Due to the recent events of COVID-19, businesses have had to either reduce the number of employees in the office or move entirely to working remotely. Hiring and interviewing heavily rely upon in-person interactions. So, how can companies shift this process to be done remotely, and what can individuals do to prepare for these adjusted processes? 

For companies, moving to an adjusted or entirely new hiring process may be difficult. Here are some tips on how to make the transition easier.

1. Make the hiring process longer. When hiring in person, it may be easy to gauge the interviewee based on only a couple of interactions. That is not the case for interviewing remotely. Consider adding more interviews and interactions with your candidates. This will help you get to know them better and how they will fit in with your team.
2. Use video conferencing. While phone interviews allow you to converse, video conferencing has the bonus of allowing you to see the candidate and the actions they present throughout the interview. This will give you more insight into their professional style as well as the behavior they will bring to the office.
3. Utilize written communication. Even if this is just conversing through email to set up interview times, you can use this information to assess a candidate’s writing skills and how they communicate.
4. Be creative with interview questions. Because you are not fully able to interact with the candidate being interviewed, try mixing standard hiring questions with customized ones. This will allow you to learn more about your candidates and the mindset from which they will approach their job.
5. Have contingency plans. Technology can be unpredictable. When using this as your main mode of interviewing, make sure to send back-up information to the candidate before the session starts. This way, if you or the individual experience any problems, you can default to the next plan in place. This will help shift the time you would be spending fixing the problem to conversing with the candidate.

 

For candidates, this process will be very different from the process you have practiced for. To help ease your nerves, here are some tips you can implement when interviewing remotely.

1. Do your homework. Make sure to research the company, the position you are interviewing for, and the person with whom you will be speaking. This will help you provide meaningful answers to the interviewer’s questions as well as come up with questions of your own.
2. Test your technology. To make your interview go smoothly, make sure you test the program you will be interviewing through, along with your computer camera and microphone. Test your technology as soon as you find out about the interview to make sure you have time to fix any problems.
3. Find a suitable background. Since you will most likely be video interviewing it is important to have a presentable background to interview in front of. Make sure that it is uncluttered and has minimal distractions to provide a professional atmosphere. Also, take the camera angle into account when you pick your place to interview. Having a good camera angle will be more pleasing/aesthetic to the interviewer.
4. Dress appropriately. Wear the same attire to your virtual interview that you would wear in person. Be sure to complete the look by wearing all components of your interview attire. You never know what may happen or if you will need to stand up.
5. Email the employer an extra copy of your resume shortly before your interview. This will allow the interviewer to be able to follow along with your resume as you talk about your previous work experiences.

This new interview climate may be tough to navigate, but these tips should help ease your worries.