The recent rise in digital interviews is changing the recruiting landscape and helping to boost hiring efficiency in the process. In fact, a survey of 506 companies showed that 47% use video interviews to shorten hiring times while 67% use them to cut travel costs associated with recruiting. But despite the ubiquity of digital interviews, employers don’t always take the right approach when it comes to creating a great candidate experience.
So what’s the best way to incorporate digital interviews into your recruiting process while providing the best experience for your candidates? A few key tips can help ensure that you’re making the most of this technology while keeping your candidates’ best interests in mind.
Determine what digital interview format works best for you
Digital interviews are more impersonal by nature, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still create a personalized experience for interviewees. The key to doing this is to determine what type of interview works best for you and your candidates. Whether it’s a live interview or a quick on-demand screening, implementing a digital interviewing solution can give you the functionality—and flexibility—you need. What’s more, since this type of solution is fully customizable, you can also add an intro video before each interview to help candidates feel at ease and learn more about your employer brand.
Pro Tip: Asking candidates for feedback on the interview format can help you figure out what works best and make any necessary tweaks. This is also a good way to get candidates involved in the process and emphasize the fact that interviews are a two-way street.
Ask thoughtful interview questions
Another way to personalize digital interviews is by coming up with interview questions that allow candidates to highlight their skills and personalities. This means thinking about the interview wholistically and making sure you focus on more than just tactical questions. While questions like “What’s your greatest achievement?” may give you helpful insights into previous experience, they won’t be able to give you the full picture. Instead, focus on moving beyond these types of questions and ask candidates what they look for in a work environment, what motivates them or even what they want out of their next role. This is a great way to show that you’re genuinely interested in learning more about them and to make the video interview experience more personal.
Pro Tip: Asking an open-ended question like, “Is there anything else you’d like us to know about you?” is a good way to invite candidates to tell you more about themselves and share what matters most to them. This is a good way to wrap up the interview and to end on a positive note.
Engage with candidates in an authentic way
Beyond coming up with thoughtful questions, finding ways to engage with candidates can go a long way toward building rapport and helping them learn more about your company culture. If you’re conducting live digital interviews, this means creating a positive interview environment and encouraging candidates to ask you questions. If you’re conducting a one-way screen, this means giving the candidate as much information upfront as possible and following up after the interview to provide feedback and tell them about next steps. Since one-way screens can feel a little intimidating at times, offering as much information as possible can help candidates feel at ease and allay any fears.
Pro Tip: Setting expectations at the start of the interview process can ensure that candidates move through the process smoothly and that they feel confident about what to expect at each step. This can reduce the need for more frequent check-ins while giving candidates the tools they need to succeed.
With the popularity of digital interviews continuing to increase every year, understanding how to make the best use of this technology can make a big difference to your recruiting efforts and your team. From improving time-to-hire rates to increasing employee retention, digital interviews can be a great way to streamline your current process and find the talent you need.
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