Are you looking for Zoom interview tips for employers?
First impression interviews count, and not just for candidates. Did you know, more than 70% of interviewees turn down a role if they have a poor first impression of a company.
Companies scoring highly in their brand image are using video interviewing. Companies utilising video interviewing are scored 98% more innovative by candidates.
As an employer, you should aim to impress all job seekers to secure that top talent.
Throughout this blog post, we will look at video interviewing, particularly Zoom interview tips for employers.
What is a zoom interview?
A Zoom interview is quite simply using the Zoom VoIP video communication platform to conduct a job interview. These video calls are made remotely. All you'll need is a camera, mic and internet connection, which is readily available on most devices.
Benefits of using Zoom video interviewing for employers
The benefits as an employer to using video interviewing platforms such as Zoom include:
- Convenience of remote interviewing
- Cost savings
- Interview a larger candidate pool
- Faster hiring process
- Improved company image
Why Zoom interviews are different to one-way interviews
In a Zoom interview, both candidate and employer communicate live, which presents one huge difference to one-way interview videos. - You are seen and heard!
This is important to highlight as other forms of digital interviewing exclude the recruiter, these are called one-way video interviews or on-demand video interviews. In this process the candidates record themselves answering interview questions. The video gets sent to the recruiter once over.
Now back to Zoom interviews.
With a Zoom interview, the hiring manager or recruiter is representing the company. All first impressions will be based on the way your recruiters look, how they present themselves, how they talk and how they converse.
When using Zoom, employers can take advantage of screen sharing, text chat, video recording and muting functions.
Zoom interview tips for employers
Now let's dive into the Zoom interview tips for employers.
Understand the technical Challenges
Not all candidates are familiar with a Zoom meeting. If they do seem to be unfamiliar with the system and how to use it, try not to judge them too harshly. They could be used to using another video conferencing platform. Or it may be their first time using a video hosting platform, everyone has to start somewhere.
But what is important is your ability as the employer to be using it properly.
You would come across as unprofessional if you struggle to use the platform you invite your candidates on. Candidates with multiple video interviews will naturally compare you to their other interviews and hold you up to your competitors’ standards.
Have a background ready
Whether due to the pandemic or convenience, many recruiters may be interviewing remotely. If this is the case, ensure the background for your interview is professional.
The best background is a plain white background away from windows and doors. This is to avoid any potential passers-by, or outside distractions stealing the attention.
But if you don't have a blank wall set up, place yourself in front of a minimalist background. Ensure photo frames or bookshelf items are work-friendly and would not be at odds with company branding.
Have the interviewee's resume ready
It's important to have the resume of the interviewee on hand. But even more important is to ensure you read it first.
A great tip is to highlight areas of their resume that stood out to you and have prompted you to want to know more. Ask follow up questions to interesting information on their CV. This will help you get to know them a little easier. And discover if they’re a suitable candidate for the role.
Highlight things to discuss from the Cover Letter
With each application, you should request for your candidates to supply a cover letter.
A cover letter is where the candidate specifies how their skills, education and experience ties into the role their applying for.
It's an important accompanying document to a CV and application form, as it effectively separates the top talent from the bottom.
So like the resume, print the cover letter ready and highlight points you’d like to discuss further and know more about.
Prepare your video interview questions ahead of time
Preparing your video interview questions ahead of time is an obvious but critical component of the recruitment process.
While obvious, the best interview questions are prepared in advance. However, many employers take a blanket set of interview questions and apply it to every job vacancy across their company.
As time-saving and convenient as this may be, it’s a very short-sighted step in the recruitment process.
In a good interview, candidates are assessed on specific interview questions for the specified role.
As an employer, you should be looking to combine your interview questions with behavioural-based interview questions too.
Behavioural-based interview questions are key to finding out more about candidates. These are otherwise known as competency-focused questions. They are exactly as they sound. -Interview questions based on the candidate’s past behaviours or competency examples in previous experiences.
For example, you may ask a candidate, "Describe a time when you led a team and it didn't turn out as planned, what did you do to overcome or rectify the situation.?"
You'll be looking for answers where the candidate can effectively demonstrate how they handled this situation in the past, to give you a great indication of how they can handle this scenario if you hire them for your company.
You may even get a candidate with a negative example. But they say they learnt a valuable lesson and know how they would rectify it for a similar future scenario. This demonstrates their ability to make relevant changes and internalize learnt lessons. These are great qualities in a candidate.
You can learn more about behavioural-based interview questions here: What is the STAR technique for interviewing?
Dress appropriately
Employers should dress to impress, just as much as candidates should for an interview.
