Almost every organization has approved for the work from home scenario during the COVID-19 outbreak. During this scenario, the recruiters of every company have to adjust, they still need to perform the hiring according to the requirements of their company. The real big challenge is how to conduct the interviews like it was before the pandemic. Video interviews are the solution, the hiring manager needs to make changes to their talent acquisition strategies. In this article, you get tips and how to conduct video interviews like a professional. 

Prepare For An Interview

Even if you are an experienced interviewer or a new one, preparing for the video interview is the first thing you can do. A video interview done without any preparation can leave the candidate feel the company as unprofessional. Here are the tips to begin with the video interview process:

• Make a plan 

Create a hiring plan for the entire team & how things get completed, stay in sync with your hiring team. Make a checklist of all the necessary points for the candidates, if there are any steps they need to follow before the video interview takes place. If there is a written test or other formalities. 

• Test your equipment

Choose a common video interview software & understand the in and outs of the software. Prepare the candidate’s login credentials is a thing to keep in mind. Provide all this information beforehand to the candidate. 

Hold some test interviews beforehand with your team members to get an exact feel about the interview. Try to look for the common pain points a candidate can have during the video interview. There are a lot of video interview applications available and you need to use one according to your requirement. 

• Prepare a good interview space

This goes both ways, both the candidate and you need to have an interview space that is well-lit and comfortable. Ensure that you have a good internet connection if the candidate can’t see the interviewer properly, it harms the interview experience. You don’t want the candidate to tune the settings during the interview process. 

• Continuous feedback is important

Take the feedback from the candidate about the interview process and tell them to complete a simple survey. Take their input from the feedback survey and improve your video interview process. Keep the survey questions simple and how the interview process went.

Tips For Conducting A Video Interview Like A Pro

When you are prepared with all the information & now is the time for the video interview process. Use these tips to ensure that the interview is productive and professional. 

• Dress properly 

Even if you are no longer present physically for the interview. Taking the interview in a shirt or jeans is not advisable. Go with the attire that you will wear for your office. You can wear a shirt and tie for that professional look. It shows the candidate with the company culture and how professional as a company you will going to be. 

• Ask a regular set of questions 

Regardless of the interview format, it’s important to create a set of questions that suits well for the profile of the candidate. You don’t need to wholly change the questions, continue the use of questions that you already use. If any candidate arises any questions during the interview process, you are more prepared to answer any query. You can also use an interview scorecard to remain unbiased during the interview. 

• Take the help of pre-recorded interviews

If by any chance, there is a constraint to schedule the video interview. Take the help of a pre-recorded interview. Provide the candidate with the number of questions and be specific about them. Don’t ask too many in-depth questions. Ask the candidates to submit their answers and share the video with you. Be clear about the file format and the platform where the candidate can share the recorded interviews. These pre-recorded interviews are among the popular recruitment trends nowadays and help the hiring managers to streamline the process. 

• Mute your phone notifications during the video interview

It’s your duty to stay attentive during the interview process. Video interviews demand more attention from the interviewer. Continuous phone notifications and calls during the interview can leave a bad impression on the candidate. It acts as an unwanted distraction that is a waste of time for a candidate and the interviewer. It’s an ideal time to show your company’s value and brand values to the candidate. Having continuous notifications can break down the flow of the interview and can impact the hiring process. 

• Log in early for the video interview

Don’t let your candidate wait during the video interview, they might get confused about the right time of the video interview. Try to be available 5-10 minutes before the actual time of the interview. Use this time to have a final check about the equipment and if the software is working properly. Being on time will leave a positive impact on the candidate and begin the interview on a positive note. 

Best Software For Video Interviews

Here are some of the best software you need to use for your video interviews. You need to rely on a video platform that is popular enough and already known to the candidates. 

• Zoom 

Zoom got more popular during remote working. The platform provides a single solution for audio and video conferencing, messaging and webinars. The ease of use platform makes the company implementation simple. There is also a video recording option. It’s the best value and returns on investment. 

• Google Hangouts Meet

Google hangouts meet is another viable option for video conferencing. You just need a link for a meeting and you are good to go. It is easily shareable via Google Calendar and there is no invite issue. Even every candidate is already familiar with the hangouts, so there is no problem & available for both Android and iOS users. 

• Skype

Skype is the original video conferencing app and is popular among companies. It offers HD video calling, screen sharing and other viable features you need in the software. Skype makes the video calling effortless and is ideal for interviews.