As COVID-19 continues to spread across the world, companies are increasingly turning to digital solutions to help bridge the gaps created by social distancing. According to MarketWatch, digital tools like Microsoft Teams and Slack have seen huge jumps in the number of users on their platforms, with Microsoft reporting a 37% increase in the number of Teams users over the past week and Slack reporting a 40% increase in users over its previous two fiscal quarters.
As communication of all types continues to move into the digital space, recruiting is becoming more of a virtual process. In fact, a recent survey by Talent Board found that 41% of organizations report that social distancing measures will disrupt their in-person candidate interviews and 58% say they are increasing the number of virtual interviews to deal with the problem.
If you’re considering increasing digital interviews at your organization, here are some key ways that they can help you keep your recruiting process up and running during these unprecedented times.
Digital interviews can make your interview process seamless even if your team is working from home
Scheduling in-person interviews can take a lot of coordination but they’re also a great way to get to know candidates and introduce them to your team. Digital interviewing can make this process easier by allowing candidates and team members to dial in from various locations, preserving the importance of a face-to-face interview while offering added flexibility for both candidates and hiring managers.
Because they can be carried out from anywhere, digital interviews can also eliminate some of the scheduling woes commonly associated with in-person interviews and help you get more candidates in the door.
They can keep candidates engaged by offering a face-to-face alternative to phone screens
With the availability of both on-demand and live interviews, digital interviewing platforms can help you engage with candidates more directly by offering you the option to choose the type of interview that works best for your company. This can mean replacing phone screens with on-demand interviews where candidates record answers to pre-determined questions, or it can mean swapping a phone screen for a live virtual interview.
Digital interviews can also be a great way to showcase your employer brand by allowing you to record personalized videos that give candidates an overview of your company and get them excited about the opportunity. Above all, these types of interviews can help you engage with candidates authentically while highlighting the most important parts of your company culture.
They can prevent you from having to hit pause on your hiring until after the epidemic passes
As the number of Coronavirus cases around the country continues to climb, employers are realizing that virtual work is now the new normal. And though several industries are struggling with the economic changes caused by the epidemic, many companies are ramping up hiring to meet consumer demands. Virtual interviews can help you keep this process going by offering a safe and viable alternative to in-person interviews—with the added benefit of a flexible format.
Adapting to the changes caused by social distancing can feel challenging, but acting responsibly to keep your team healthy doesn’t have to disrupt your workflow. Digital interviews can offer you a great way to continue recruiting even during volatile times. And with an 80% completion rate, they can improve your time-to-hire and help you sustainably grow your team.
Interested in implementing digital interviewing at your organization? Find out whether digital interviews are right for you.
