Video interviews have become increasingly popular during the pandemic due to their convenience, safety, and cost-effectiveness. However, they also come with certain challenges and risks such as technical issues, distraction, and lack of rapport. To ensure effective video interviews, it is important to test your equipment, software, and internet connection beforehand. Additionally, choose a quiet, well-lit and professional-looking location for the interview. Dress appropriately and maintain eye contact with the camera throughout the interview. Utilize open-ended questions, active listening, and verbal and non-verbal cues to engage with the candidate. Lastly, avoid multitasking, interruptions, and background noise during the interview.
As an interviewer, if you are going to be typing your notes and looking at a second screen, let the candidates know so they don't think you are multitasking and not paying attention to them. It's already been mentioned, but absolutely mute your notifications! As an Outlook user, disabling the pop-up that would show me emails coming to my inbox has dramatically reduced distractions in my work day and especially in interviews.
Virtual work environments have allowed recruiters and hiring managers to interview more candidates in a shorter amount of time. Adding video interviews provide the extra benefit of learning how candidates communicate in a remote environment. Providing expectations to the candidate prior the video interview such as the length, if you will be recording it, information that will be covered, and the link to join the video call. As the interviewer, you should arrive early, mute your notifications, inform those around you that you will be in an interview, and have the information needed to conduct the interview and take thorough notes.
When conducting video interviews, consider typing your interview questions into the chat feature as you're asking them. Doing this can help candidates create a focal point when they're nervous, and it's helpful in the event of technical issues or poor internet connections. If your company values inclusivity, this is also a great way to show your values in action.
Behavioral interviews are based on the premise that past behavior is the best predictor of future performance. They involve asking candidates to describe specific situations, actions, and outcomes that demonstrate their skills, abilities, and personality. To ensure effective behavioral interviews, you should use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your questions and evaluate the responses. Additionally, focus on recent examples that match the job requirements and company culture. It is also important to probe deeper into the details, motivations, and emotions of the candidates. Avoid leading, hypothetical, or vague questions that can elicit rehearsed or unrealistic answers. Finally, compare the candidates' responses with your predefined criteria and rating scale. Behavioral interviews can help you evaluate how candidates handle challenges, solve problems, work in teams, and cope with stress. This can provide valuable insights for hiring decisions and improving your organizational culture.
Based on many years of interviewing experience with hiring managers, I realise is that most are not aware of behavioural interview and the benefits of it. In most cases, interview sessions are purely unguided discussions about candidates' work experience and sharing of the job descriptions. At the end of the interview, they struggle to come up with an objective evaluation of the candidates and may end up hiring based on impression or personal preference which can lead to an adverse outcome.
When responding to behavioral-based interview questions, it's also important to include some reflection. What did you learn from this experience? What went well? What didn't? If you had to repeat the event you're describing, what might you do differently? What did you learn that could be applied in a new role? Showing humility and growth gained through lived experience can be very insightful for a hiring team. Managers should encourage these details, as well. Gaining this type of insight during the interview process is helpful in giving you a glimpse into how a candidate may respond under stress or other adverse conditions. It may also provide you with insight into a candidate's motivators, demotivators, and thought processes.
Structured interviews are a reliable and valid way to make hiring decisions, as they involve asking the same questions, in the same order, and using the same scoring system for each candidate. To make sure your structured interviews are effective, you should design questions based on a thorough job analysis and a clear definition of the competencies and criteria you are looking for. Additionally, use a mix of different types of questions, such as situational, technical, motivational, and cultural fit questions. Train your interviewers to ask the questions as written, avoid personal opinions or impressions, and record the responses accurately and objectively. Use a numerical or descriptive scale to rate each response and calculate the total score for each candidate. Finally, review the scores and feedback from different interviewers and sources to make a fair and informed decision.
A structured interview is vital in removing biases and subjectivity; however, it doesn’t have to be boring and scripted…the same questions should be asked to all, but can be done very conversationally to keep the candidate at ease. Further, do not forget to ensure all interviewers are prepared, understand the role and its objective, and know not only what questions should be asked to assess different attributes and competencies, but also what an accurate response should be (or what answer is not a good answer and why). Finally, all interviewers should complete their scorecards quickly and debrief with the other interviewers in the process to ensure objectivity.
Be careful not to focus too much on hiring for "culture fit," as this can create very homogenous working environments that stifle diversity and inclusivity. Instead, consider candidates who would be a "culture add." Such candidates can add a different skillet, a different perspective, etc. to the team, which can help improve innovation, increase revenue, and help a team be more well-rounded overall.
When using this approach I recommend that a simple scale of 0-3 points be used. Really poor-poor-good-great. It allows the interviewer to easily frame how to score each response. In addition, preparing sample follow up questions in advance can also aid the interviewer to help bring out the best from each candidate.
Blind interviews are interviews that conceal or remove some or all of the personal information of the candidates, such as their name, gender, age, race, or education. Their purpose is to minimize the influence of unconscious bias, stereotypes, and discrimination in the hiring process. Blind interviews enable you to focus on the skills and qualifications of the candidates instead of their demographic or social characteristics. To make sure your blind interviews are effective, use a third-party platform or tool to anonymize resumes and applications. Additionally, consider using voice-masking or text-based software to communicate with candidates during initial screening or phone interview stages. Also, ask objective and relevant questions and tests to assess the knowledge, skills, and abilities of applicants. Furthermore, be mindful not to ask questions that can reveal or imply personal information or identity. Finally, monitor and evaluate the results and impact of blind interviews on your hiring outcomes and diversity goals.
Gamified interviews are interviews that leverage elements of gamification, such as challenges, rewards, feedback, and competition, to create a more interactive and engaging experience for both the candidates and the interviewers. This could include using games, simulations, quizzes, puzzles, or scenarios to evaluate the skills, personality, and fit of the candidate. Gamified interviews can be beneficial in attracting and retaining talent while assessing their creativity, problem-solving abilities, collaboration skills, and learning capabilities. To successfully conduct a gamified interview, you should select or design an activity that is relevant to the job and company. Provide clear instructions and expectations to both the candidates and interviewers. During the game or activity be sure to observe and evaluate how the candidates perform and interact. Collect data and feedback from the game or activity to identify any strengths or weaknesses of the candidate. Additionally, you should balance both gamified elements with traditional elements of an interview process.
Often too much gravity is placed on the actual interview, and not enough on the candidate’s contextual behavior leading up to the interview. It’s important to highlight that the act of interviewing can be learned and how one comports themselves around the interview event may have as much or more relevance as the interview itself. I challenge hiring teams to take a step back and consider the vetting of -email composition quality and timeliness -how they interacted with coordinators or admins -their social media footprint -who they have listed as references -how they have discussed compensation expectations -How they applied to the role etc. Use the entire application and vetting process to evaluate the candidate not just the interview.
Interviewing is not about you getting the job, it is about the company finding the best fit. If they just wanted to fill a seat, the would hire the first person in the door. With that said, let your personality shine through. Be positive. Be engaging and for God's sake SMILE!!! This article does a great job of speaking about different types of interviews and all the contributors give some great advice, just remember, you made it to the short list, that is a win. Now go out there and shine!!!