up with competency-based reference taking if you choose to proceed with the candidate in the recruitment process.
We hope this will give you inspiration for conducting interviews via video conference and phone. If you have any additional questions, do not hesitate to contact us at mail@savilleconsulting.dk or +4570221050. We are here to help.