Tips & Tools to Interview Job Candidates Remotely

By Talentwolf

Thanks to new technology and the Internet, you can easily reach out to top talent from all across the world. Recruiting no longer has to be local and you can source the best talent in the world by interviewing job candidates remotely. Even though you have various local potential candidates for that one open position, the best person for the job might live hundreds of miles away, but ready to relocate for the perfect opportunity.

Thanks to all sorts of online tools, you’ll be able to easily find and confidently hire the best talent even if they’re not local. Sourcing talent outside of your city or zip code means you’re losing out to quality candidates to your competition. While you’re stuck using the same talent pool in your city, they’re reaching out to others outside of the city’s limits to fill their position.

That means they’re getting the best, while you’re not!

Many tools for online interview candidates remotely fall into one of three categories, including:

  • The applicant tracking system that helps automate various recruitment processes
  • Video conferencing tools to help authentic the recruitment process
  • Assessment platforms so that you can test important skills and knowledge for the position.
Video conferencing tools are important since you can hop on a secure Internet chat and talk to candidates face-to-face from wherever they live. Its sort of like a live interview expects that you’re both staring into a screen to chat about their skills, experience and more. Online interview helps you find more qualified options than if you were to just stay in your zip code.

Here are some of the best tools for online interview:


Skype

One of the best for the task is Skype. It’s been around for a long time and allows you to video chats with anyone on the platform. Plus, you’ll also be able to use it to make high-quality calls anywhere in the world. It’s free, but the business plan is about $2 per user/month.


Google Hangouts

If you have a Google account and they have one, too, you’ll be able to use Google Hangouts for free! It’s a simple, intuitive and quality chat function that will let you interview remote candidates from anywhere.


Spark Hire

What’s unique about spark hire is that it’s like Skype and Google Hangouts, except you don’t even need to actually be present during the interview. Instead, it lets candidate record video answers on their own so that you’ll be able to come back and listen to the recording whenever you have time. The price is $99 a month, but it’s very useful if you’re a busy recruiter with several job positions open and can’t find the time to schedule interviews with all the prospects.


VidCruiter

If you want something more professional than the casual Skype or Google Hangouts chat, then you’ll want to try VidCruiter. You’ll be able to display your logo in the corner of the screen and other similar customizations that will make the entire process more professional for a remote interview. The higher-end software is tailored to each customer, with pricing reflecting that.    


Tips on How to Effectively do an online interview

Although you might think an online interview will be the same as an in-person one, there are a few differences you should be aware of. These sorts of interviews tend to be quicker and be quite odd if you’re not used to being on camera. Here are some tips on how to have a more effective remote interview with candidates:


Prepare

Just like a regular in-person interview, you’ll want to prepare before the video chat. Have an objective so that it’s as efficient as possible. Think about what you want or need from the candidate and plan your questions before so that you can smoothly transition the interview when needed. The average video interview can range between 10 to 30 minutes, so have enough questions planed out before.


Work Out Logistics

Before the interview, send out a reminder email with the call details, what platform you’ll be using and who will call who. But it’ll look more professional if you call them first.


Prepare Your Environment

You’ll want to conduct a remote interview in a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed. Go to a quiet room that won’t have too much clutter or disturbances in the background. Ask the candidate to do the same so that the interview can run as smoothly as possible.


Make the Candidate Comfortable

Video interviews can be weird and it’s a lot harder to pick up on body language. Make the candidates more comfortable by starting the interview with small-talk and ease-in questions. Have any of the trickier questions later in the interview, when the candidate has time to warm up and feel more at ease.


Make Separate Interviews Later In the Recruitment Process

Don’t have more than one person in the interview at a time because things can get messy. Instead, set up different times for other interviews with a direct supervisor and others who’ll be involved in the hiring process. It can be quite overwhelming to have more than one person on a video chat. Schedule follow-up video interviews after your initial screening one.   Don’t rule out candidates that live outside of your zip code because you’ll be losing out on quality talent.

Utilizing various tools can help you interview potential candidates remotely so that you can consider them for open positions that might be hard to fill locally. Also, create a free recruiter profile on Talentwolf! You’ll be able to increase your online presence and enhance your personal brand in a competitive marketplace.