The coronavirus pandemic has had a major impact on recruiting new workers. This is especially evident in the IT field, where a large number of interviews were carried over to Skype. And the process of searching for suitable candidates online has its own characteristics.
For many recruiters, the monitor seems like a barrier. But with the right approach, a video conversation can reveal a candidate no worse than a face-to-face meeting.
Pros and cons of Skype interviews
This method of recruiting new personnel has certain advantages:
The number of potential employees. Potential workers are not tied to location. This gives you a wider choice of candidates.
Convenience of information exchange. A job seeker can easily send you a letter of recommendation, a link to a resume, or projects they have worked on.
Comfort. The person looking for a job does not experience a lot of stress when calling. The candidate is in a familiar environment, which makes him less nervous, better answers questions and copes with test tasks.
But there are also downsides to recruiting via Skype:
Technical problems. Unstable internet, noise, and poor video quality can clutter up conversations.
Hiding flaws. Some recruiters complain that the image that the job seeker builds on Skype often does not correspond to the real character of the person. And all the differences are visible only in person.
How an employer should prepare for an interview
In preparing for the interview, the recruiter should learn more about the candidate's personality. You need to browse the resume and social networks, explore the repository on Github. So the interviewer will be able not only to ask about certain things in the script, but also to ask leading questions related to the applicant's past activities. And this will allow you to better reveal a person and talk about his qualities.
It is also worth considering the following recommendations:
The timing of the interview response should be discussed with the candidate in advance. The result should always be reported, even if the candidate is not suitable for you.
Don't immediately reject people who seem impolite, arrogant, or protracted. A person's skills should be assessed first of all, and only then - personal qualities.
It is necessary to agree on the format of the interview in advance: with video or in voice mode. If the interlocutor turns on video communication, then you must also connect a webcam.
If the interview is going to be recorded, then it is worth preparing all the required tools in advance. You also need to inform the candidate about the enrollment process.
Technical features
For a well-conducted interview, there are technical aspects to consider:
Hearing your own voice on Skype is easy, you just need to add echo123 to your contact list. This service allows you to test your microphone.
Disable all unnecessary programs running in the background. They can slow down your computer and slow down your internet speed.
Avoid using speakers, in which case you risk getting echoes that ruin the interview.
Call someone in advance to set up the sound.
Check your internet speed beforehand.
Prepare a plan B in case the connection drops. It is good to have another Skype device or a candidate's contact number on hand.
The perfect solution
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