How to Help Candidates Stand Out During Video Interviews
Standing out and showing off one’s best traits during a prerecorded video interview can be difficult. There are few questions to answer, limited time frames, and no chance for a back-and-forth exchange with interviewers.
HR departments know that video and prerecorded technology is crucial to sorting through thousands of job applications and finding the right candidates. Fortunately, there are several ways to slightly alter the normal video interview so that the best applicants have a chance to come out looking professional, employable, and unique. It’s all about asking the right questions.
Ask Candidates to Put Their Best Feet Forward
Before video interviews, let candidates know that they should treat them just like in-person interviews at the office. This gives candidates the chance to rethink their attire, location, and overall disposition. Often, interviewees approach virtual interviews casually, showing up in pajamas, recording responses in messy bedrooms, and using blasé tones of voice.
Letting interviewees know that the digital interview process should be dealt with just like a normal interview means that those who present themselves well have listened to and understood your guidelines. This suggests that they are able to think ahead and solve problems in the work environment. Clues like these can help you make the right hiring decision.
Ask Appropriate Pre-Interview Questions
The digital pre-interview is a chance for hiring managers to screen some of the more promising candidates before inviting the best of the best in for personal interviews. Hiring managers can use pre-interviews to separate the wheat from the chaff, provided they use suitable lines of questioning to do so.
Interviewers should use key phrases to distinguish better-suited candidates from the rest of the pile. For example, when scripting an interview for a sales job, the interviewer should ask specific questions that pertain to that industry:
- “Please describe your sales experience. What verticals have you sold to?”
- “Can you tell me about your most successful sales campaign?”
- “What technologies and/or methodologies have you used to succeed in sales?”
This information is straightforward and can immediately help the HR department decide whether or not it wants to follow through with a candidate.
Connect With the Human on the Other End
Candidates are understandably nervous during interviews, whether they are conducted in person, over the telephone, or online. It’s worthwhile to set aside a minute or two at the beginning of the digital interview to show the candidate a human face, as that will put them at ease. Some organizations create a welcome video to help personalize the process. A few interview tips, a detailed explanation of the job and the hiring criteria, and a smile can go a long way.
Employers can use digital interviews to save time and money in engaging the job market, while creating great experiences for candidates. To get the most out of video interviews, the hiring staff must ensure that each candidate has a way to discuss their experience, training, and personal attributes in a comfortable, honest, and accurate way.