Diving into some great advice and virtual hiring tips for filling open positions during the quarantine. How to find the best methods for getting the best hire.
In 2019, an increasing number of businesses were exploring ways to enable their employees to work from home at least a couple of days a week. Back then, these businesses had no sense of urgency. They had the freedom to take as long as they wanted before implementing a work-from-home policy.
Then, 2020 happened.
The COVID-19 crisis has forced non-essential workers to work from home. Businesses that were reluctant to embrace this model now have no choice.
Not only that, but they also have to learn how to hire remotely.
Continue reading for virtual hiring tips that will enable you to hire the right employees.
Post a Virtual Job Advertisement
Online job boards are popular and easy to use, but there are businesses that have never posted a job opening online. There are those that stick to traditional methods, such as sticking job ads on their retail store windows.
If you’re among these businesses, now is the time to embrace virtual job boards.
If you’ve got a website, making an online job ad is as easy as creating a jobs/careers section and posting the ad. However, because the vast majority of people who visit your website are your customers, not potential job seekers, it’s important to look elsewhere.
There are plenty of industry-specific job boards on the web. Some boards are free and others will charge you to post an ad.
You can also post on social media platforms, preferably LinkedIn. Facebook and Twitter are also great alternatives.
Consider Working with a Recruitment Agency
Hiring the right employee can be a lengthy process.
Considering that recruiting someone who isn’t a good fit for your business will cost you about $25,000, it’s important to be cautious when hiring virtually.
This is why some businesses are better off working with recruitment agencies.
If you’re a life sciences company, for instance, hiring for highly technical or scientific positions over the web can be challenging. Working with an agency that specializes in life sciences recruitment will take a lot of guesswork out of the process.
Recruitment agencies have a pool of competent professionals waiting for the right job positions to arise. They have sifted through the clutter, meaning the job seekers on their database have met the standard qualifications.
Working with a recruitment agency will cost you money, but it’s the best way to gain access to a pool of qualified candidates. You won’t waste your time combing through tens or hundreds of job applications trying the find the best candidates.
Prepare Your Technology
After sifting through applications and narrowing your options, the next step is to invite them for a virtual job interview.
Do you have the technology to pull off online interviews?
If you’ve never done one before, it’s easy to think you need to invest a lot of money into virtual technologies. The truth is you don’t need to make a hefty investment. There are lots of video-conferencing and meeting applications like Zoom offering free or cost-effective services.
However, you need to know how to use these applications.
Start by reading up online on how to use your preferred application. If you’ve settled on Zoom, for instance, check out how to conduct Zoom meeting interviews. You can then put those tips to practice.
An effective preparation strategy is to hold a mock interview. You can ask one of your employees to act as a job applicant and interview them through the platform you chose.
The more familiar you are with the app, the greater the chance that you will hold uninterrupted interviews. If something goes wrong while you are hosting an interview, you’ll know how to troubleshoot the problem and restore the feed.
Ensure Your Power Is Reliable
A power outage, even though not your fault, can inconvenience your interview.
As such, if your home doesn’t have a standby generator or other alternative, you should ensure that there isn’t likely to be a power interruption. If there is, your Wi-Fi will go off, thus affecting your computer connection.
Without reliable power and the internet, it’s hardly possible to conduct a successful virtual interview.
Choose an Ideal Spot
Conducting a virtual interview doesn’t give you the liberty to go online from your bed or bathroom.
As an employer, it’s still important to keep a professional image. First impressions matter. So, if you conduct an interview from your bed, what message would you be sending to your interviewees?
Choose an ideal space with good lighting. If you’ve got a home office, perfect. Your living room or dining area can also work, as long as there’s good lighting and there isn’t a lot going on in the background.
Prepare Your Interview Questions
Finally, prepare your interview questions.
Besides the regular position-specific questions, you want to know whether your interviewees are ready to work from home.
Do they have the right devices? A reliable internet connection? Have they been affected by COVID-19 in any way?
This information will enable you to hire someone who is not only suited to the job but also able to start working from home right away.
Put These Virtual Hiring Tips to Use
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major disruptions to businesses and consumers alike. As a business owner, you must quickly adapt and embrace newer ways of doing things. One of these is hiring new employees online.
By putting these virtual hiring tips to use, you’ll improve your chances of making a good hire.
All the best and keep reading our blog for more workplace tips and insights.
