At first glance conducting remote employee interviews and online proctoring of tests via webcam seems like a simple task. After all, you can use your computer and a webcam, right? Unfortunately, there are many pitfalls in this process, such as having significant lag time, bad camera angles, video or audio quality issues, and more. This article will discuss some of the things you can do to make your remote interview and proctoring as effective and efficient as possible.
Conducting a remote interview is a great way to get to know a candidate level, as you can see their body language and hear their tone of voice. It is also a good way to save money: with today’s technology, there’s no need to travel, even if the candidate is located in a different state.
Why spend after online proctoring services? A lot goes into hiring a candidate because you need to hire the perfect candidate. A good candidate lost is worth 2 because now you have an unsuitable candidate that you have to train and teach. This is the reason why most companies have many steps including the behavioral assessment for hiring. I wise hiring managers should never spend a lot of their precious time interviewing people for the wrong positions. In the first few minutes, try to gauge if the candidate is suitable and only then proceed for a detailed interview. This saves a lot of time, energy, and effort for both parties.
Remote interviewing has become the norm in these Covid – 19 ridden times where social distancing has become a compulsion. This has also opened up so many avenues for jobs in faraway places.
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Learn About The Remote Interviewing Etiquette:
These are some basic etiquettes that need to be followed for a better remote interview experience and can be followed by both parties:
- Lock the door behind you.
- Always keep the notifications of your mobile phone and the computer turned off.
- For recruiters, it is important to let the interviewee know the seriousness of the interview. Dress the part and demand the same from the candidate as well.
- Use better lighting angles and maintain the screen at eye level. Your body posture is important even in a remote interview.
- Being punctual and on time is a given. This is something that cannot be compromised.
- As you prepare to talk with a candidate, take care to remove any items in the room that might distract you, such as pictures of family, toys, or knick-knacks. In other words, leave your personal things at home. If you have a home office, you might want to close the door and declutter a bit.
Communicate The Interview Details Considerably In Advance
Communicating the interview details of when, where, and how in advance is very important and shows your seriousness and professionalism. It is important to let the candidates know if it is going to be a group interview or a one-on-one.
Let them know if both, audio as well as video is necessary. Let them know about the tool or platform that will be used and the guide to the same. Mention what they will need to prepare for and it is also recommended to add remote interviewing tips for candidates along with the information details. This shows that you are a considerate hirer and care about the candidates which will make them also want to put in more effort.
Stay Focused and Listen
As a recruiter, I’ve frequently found myself struggling to stay focused during a remote interview. From my experience, the biggest issue is not the lack of eye contact (although that does play a role) but the fact that when you’re not in the same room as your interviewee, it’s very easy to lose your train of thought. My advice is to write out an outline of the topics you want to cover before the interview and resist the temptation to deviate from it.
As the interview is taking place online and on a device, it is easy to lose focus and wander off in one’s own thoughts; especially when you have been interviewing so many candidates and Zoom calls have also become redundant. But try to keep the enthusiasm and excitement levels up. Listen to everything the candidate says actively. You can also use a pen and notepad to keep notes, remember, and stay focused! This will also convey the seriousness of the interview to the candidate.
During such situations, no verbal communication becomes pivotal and serves as a savior as well. Using hand movements, good body posture, and eye contact can prove to be highly beneficial. Try making the interview more conversational; keep it two-way.
Choosing the Right Tech/ Platform
There are many HR tools that are available for recruitment and online remote proctoring. It is very common and easy for HR people to work easily around these. However, if you plan to use such software for interviewing purposes, the candidate must be made known and aware of the same.
It is also important to check all the functionalities and what will work for both. Make sure that the tools used are easily available, supported, and simple to use with not many complicated functionalities. Onboarding, support, and implementation help must be provided in such cases.
Practice Before The Interview
This advice is usually given to candidates. However, it is equally relevant for the recruiters as well. Practice what you are going to say, run through all the questions that you have prepared. Now, this point also includes preparing the technologies to avoid last-minute glitches and inconveniences. If you are a novice at remote interviewing, you can try taking a mock remote interview of a trusted employee or a friend.
Have Other Options At The Ready
Whenever you schedule an appointment for an interview, after you have provided all the important details regarding the interview, make sure you give them a phone number or e-mail address where they can instantly inform you in case of any issues regarding the meeting. It can be a glitch in the system or an internet shutdown, or anything.
Even if you do not provide the alternatives beforehand, be ready with some alternatives. So when one option does not work out, you have the other and the other ready at your disposal. If the tool does not work out, you can be ready with either a Zoom call or a Skype interview. Yet another option for internet issues can be a telephonic interview.
Always Take Feedback
After interviewing the candidates, it is important to keep in touch by sending them a note thanking them for their cooperation and valuable time. Ask for their feedback as this makes the candidates feel valued and gives you better insights into your recruiting and interviewing process. Ask them about their experience and how the interview went. You can ask questions like :
– How was your interview experience?
– Was the tool used for monitoring easy to use and comfortable?
– What areas do you think can be improved in the interview process?
Out of all the tips and hacks, this will help a hiring manager improve the most. Remember to check the responses and analyze them.
