Josh TolanBefore the pandemic, working from home for talent in most industries was a pipe dream. The idea of performing most roles effectively from a home office was inconceivable, especially for those in charge of making hiring decisions. Spring 2020 changed that when all non-essential employees across the country were forced to adapt suddenly to autonomous work and using virtual technology.
Fortunately, virtual hiring tools and apps made it possible for recruiters and hiring teams to keep their focus on growth without missing a beat. Hiring pros showed their resilience by adjusting job descriptions, crafting structured interview questions for more accurate assessments, and performing virtual interviews well into the new year. And many employers recognized the time and money-saving benefits of hiring virtually.
Not only does using video interview tools allow hiring teams to assess talent safely, but candidates also have a better experience. From removing interview bias to allowing candidates to interview at a time and in a place that’s convenient and comfortable, the interview process is fairer and more enjoyable. This means incoming talent is more likely to accept your offers and stay onboard.
While more companies announce their return-to-work plans each day, many have decided to move toward a hybrid work model. Even if your company plans to head back to the office, there are numerous benefits to keeping at least part of your hiring process virtual moving into the new year. Here are a few ways you can continue to see success with a strong virtual hiring process:
Create a fair and equitable process
Organize and update structured interview questions
Some questions are relevant to any open role you’re hiring to fill, such as those that assess for culture fit and alignment with company values. You want to keep as many questions as possible consistent to avoid unintentional bias. However, regularly updating questions for new roles or creating structured questions for different departments ensures you’re assessing candidates accurately.
Update interview questions with inclusive language and review your evaluation process for unchecked bias. Having a structured virtual interview process also makes it easier to send prompt invitations to submit video interviews when a promising resume comes across your desk.
Communicate your policies
Candidates appreciate transparency especially when diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are determining factors of whether they apply to or accept your job offers. Openly communicate your DEI policies through your careers page, social marketing, employer branding, and job ads. Encourage a diverse workforce by making DEI a part of your virtual hiring process from the start.
Recommended Reading: How to Talk About Diversity During a Video Interview
Assemble a diverse virtual hiring team
An actionable way to show candidates diversity, equity, and inclusion is an important part of your workforce is to assemble a hiring team that represents numerous genders, races, cultures, and abilities. Not only does a diverse virtual hiring team make candidates feel welcome and excited to work for your company, but it also helps talent feel confident that they will receive a fair and equitable opportunity to be hired.
Address gaps in training for hiring for diversity, equity, and inclusion
If your hiring team does not represent the kind of diversity and inclusion your company upholds, don’t panic. Your current team can still create a positive candidate experience in which applicants feel confident interview evaluations will be unbiased. Take a hard look at your hiring metrics and look for evidence your DEI hiring strategy is working. If you find any gaps, this is a great time to update your DEI training or implement a new system to strengthen your virtual hiring process.
Recommended Reading: Promote Diversity and Equity Through an Inclusive Hiring Process
Streamline virtual hiring for success
Reduce time to hire by streamlining scheduling
You don’t need anyone to tell you that time is money. To make the most of your hiring budget in the coming year, you want to fill vacant positions quickly with high-quality candidates. Reducing your time to hire improves the candidate experience as well, meaning you are more likely to have talent funneling into your hiring process.
The best way to keep your virtual hiring process running efficiently is to streamline scheduling. Rather than emailing back and forth with candidates, use a scheduling tool that allows talent to put themselves into your schedule. And use your shared calendar to coordinate and collaborate with members of your hiring team, making better hiring decisions faster.
Boost employee retention by updating virtual onboarding
Filling roles quickly is a great way to stretch your hiring budget, but if your virtual onboarding process isn’t convenient or effective, you risk costly turnover right out of the gate. New hires need to be set up for success from day one and this can be more difficult when roles are remote or hybrid. Ensure your employees aren’t burned out picking up the slack because of gaps and inefficiencies in your new hire training.
Find out what employees recommend as essential skills prior to hiring and what can be learned on the job, even if new hires are not in the office. Then look into virtual training programs that allow your team members to connect and empower each other.
Recommended Reading: 5 Virtual Onboarding Best Practices to Welcome New Remote Employees
Make more personal connections by improving communication
From the virtual hiring process through managing a remote or hybrid team, clear communication is the key to success in any organization. Email still has a time and place, but keeping your team connected when not in the office together requires communication tools that allow personality and culture to shine through.
Tools like Slack make it possible for team members to chat in real-time and organize important discussions to keep track of projects and clients. Video messaging is another great way to enable employees to make personal connections. Even better, when candidates are introduced to video interviews and video messages in the virtual hiring process, they get a taste of how your team communicates and stays connected.
Invest in efficient virtual hiring tools
Naturally, the technology you select for your virtual hiring process and beyond critically impacts everyone’s experience. It’s a major decision and one you should take time to research and understand so you meet the needs of your current team and future candidates. Ultimately, you want to get the biggest bang for your buck and that means investing in tools that serve multiple purposes.
Look for virtual hiring tools that allow you to connect with talent, easily schedule interviews, conduct video interviews, and build a talent library. Better yet, make a dedicated all-in-one virtual hiring platform part of your long-term growth strategy.
Recommended Reading: Don’t Settle for Less – Focus on Finding These Hiring Technology Features
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