Heather HuhmanIt’s that time of year again: time to buy a turkey, make some stuffing, and restock your pie supplies. It’s likely you’re preparing for Thanksgiving by putting in place your cooking attack plan and making sure the house is clean for traveling in-laws. The holidays can be a stressful time, which means sometimes the true meaning of the season gets left by the wayside.
Thanksgiving isn’t about turkey and stuffing (no matter how tasty) or football games or parade floats. Thanksgiving is about recognizing the important things in our lives for which we should be grateful.
When it comes to our professional lives, this means being thankful for the quality candidates you see on your screen in a video interview. Not every batch of candidates that show up on the other side of the webcam in a video interview will be great. This just makes the best candidates even better.
As the war for talent ranges on, you know the importance of finding the best people for your company’s success. While the economy’s nosedive means more candidates are applying for open positions, fewer have the right skill sets for the job.
This is why you should take a second before starting your turkey dinner to be thankful for the great candidates who show up in the video interview ready to impress this Thanksgiving:
The Great Communicator
Just like Linus once waited outside for the Great Pumpkin in the Charlie Brown Halloween special, so do many hiring managers wait hoping to find a great communicator. If your candidate has a clear, concise communication style in the video interview, this is a sign you’re talking with a top notch prospect.
While many candidates list their superior communication skills on their resume, a precious few can back these skills up. Especially in the interview process, nerves can often torpedo the communication skills of even great-on-paper candidates.
This is one reason why using online video in the hiring process is such a big help to hiring managers and recruiters. Now, instead of taking candidates at face value on their communication skills until the phone screen or even later, hiring managers can recommend candidates apply with a video resume. Or they can use a one-way video interview to save time and avoid talking to candidates whose communication skills are just hot air.
So be grateful if, during the interview process, you finally receive a visit from a great communicator.
The Company Culture Goldilocks
In the story Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Goldilocks tries out each bears’ belongings until she finds the right fit. While you should never break and enter like Goldilocks (especially if the owner is a family of bears), there’s a valuable lesson to be learned from the story.
This lesson is not every candidate will be right for every company. You might have a great on-paper candidate who also impresses in the video interview, but you know this person would be more comfortable in a corporate environment than your chaotic startup company.
Like Goldilocks, you need to find the candidate who is “just right” for your company culture. No matter how top notch your talent might be, if they won’t fit into the company culture, you’ll be rehiring the position sooner than you think. Instead, focus on hiring the candidate who can not only bring skills and experience to the table, but will also enjoy the crowd they are seated with.
The Company Cheerleader
Just like a cheerleader, you want a candidate who is enthusiastic and willing to champion your company to outsiders. After all, your employees are also doing double-duty as your company’s brand ambassadors. If you have a dour and gloomy workforce, others will assume it’s because your company is a bad place to work. This will make you less likely to attract the talent you need to stay competitive in the marketplace.
Instead, look for candidates who have clear enthusiasm for the company and the position in the video interview. Ask them what they like best about the company and pay attention to body language and nonverbal cues. An enthusiastic candidate is also likely to become an employee who boosts morale and adds to your company culture.
The Curiously Informed
Curiosity might have killed the cat, but it’s an attribute you should be thankful for in candidates during the interview process. Those candidates asking great, well-informed questions in the video interview are the same candidates who have truly prepared and done their homework. If the candidate is asking about the position’s career trajectory or about the company culture, you know they’re looking forward to a future with your organization.
Thanksgiving is a time not just to stuff ourselves to the brim with delicious foods, but also to take stock of our blessings. These blessings include the top talent on the other side of the webcam ready to jump in and start working to make your company better.
What type of video interview candidates are you thankful for? Share in the comments!
IMAGE: Courtesy of Flickr by mstofan.
Josh Tolan
Guest Post