A huge 50% of candidates are swayed by the interviewer’s dress sense according to Monster.co.uk. They even found that 59% of candidates said how the interviewer wore their makeup could negatively affect their first impression.
If your company branding is professional and clean, then absolutely dress to impress. Wear a suit and go for block colours not patterns for the most professional impression.
However, in some company brands, a suit may not be appropriate. Does your company culture and style promote a casual and a dressed-down look? If this is the case you must inform candidates before the interview of the dress expectancy. If your candidates feel overdressed in comparison to you, they may feel uncomfortable and even embarrassed.
Even over a Zoom interview, the same rules should apply to a face-to-face interview- including your bottom half! Just because it’s not visible on camera doesn't mean you should sit in your pyjama bottoms. You never know when something would require you to stand and accidentally reveal your mismatched outfit.
Ensure your outfit is a different colour to your background too. You want to stand out from the background. Small details like this make an impression.
Perform a video interview test run
It's so important that before you go live with your first Zoom interview you should practice it beforehand.
Call colleagues over Zoom so you get used to the functions, volume control, camera positioning, mic and audio.
How is your internet connection? How is the background noise? Are you facing the light for optimal visibility? Do you know how to call and hang up?
These are all small details that make a lasting impression if they go wrong during the interview. Many faux pas can be forgiven during the interview, but they won't be forgotten.
Provide instructions for using the video conferencing platform
You should provide all your candidate’s instructions on setting up the Zoom interview.
Not all candidates will have experience using Zoom. To deliver a great candidate experience and save your interviewing time, send them instructions on how to download and get the app set up.
You should also advise them to do a test run before the interview. This is to check audio, camera, internet connection and background.
With all this in place, you can use it as a way to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Candidates without their Zoom interview properly set up will be judged against other candidates. This is more true if set-up instruction is provided. Employers can judge candidates fairly based on their ability to follow instructions.
Let the candidate know the information they need to prepare
Some recruiters feel to get the absolute best out of candidates they should let them know the interview questions in advance. - Especially behavioural-based interview questions.
This especially helps inexperienced candidates in entry-level roles.
Interviews can be a nerve-wracking and overwhelming experience. So, you may not get the best side of an inexperienced candidate. Especially if you'll be asking behavioural-based interview questions.
They won't have had many experiences to reflect on to relate skills and behaviours to the role. By informing them of the questions in advance, they have time to prepare and draw on other life experiences to illustrate certain behaviours. Such as hobbies, school or family life.
In the preparation, you should include any information or material they should bring along to the Zoom interview. If you require examples of their work, you should instruct them to send them to you before the interview.
General video interview tips
Act like you're there
Listening, smiling and engaging with the candidate is just as important over Zoom as it would be face-to-face.
To perfect your video interview etiquette you should act as if you're there with them in person.
Maintain eye contact
Even though you're looking through a screen you should maintain eye contact as often as possible. Looking through a lens is off-putting, but when the candidate is watching you through their screen, they'll be noticing.
To make your eye contact effective, you should look through the lens of your webcam and not the screen.
Pause to let them speak
Interviewing over Zoom is more difficult than face-to-face. Body language is harder to read and there can be a fraction of a delay in the audio. This makes it hard to know when each person has finished speaking.
To make your communication as clear as possible, you should pause after your candidate has finished their response before asking the next question. It's a good way to avoid talking over the top of them if they haven't finished answering your question. An embarrassing moment for all involved.
Follow up after the interview
Following up with candidates after the interview is crucial to a positive candidate experience. As well as giving them the interview feedback they deserve, it presents you with an opportunity to learn about your interview experience too. A great way to follow up and receive feedback from candidates is to send them a candidate experience survey to complete.
Alarmingly, 72% of candidates tell social media about their bad recruitment experiences.
Giving your candidates a chance to relay their feedback to you can also mitigate and minimize them complaining about any poor experiences in your recruitment process too. It allows you to grow and turn your candidate experience from negative to positive.
Record to review later
The great thing about Zoom interviews is the ability to record an interview. Many employers will find themselves recording their video interviews while on Zoom. They will then replay and share with other members of the recruiting team which candidate performed the best.
This is also beneficial for recruiters who struggle to choose between 2 (or more) candidates. They can compare and re-watch each answer.
Conclusion
We hope you found this post on Zoom interview tips for employers useful.
We're Reworking the video recruitment specialists, if you’re looking to get started or need any help with your video recruitment, get in touch with us using our contact page for a free consultation call.
For more information on video interviewing see our post on What is an online video interview?