RKIO
×
RKIO
×
Gerald A. | Jul 11, 2022
How do you interview your hourly workers? Due to technological advancements, global workforces and the increased convenience of working online, chances are that as a manager you recruit some people entirely online.
This means that everything from the process of identifying, attracting, interviewing, selecting, hiring and onboarding employees is done online. In this article we focus on the interviewing process and share tips to help you carry out great interviews online.
Online interviews need technology to run so the first step to carrying out a great interview online is to be sure the hardware, software, internet or whatever apps or platforms you will be using are working.
Do a trial run to be sure that you have got it right. If the interview will have another remote interviewer, include them in the trial run. This will ensure that whatever tools they will be using during the interview are working.
A failure in technology will disrupt the interview and at worst give the candidate the wrong impression of your company.
Just as you prepare and check your technological tools for the online interview, so should your candidate. Don’t take it for granted that they already know how to use a given platform. As you schedule the interview, let the interviewee know what tools you will be using.
You should also send a tutorial for how to use whatever platform, just in case. An interview makes a lot of people a bit nervous. They might not want to tell you that they do not know how to use that particular platform so eliminate that concern for them.
Proper scheduling is key to carrying out great interviews online. Several tools like Google calendar can help you with scheduling. Proper scheduling will not only help the candidate but the interviewer as well. You don’t want to miss an interview and have your candidate waiting online for you.
Some managers opt to do all their interviews in one day as opposed to spreading them out through the month. This can help you to remain organised and on time.
Another critical element of online interviews is getting the time zones right for global candidates.
You should not assume that a time suitable for you in your country of residence will work just as well for someone elsewhere. To be sure you are accommodative, ask the candidate what time works for them. If this isn’t possible, give them 3 options to choose which one works best for where they are.
Despite your best intentions, a computer may crash, a microphone may not work or the internet may fail. Without a plan B, this will mean that the interview will come to an abrupt end.
Prepare for any eventualities by having a backup plan. If one platform fails, be ready to switch to another. Let the job candidate know in advance as well so that if necessary, you can return to the interview seamlessly.
If that is not possible, have the candidate’s number ready. If a video link fails, you can call them immediately and either continue with the interview on the phone or schedule it for another time.
By the time you invite someone for an interview, you have had a chance to look at their CV and are interested in them. The interview is your chance to learn more about them and find out if they will be a suitable addition to your team.
Craft questions that are probing and that give the candidate a chance to express themselves. Open ended questions will give them a chance to share more. During an interview, you want to assess not just what the candidate says, but how they say it.
It’s important to recall that the candidate will be assessing you as well. Your questions reveal something about you and the company too.
Once you have gotten the interview prep out of the way, you can then focus on the actual interview.
To carry out a great interview online, you should look the part. Even though the interview is online, do dress up as if you are meeting the job candidate in person. This will speak to the professionalism you bring to the job and what you expect from the interviewee too should they be hired.
Conduct yourself in a professional manner, including siting up right, making eye contact and being polite.
Where you carry out the interview matters. It should be in a quiet place so that you can talk and hear the interviewee. Make sure there are no kettles boiling in the background, children running around or pets interrupting you during the session.
If you work from home and these distractions are part of your day to day life, consider renting an office space for the day in order to carry our interviews with no distractions.
Distractions can also be visual. You might wear headphones in a busy café but the person you are interviewing will be distracted by what’s going on behind you. A simple background is best during an interview online.
We like to think that we are great at multi-tasking but studies show that it is not the productivity hack we think it is. Multi-tasking can lead to mistakes and substandard work.
To carry out great interviews online, focus on the interview alone. This means signing out of your email if you are not using it for the interview, logging off of your socials and keeping your phone away.
Giving your full attention to the candidate shows that you are respectful and can make the interview a pleasant experience for everyone.
Online interviews can ease and speed up the recruitment process so managers of hourly workers in different fields can benefit from adopting them. With a bit of preparation, you will be well on your way to carrying out the best interviews online.
