[Coprorate News] Adecco – 3 Expert Tips to Evaluate Candidates Accurately during an Online Interview

Online interviews aren’t that new, but not all recruiters can ace it to find the best fit. Here’re 3 possible game-changing tips.

It might seem counterintuitive to hire amid this rough time when no one knows when Covid-19 will be over. But if you’re in the fortunate position of looking for new talents, nothing should hold you back, not even a pandemic. Sure, we can’t meet in person for a face-to-face interview now, but you can always adopt online interview practices.

The thing is, the lack of “real” human interactions here may confuse your evaluation of the candidate's suitability. Are you of the same mind?

Our experts have a few tips to help you better gauge candidates in your coming online interviews:

Be aware of technical issues

Previously, the quality of an interview relies mainly on how well-prepared you and your candidates are. Now, technology steps in and decides if you can have an informative and distraction-free conversion. Tech hiccups can happen at any time, even for techies. What you can do is try to minimize this as much as possible.

Your invitation should include details on the interview platform, log-in credentials, instructions, and any other requirements such as Internet bandwidth. Also, think of common glitches, and provide them solutions or your plan B in these cases.

For instance, people can’t join an MS Teams call on phone or tablet if they haven’t downloaded the app. So, you should remind the candidates to get the app beforehand. Or in case the connection suddenly drops, let them know that you will have a phone conversation instead, or reschedule for later.

Candidates might need these notices long before the interview for a dry run on their end.

Plus, keep in mind that not everyone has an ideal home office. They might have a noisy neighborhood or live with roommates who are online at once, causing delay or freeze screen. Be mindful of their obstacles so that you can make objective and fair judgments.

Utilize pre-hiring assessment tools

It isn't just about sending an assignment after the interview and giving the candidate a few days to devise a plan. Here we’re talking about another level.

Let’s say, we all see how the COVID-19 pandemic makes the future uncertain. More than ever, resilient employees are essential to navigating the business through unpredictable challenges. But how can you gauge a candidate's resilience? Just by asking some questions and totally count on their responses?

Even in a face-to-face interview, it’s likely impossible to evaluate this aspect through usual dialogue. Many clients have come to us with the same headache, looking for ways to clarify candidates’ qualifications and attitude, also gain more confidence in hiring decisions than just gut feeling. And our answer is, “Consider pre-hiring assessment tools!”.

Not just resilience, but depending on your positions and HR needs, these tools can help investigate different aspects of a candidate, from commitment to core ability. That could be an individual's cognitive ability, including verbal, numerical, and abstract reasoning. Some of our clients also want to explore candidates’ preferred working styles and assess if they have the hallmarks of a high-performing person. In either case, our full set of Candidate Assessment Tools can help!

Whichever level and industry you’re hiring for, know that we have optimal solutions to meet your requirements. Simply contact us and let us know what you're looking for, then leave it to the pros!

Switch to the panel interview

The panel interview, which involved multiple interviewers in the same meeting, benefits the online hiring process in many ways.

By bringing the whole team together, you can avoid unintentional biases and gain more diverse perspectives in just one interview. It also helps shorten the recruitment process, which is already facing massive disruptions in the current situation, and minimize the chance of losing your talents. Most importantly, as mentioned in our Q2/2021 labor market update, online interviews via a small screen might hinder your observation of candidate’s expressions. With several interviewers, one person can take notes while the other focuses on observing the candidate's body language.

The driving force for every fruitful panel interview is a well-thought-out plan. Start with outlining your ideal candidate based on the job description. Each interview question should be closely relevant to the competencies you are looking for. Then, when selecting panel members, only pick the key stakeholders such as people whom the candidate will report to or interact with regularly. Each member should have a specific role, for instance, the leader will greet the candidate and ask specialized questions, another member will check out the culture fit while the other will notice their behaviors, as mentioned above.

To sum up

Change isn’t easy. But then again, there’s always at least one way to smooth the path. Hopefully, the tips above can help you employ the prospects even in these precarious moments. In case you’re still unsure how to maximize your hiring success, just know that Adecco is here to be your reliable ally.

With 10 years in Vietnam, we have served 550+ clients across different industries to find the missing pieces of their talent acquisition puzzle. What we can offer isn’t only the top candidates, but also the experts’ insights and accurate online tests to make better hires. Our seasoned Consultants are always ready to give a hand!

Tell us how we can help by filling the form below, and we’ll get back pronto with all you need!