Work from home (WFH) has emerged as a major trend in talent acquisition and recruitment over the last few years. This trend will continue in some form for the foreseeable future. The Remote interview isn’t unique or new. But, it has become a necessity for hiring since the pandemic. Today, candidates seem unable or unwilling to travel like they used to. Does a company expect someone to take time off to interview, no. The remote interview is here to stay for at least part of the interview process. I am seeing more and more companies wanting an onsite interview also. Mainly at the end of the process. Over the past few years we have seen businesses look to downsize office space not only in ireland but across the world. Each business wants to take advantage of the productivity gains and flexibility from remote working. It also allows candidates more flexibility on when they can interview. Gone are the days people have to take a half day or full day off to interview. Remote working is here to stay.
In this blog, I will look into the remote interview, how successful are they, what is the most popular platforms and how both an interviewer and candidate should treat the interview.
Below are 4 tips to help prepare for any remote interview you do:
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What interview platforms are the most popular for a remote interview?
With remote interviewing, job interviews taking place on video conferencing platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Bluejeans, Google meets or Cisco Webex are the most popular. Zoom and Teams remain the top choice for businesses. There easy to use and are very stable. There are some more specialized video interviewing tools, such as HireVue and Montage. These allow a few more features, but considering the likes of Zoom or teams value they are not as popular. However, the technology facilitates collaborative hiring, it makes it easier for participants to leave feedback etc.
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What are the challenges you might face with a remote interview?
Although remote interviewing has become a regular fixture in our hiring process, it isn’t without its challenges. Presenting yourself in a professional manner can be difficult if it isn’t possible to interview from a tidy or professional location, children or pets can create a noisy and distracting environment for both interviewer and interviewee. Unforeseen technical challenges — even those that are out of a candidate’s control — can cause candidates to become embarrassment and lead to frustration making it difficult to focus. This can lead to recruiters being put off a candidate.
Most virtual technologies have introduced custom and blurred background options and their reliability has improved, that can hide a small cluttered room for example and give a more professional background. Professional tip for candidates and interviewers: Spend some time looking for the right filters, I have interviewed many people, some either don’t know about them or don’t want to use them.
As a professional interviewer, I see lots of strange things happen in interviews. One I rarely understand is bad interview signal. If you are in a poorly serviced area (plenty of those in every country) – you would know about it, right? Be leave it or not, this happens a lot, nearly 40% of interviews are disrupted due to a technical problem. It’s so important to test your internet speed. Remember your looking at the upload speed. Become an expert at the technology provided. Know your filters and have the app downloaded prior to interview.
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What should you wear and best ways to conduct yourself in the remote interview.
Treat a virtual interview the same as you would a face-to-face interview. I recall earlier this year I interviewed a Java Developer. I mainly work with teams so I sent the candidate a link a few days before, plenty of time to prepare. It was a 10am interview, so not to early. Firstly, the candidate was late, the candidate came online around 10.05. Not too bad, that could be forgiven. They didn’t use a filter and took the interview in what looked like a bedroom. He was wearing a hoodie, his hair was dishevelled, as if he had just rolled out of bed, onto his desk and opened the meeting. Big yawn followed a quick hello. In my mind as an interview, this was over before it even got started. I know the Facebooks and Googles of this world want you to be comfortable in the interview. In the interview the candidate came across confident, no doubt he was a good Software Engineer, however with that attitude I wondered would be do the same in front of a customer, would he be professional with his peers. I decided to pass on that candidate. First impressions are so important. Even in the tight market we are in, IT jobs and IT professionals are hard to find, but a bad hire remains a heavy cost to the business, if you want to know how much, summed up pretty well here.
To conclude this section, show up on time, dress appropriately, be clear and concise in your answers.
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Delivery – keep the conversation interesting and lively
What I notice from Virtual interviews and how they differ from face-to-face interviews is how the conversation can flow. One of the biggest challenges you will face is building rapport and keeping the conversation flowing.
Firstly, be interesting and interested. If you have a genuine interest in the job and business the interviewer will pick up on that and go into more detail about the business and projects you might work on. It will allow you then to showcase your talents and bring those prepared stories to the interview. Professional tip: Prepare at leave 1-2 stories for each responsibility mentioned on the job spec – if you don’t have a spec prepare 5 generic relevant and interesting stories.
In order to build rapport, find common interests. Do some research into the interviewer, look at their LinkedIn Profile, look at what the post, like, share, have they spoken at a conference etc. Just write down a few things so if the conversation what’s to dry up at the end or you can’t think of any more questions, just casually bring up something you both are interested in. Fill the dead space and the rapport will hopefully follow.
Finally, questions. So many people when given the opportunity to ask a question say “I think you have covered everything” – now that might be the case. However, you do want to come across more interested than that. Ask stuff you want to know. For example, what’s it like to work there? What made you join the business? (If the interviewer joined let’s say within the calendar year). Prepare maybe 5-8 questions, so of some of them are covered you have some more to ask.
Final tip of the blog: If your interviewer (or candidate) look bored as your ramble on with an answer. Chances are they are bored and its time for you to take the hint and wrap up the answer. You will see them starting to write notes, or fidget. Don’t lose their attention. If you do, chances are you won’t see an offer.
Not everyone has to wear pants in an interview, but delivery is as important virtually as it is face to face. For more interview tips, click here. If you are interesting in knowing more about what Elwood Roberts can offer, please click here for more details.
