The last few years of working from home and hybrid made us all comfortable with (or at least used to) video platforms like Zoom. Just about everyone is used to seeing a box of the face on their computer screen and not thinking twice about it.
The same could be said for those in HR who recruit, interview and hire new employees or promote existing ones. According to a recent poll by the hiring platform Indeed, 82% of 1,100 respondents indicated that they used video platforms for interviews of candidates. Ninety-four percent said they’d continue to use video conferencing in the future.
The benefits are win-win
This more technological approach to hiring is here to stay because it benefits both the company and the candidate. Recruiters have access to a broader range of talent because geography is less of an issue, at least early on. Rather than waiting to schedule all the interviews, virtual can also speed the process by more quickly sifting through the initial interviews. Applicants can also invest less time and effort into applying for jobs since they are not traveling, have more flexibility, or have more control over when they interview.
Create a formal process
Formalizing the interview process better ensures consistency of interview metrics and equal treatment of candidates. HR can do this in two phases:
Prerecord: The initial interview should have a standard set of questions, which applicants can then address from the comfort of their workspace. This format should apply to all candidates, even when they are local or internal. The hiring staff can then view all of them, compare notes and pick candidates – this reduces the likelihood of one person’s hiring biases having undue influence.
Live interview: Companies can conduct this round of live interviews virtually or in person. It is critical to offer a choice of interview format to all candidates. Those who interview in person will have the advantage of using the traditional format, so companies will need to account for that when weighing the applicants’ strengths.
Reconciling those differences
The goal is to find the best candidate for the position. HR staff probably already know about weighing the differences between the formats to find the person they need. Hopefully, it will get better over time, but formalizing this process will help provide transparency. If the process seems opaque or unfair, candidates may wish to consider legal action because all workplace protections and rights apply to the hiring process as well.