Human Resources Blog - Spark Hire

How Do I Video Interview… For a Customer Service Position?

Every candidate comes with their own set of unique interviewing challenges. That’s why we’re tackling how to video interview different types of job seekers with this how to series. Today we’ll be talking about using video interviews to connect with the candidates who will be dealing with your company’s customer base.

Finding great employees to fill your customer service positions is very important to building your company brand. These employees will work as your brand ambassadors when it comes to those using your product or service. So it’s important job seekers looking to fill these positions are able to deal effectively with customer concerns and complaints.

Not every candidate will be right for a customer service position, and the video interview can be a great tool for helping you determine the superstars from the duds. Here’s how: 

Assess your candidate’s personality
A great reason to use the video interview to connect with customer service candidates is because the video interview helps you assess personality earlier than in the traditional process. You can even encourage job seekers looking for customer service positions to send in a video resume where you can see their personality and communication skills right off the bat.

Whether it’s a video resume or one-way virtual interviews, seeing a candidate’s personality before you take the time to speak with them in person is a good way to weed out applicants who would be all wrong for the job. If the candidate doesn’t seem personable in a 60-second video resume, or while answering a few basic questions on film, it’s unlikely they’ll be more personable in a higher stress situation.

When it comes to employees who will be handling your customer service needs, you’ll want an employee who can roll with the punches without letting their nerves get in the way.

Look for patience
When it comes to dealing with customer complaints or helping customers troubleshoot an issue, patience is key. You can’t have an employee in this position who becomes snappy or testy. Remember, this employee will be a brand ambassador for your company, and the word of mouth generated by superior customer service can really put your company on the map.

In the video interview, it’s important to look for job seekers who have patience and enjoy interacting with people. You need to hire a people person, someone who is good at teaching and listening.

When talking to a job seeker in a video interview, ask for concrete examples of how they’ve helped others in the past. Look for teaching positions, successful group projects or even volunteer experience. Make sure your candidate enjoys working with others and has the patience to address all customer concerns in a positive manner.

Find job seekers with superior communication skills
Communication skills are essential in a customer service position. This is one place the video interview, especially one-way virtual interviews, can really help you separate the great candidates from the rest. Anyone can list “superior communication skills” on a traditional paper resume. The video interview, however, forces job seekers to back up their claims.

Just like looking at personality, one-way virtual interviews or a great video resume can save you time during the hiring process. If your candidate’s communication skills just aren’t what they should be in the video resume, you can cut this job seeker loose without wasting any time in a live video interview.

By making job seekers back up their claims, online video helps employers waste less time talking to the wrong person. Now they can focus their energy on only the top contenders.

Finding the right person for a customer service position can be tricky. You need someone you would trust as a brand ambassador for the company and someone with a suitable personality for helping others. The video interview can be an essential tool for finding the right candidates to move your company forward.

What are some ways you use the video interview to hire for customer service positions? Share in the comments!

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Heather Huhman

Heather R. Huhman is the Career & Recruiting Advisor for Spark Hire. She writes career and recruiting advice for numerous outlets, and is the author of Lies, Damned Lies & Internships: The Truth About Getting from Classroom to Cubicle (2011), and #ENTRYLEVELtweet: Taking Your Career from Classroom to Cubicle (2010).