At the beginning of the pandemic, many hiring managers were forced into virtual hiring with little notice. Most of them -- at least the successful ones -- pivoted quickly to video interviews, online onboarding and other virtual hiring techniques. In a recent survey, 63% of human resource managers reported recent use of video interviewing. But it's been two years now, and most of us have gotten pretty comfortable interacting via video and finding alternates to an in-person meeting. It's time to stop being satisfied with just getting by and committing to making the most of everything virtual hiring offers.

Employers See Benefits Of Virtual Hiring

In many cases, video interviews are proving more efficient. They can offer more insight than a phone screen without the logistical complications of in-person interviews. Candidates don't have to worry about getting stuck in traffic and being late, and you never need to cancel for issues like the weather.

Interview The Candidates You Want Most

It's easier to arrange a virtual interview with an employed candidate because jumping on a 30-60-minute video call on a lunch break is much more feasible in a 40+ hour work week than taking a half-day or more to travel back and forth to an in-person interview. As an employer, it offers the potential to draw from broader geography, whether the job is remote, or the candidate will be relocating.

Try Asynchronous Interviews

One-way interviews are a great way to conduct your initial screening. It's both efficient and standardized. It's fair because every candidate gets the same questions asked in the same tone. It's easy because they can answer the questions on their own time instead of fitting an interview around work, childcare or other issues. The interviewer asks a series of questions via recorded video. Candidates record their responses and send them back to the employer. The interviewer can share these responses with any decision-makers or interviewers they would like to include.

Best Practices For Virtual Interviews

While most people have grown accustomed to communicating via video, it's imperfect, and people on both sides can be nervous. Try these suggestions to get the interview off on the right foot and keep it on track.

• Tell The Candidate What To Expect
  Provide any materials with plenty of time to review them. Share a link with instructions (they may be familiar with a different video platform). Tell them who will be in the meeting and how long they need to set aside. Give them an alternate means of contact in case they have any issues.
• Do Preparations Of Your Own
  Log in early to ensure you have no connectivity issues or other glitches. Check that your setting is professional and that you won't be interrupted. Review resumes in advance, prepare questions and be ready to answer theirs.
• Be Engaging And Animated In The Interview
  Make eye contact, keep paper shuffling to a minimum and give the candidate your undivided attention. End the call by telling the candidate about the next steps in the process and follow up with an email reiterating the information.

With 93% of employers expecting to continue using virtual interviews, according to 1,100 respondents to an Indeed survey, it is essential to use this technology to your advantage in this competitive hiring environment.

Looking For Strategies To Improve Your Hiring Process?

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