How to Master Video Interviewing as a Hiring Manager
In the past few years, in-person interviews changed from the standard way to conduct hiring to an optional piece of the hiring puzzle. Video interviews are more popular than ever, and for good reason — they make scheduling interviews simpler, among other benefits.
But conducting video interviews is a little different than in-person ones, so hiring managers need to adjust their techniques to fit this newer technology to give your interviewees a great candidate experience. These video interviewing tips for hiring managers will help you make the most of your upcoming interviews and improve your hiring process.
Communicate Expectations Ahead of Time
Just as you would for an in-person interview, be sure to communicate often and early with your interview candidates. Tell them about the expectations you have for the interview — how long it will be, any prep they need to do, and that you expect them to have their camera on the whole time — so they can prepare to do their best.
Just because video interviews are more convenient to schedule doesn’t mean they are less crucial, so letting candidates know everything they need to do ahead of time sets their minds at ease so they can perform at the top of their game. That’s how you optimize your hiring efficiency.
Proactively Break the Ice
Video interviews often make candidates more nervous than in-person ones, likely because most of us have not had as much practice interviewing via Zoom or Skype. That’s why it’s extra important to spend some time breaking the ice before you get to the hard interview questions by asking about the candidate as a person. Then once they are settled in, you can move to the heart of the interview.
Of course, you should be careful not to ask overly personal questions, but even just some chitchat about the weather or their weekend can make your interviewee feel more at ease. Just be mindful of time, as candidates may have carved out only the time allotted for the interview from their work and personal commitments.
Pay Attention to Non-Verbal Cues
While it’s more challenging to read body language and other non-verbal cues when you’re not in the same room, it’s no less important during a video interview. Be sure to pay attention to all the information candidates are giving you via their eye contact, hand gestures, and other non-verbal cues so you pick up on how they’re answering, not just their verbal answers.
Ask for Team Feedback
One advantage of video interviews is that they can be recorded and shared with your team to ask for feedback on both the candidate and on the interview process as a whole. Consider sharing interview answers with other members of the team who will work with the new hire to see how they react to their answers.
And if you’re finding it difficult to get good candidates or strong answers via video interview, you can also ask your team for feedback on how your video interviews are structured. Perhaps there’s room for tweaks that will yield better quality answers, or attract better quality candidates, or other tips for video interviewing.
Customize and Personalize Your Video Interviews
The best interviews are customized based on the experience and expertise of the person you’re interviewing, while still being standardized to eliminate bias. But threading this needle can be challenging, unless you use a video interviewing solution like Cangrade.
Our video interviews allow you to add in a personalized introduction to your company, and customize the questions automatically according to the candidate’s Pre-Hire Assessment. You get a completely personalized experience via an asynchronous interview, which saves everyone time without sacrificing interview quality.
With these video interviewing tips and a comprehensive, bias-free talent platform like Cangrade, your hiring process will be more efficient and effective than ever.