In today’s connected world where candidates are often looking for jobs in new cities, it isn’t feasible for you to meet every possible candidate. There may be some amazing talent currently living in another city or state who would be perfect for your workplace. What are the best ways to interview remote candidates? The good news is it’s easier than ever to interview from a distance. Here’s what you should know.
Be Familiar With the Technology
Before you do any remote interviewing, be sure you know the technology you’re using and make sure it’s compatible with your computer. You would expect the candidate to do this as well, so give them the same courtesy. There are a variety of video tools from Skype to Zoom that work well for remote interviewing.
Use Video
While you can certainly interview remote candidates over the phone, the new advancements in video conferencing will give you more advantages. Don’t avoid video technology just because you’re more comfortable with the phone. It will help both you and your candidates better understand the interview process.
Read Body Language
To be specific, video gives you an opportunity to read someone’s body language much like you would in a face-to-face interview. You will be able to see their facial expressions as they’re speaking, so you don’t infer meaning into their words that simply doesn’t exist. You will also be able to see how they present themselves as a professional healthcare candidate.
Don’t Be Distracted
For the video interview, you expect the candidate to be free from distractions. You don’t want to have to hear children or pets in the background. But you owe them the very same courtesy. Block out the time you need for the interview and don’t let other work or issues impact your ability to pay full attention to the person on the other end.
Use a Process
To hire remote candidates, or any candidates for that matter, it’s important to have a process that can help you make the best hiring decision. If you have a set of criteria and ask the same questions of each remote healthcare candidate you talk to, you will be able to judge them all equally and determine the best possible hire.