There is no question that the coronavirus outbreak has changed the way we view and participate in remote work. According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, 54% of adults would like to continue teleworking after the pandemic ends. While some businesses are considering returning to the office full time, many others are considering hybrid or fully remote work models based on the success that they’ve seen over the last year. But what will these new work models mean for the hiring process?
During the pandemic, it was necessary to conduct virtual interviews to adhere to safety guidelines—a Gartner poll showed that 86% of workplaces used virtual platforms to interview candidates. But once remote work is no longer a necessity, will virtual interviews continue to play a major role in the modern hiring process? Structured interviews, whether virtual or physical, can play an important role in the recruitment process, so one may wonder: should virtual interviews be a permanent fixture in the recruiting process? In this article, we outline some of the major benefits of virtual interviews as we look towards the future of hiring.
Virtual interviews widen the pool of applicants
With a virtual interview process comes the ability to hire from a much wider pool of applicants. Talent can be interested in your open positions beyond the geographical location of the office. As more companies adopt long-term remote work policies, they gain access to a wealth of out-of-town talent. This is a win-win, allowing you to have a better chance of finding a talented candidate for your position. Having a virtual interviewing process in place makes this possible.
Virtual interviews can enhances the candidate experience
It’s no secret that interviews can be stressful for candidates. A candidate that is currently employed may find it difficult to take time off of work to come in for an in-person interview. This might be the same case for candidates who are responsible for childcare or have any other time sensitivities. Virtual interviews give a candidate flexibility when it comes to finding time on their schedule, giving you the opportunity for a wider pool of applicants. It is important to remove any solvable barriers when it comes to talent acquisition, and virtual interviews give the candidate much more flexibility.
Virtual interviews can help you adopt a more consistent and structured interview process
Unstructured interviews are ineffective when it comes to evaluating a candidate’s full potential for your open position. Structured interviews are the gold standard for conducting an objective evaluation of a candidate, and while in-person interviews can certainly be structured, virtual interviews may have an upper hand. Virtual interviewing technology often provides the tools to facilitate a more structured interview process that establishes a standardized comparison for candidates. One and two-way virtual interviews allow you to ask candidates structured questions that reduce bias by giving candidates a consistent experience. In addition, recorded interviews allow for multiple opinions on candidates from your team members.
Virtual interviews save time
In order to attract top talent, it’s important to reduce time to hire wherever possible. The interview is one of the most time-consuming stages of the hiring process, both for the candidate, recruiter, and hiring manager. Virtual interviews can save some of that time by reducing the amount of coordination required to schedule the interview, and by saving the candidate from commuting into a physical office. Another time-saving option for virtual interviews is a one-way interview. In a one-way interview, an employer can prerecord questions to ask a candidate, and the candidate can record and submit their answers at the time most convenient to them. This makes the application process much easier and faster for both employer and candidate.
Virtual interviews are cost-effective
Bringing someone into the office space costs money—and you aren’t even sure you’re going to hire them! Taking time away from work and booking a space to conduct the interview leads to productivity costs. For out of town candidates, accommodations, travel expenses, and complementary lunches can add up. With one-way interviews, costs are reduced by allowing recruiters to look at interviews more efficiently and without disrupting workflow.
It is essential to remember the lessons from the pandemic and how we can apply technology to the way we interview and attract talent. With data-driven tools like virtual and one-way interviews, there’s an opportunity for virtual interviews to continue to add value to the modern hiring process, whether or not your organization is pursuing a long-term remote work model.
