Technological advancements have played a key role in the growth of the flexible work movement, and one of the most important of those tech tools is video.
When you’re managing employees who work flexible schedules or occasionally telecommute, it’s hard to overstate the benefit of a quick video chat that allows you to both hear and see your colleague. And when your workers need to share documents or a presentation from different offices, the video options available to them are sure to help.
Another great use of video is available before an employee even starts working for your company. When it comes to attracting, interviewing, and hiring flexible or other workers, video interviewing can be your best friend.
Here’s how to use video interviewing in your hiring process:
You can create videos to advertise open positions and show off your company to potential new recruits, according to an article from RIVS Digital Interviews. The latter presentation can provide a compelling view of your culture, your environment, and your “happy and engaged employees.”
Once you’ve attracted the attention of those future rock-star workers, you can use video interviews to narrow the field. The RIVS article recommends that you “replace phone screens with pre-recorded video interviews to save time for candidates and recruiters, increase the quality of information collected, and keep the process moving quickly.”
An article from Spark Hire recommends that you pay special attention to your job descriptions and your company website when using pre-recorded videos for your first-round interviews.
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“When a hiring manager or recruiter’s face-to-face sessions with a candidate decrease, it’s important that the business’s website is there with updated information about both the job and the company,” the article says.
“Keep websites populated with details about open jobs. Don’t forget that this site is also an important PR tool. Use it to show off recent awards, big clients you’ve landed, or charitable work your employees have done. Highlight the kinds of people who work for the business.”
Then, as you prepare the video interview, start with a focus on clarity. Because you’re asking candidates to respond to canned questions, you won’t be able to correct the flow of conversation if they get off track. Make sure your questions are “cut and dried,” the Spark Hire article says, suggesting you ask things like:
— “How would your co-workers describe you?”
— “What’s your ideal work environment like?”
— “What do you enjoy most about your current job? What’s your least favorite part of the job?”
— “Discuss a time you made a mistake at work. How did you correct the issue?”
— “What initially drew you to this company/role?”
These kinds of questions elicit reams of information, not only about a candidate’s skills and abilities, but also about her personality and fit for a particular role. For example, if you’re hiring for a position that includes flexibility, but your respondent talks about her love of working 9-to-5 in an office setting, you might want to move on to the next candidate.
Reviewing Video Interviews
While reviewing video interviews, you should also pay special attention to nonverbal cues. As the Spark Hire article notes, “Applicants can speak volumes with their bodies and, in this case, with their interview surroundings, as well.”
Specifically, a good candidate should complete the video interview in a clean, well-organized environment, and he should be wearing professional clothing. He should be engaged and excited, with strong posture and clear language, the article says. And the video and audio quality should be good, as you could expect him to test it before he starts recording.
Spark Hire also recommends that you be forgiving of the technology your candidates are using for the interview, recognizing that “some people rely strictly on a work laptop, using only a smartphone at home … They may not have a desktop with a massive screen available for video interviewing.”
However, if you’re interviewing someone for a remote position, you may want to be less accepting of such limitations. In these cases, making sure the candidate has and can use the necessary technology could help you confirm that he will be able to communicate effectively on the job.
Second Round Interviews
Once you’ve found solid possibilities through pre-recorded video, consider using a live video interview for your second round. As noted in a GreenJobInterview article, this use of video helps with “reducing travel expenses, removing scheduling difficulties, and creating a more efficient way for long-distance candidates to meet with hiring managers.”
This may be especially important if either your hiring managers or your candidates are working flexible schedules or from remote locations. And as noted in the GreenJobInterview article, similar advantages can be found by using video for post-interview discussions and even for extending an offer.
No matter how you use them, it’s clear that video interviewing options can be important tools as you strive to find and hire the best employees for your company. And if either those doing the hiring or those who are hoping to be hired are flex workers, video could be even more important.
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