6 Tips to Conduct a Seamless Virtual Interview

A recent survey of Gartner HR found that 86% of organizations are conducting virtual interviews during COVID-19. With the majority of businesses shifting their interview process to virtual, it is the right time for you to grab this opportunity. And empower your talent acquisition team with a digital interviewing solution.

For some recruiters, digital interviews are a whole new thing to process and practice. If you’re one of those, don’t worry! We’ve got plenty of interviewing tips to help you conduct seamless online interviews. Grab these 6 online hiring tips to become a virtual interviewing expert:

1. Plan ahead

You may be wondering where you should start a virtual interviewing. Let’s make it simple for you! Like any other interview, a well-planned schedule before you invite candidates for the interview is a must. Before you start interviews, come up with a solid plan. And you should have in-hand answers Which virtual interview platform will you use? How many questions will you discuss with each candidate? List of essential topics to address? And how much time do you allocate to each candidate? Besides this, prepare a list of supporting team members having a basic understanding of technology.

2. Test your technology

Your time is valuable, and you would also not like to waste your candidate’s time. To make this happen, you should efficiently use your time. So, check your internet connection, camera, microphone, and video. And make sure everything works on your end.  You should also be ready with the possible solution to offer candidates if they would face technical issues when interviewing.

3. Find a distraction-free space

Pre-decide a calm and distraction-free zone for the virtual interviewing. If you are in the office, restrict staff from roaming around the interviewing zone and prevent loud discussion. If conferencing from your home, preferably find a vacant room and eliminate all possible audio and visual distractions. Avoid too much decoration and heavy background. It might distract the applicant’s focus. Must prefer an indoor space as background noise from public spaces can badly interfere with the conversation.

4. Give your setup a test run.

There is always the possibility that a number of things can go wrong when interviewing a candidate virtually. To fix this problem, conducting test runs can help you solve even small issues that you don’t have noticed yet. And assure you that your virtual interviews go well without a hitch.

5. Provide detailed instructions

Clear, precise, and step-by-step instructions to your candidates to participate in the interview help you optimize the interview conversion rate, reduce the number of no-show candidates, and ensure quality hires. Your candidates should have a crystal-clear idea about exactly what they need to do. And what will be their roles and responsibilities if they get selected. Clear instructions would encourage candidates to prepare their best for the interview. And help you find the best talent for the role.

Additional Reading: Traditional vs Virtual Interviews

To make your guidelines supportive for candidates, you should include the following information:

• Date and time of virtual interview
• Name of the virtual platform you have selected for interview (e.g., Jobma)
• Meeting room information (in case a password is needed)
• Link to the meeting room 
• Contact details to approach the interviewer (if needed)
• Any other important notes or suggestions

If possible, send a guideline to the candidate about how to start a virtual interview. This initiative will help you improve the candidate’s interviewing experience.

6. Look professional

Whether you are interviewing a candidate in person or virtually, you must act and look professional when interacting with the candidates. Remember, you are representing your company in front of the candidates. And they will judge your company’s brand based on your behavior. Be welcoming. Smile, and show that you’re listening to a candidate.  Avoid searching for answers on the internet or checking your social media accounts when you are interviewing.

Finally, sum up the interview on a positive note and encourage candidates to ask if they have any questions or queries.

If you want more tips for recruiters for an effective hiring, check the blogs and FAQs section of Jobma. You can also request a free demo to learn how Jobma can help you conduct a seamless virtual interview.