The Remote Interview: Part 2

If remote work is the future, then employers need to learn how to conduct virtual interviews. I've been working remotely for nearly a decade and have sat on both sides of the virtual interview table. A candidate can tell instantly whether or not a company is well organized, technologically savvy, and serious about their employee's time.

As an interviewee, I've been impressed by organizations that have a clear structure to their interview process, ask thought provoking questions, and take a (seemingly-genuine) interest in learning more about my experience as well as my personality. I’ve been extremely frustrated by companies that are clearly unorganized - they haven’t spent 60 seconds to review my resume or cover letter, have no idea what position they’re interviewing me for, got my compensation requirements way off, or even thought that I was a different candidate, addressing me using someone else’s name. 

Just as interviewees need to show up to their interview prepared, interviewers also need to prepare for their interviews. In my experience, the above faux pas are rarely the actual interviewer's fault. Most organizations have some sort of HR department whether it be an internal team or an external recruiter. I find that the breakdown in communication happens between HR and the interviewer more times than not.

Think about today's general application process: A candidate finds a job posting online or hears about the opportunity through an existing employee. The applicant fills out an application that—more times than not—is filtered through a series of software. Applicants that meet the software's parameters are then delivered to an HR professional who briefly examines the applicant's application, their resume / CV, and if time allows, their cover letter. From there, a brief phone screening is set up where the recruiter or HR team decides whether or not the candidate is worth introducing to the hiring manager (someone who would presumably be working with the candidate should the company bring them on board). Then a few things can happen:

1. The recruiter/HR team provides the candidate with a calendar link and asks the candidate to schedule their next interview with the hiring manager at a time that is convenient for them. The candidate does so and is excited for the next round of the interview process. Unfortunately, most free scheduling software doesn't notify their users that a new meeting has been scheduled. An appointment might be added to their calendar but without a formal notification, hiring managers are often surprised to see that they have a meeting scheduled. I've experienced it myself and think - who is Paul Smith? Why are they on my calendar? What does Paul Smith want? I later realize that I'm supposed to be interviewing them for one of the many positions currently open at the company.

In this scenario, the hiring manager has no idea which role he/she/they should be interviewing for. The candidate's information hasn't been forwarded to them (or if it has been, there's no way they will be able to find or review it prior to the interview). As the hiring manager scrambles to find the Zoom link, they apologize to the candidate for being late, which the candidate says is no problem (but really it is), and they begin to make small talk. After buying time while they try to find this person's resume and application, they're already 10 minutes into a 30 minute interview. The conversation might unfold organically, however an entire third of the interview has been lost and no work that actually examines the candidate as a good fit for the role has been conducted.

2. The recruiter/HR team tells the candidate that they will be in touch with instructions for the next steps. The recruiter/HR team then forwards the candidate's materials along with some context to the hiring manager and asks them to reach out to the candidate to schedule an interview. Sometimes, the recruiter or HR team forwards several candidates to the hiring manager at the same time. This tactic is confusing because the hiring manager can mix up candidates and their materials. By the time they are in an interview, the hiring manager, more times than not, won't open the candidate's interview materials until right before or during the interview.

In this scenario, several minutes are wasted again and it's clear that the interviewer is unprepared.

3. The recruiter sends the candidate a link to the hiring manager's calendar. Then the recruiter updates the internal candidate database (which is role-specific) and notifies the hiring manager via email or Slack, that they've interviewed Paul Smith for the position, have updated the internal candidate database and instructed Paul to schedule an interview using the hiring manager's calendar link. The hiring manager receives a notification that their appointment with Mr. Smith will begin in 10 minutes. The hiring manager opens the internal candidate database and easily accesses Paul's application, resume / CV, cover letter, and any notes from the recruiter.

In this scenario, the hiring manager is fully prepared to interview the candidate and has the entire 30 minutes of the meeting to do so.

As you can see, there are several opportunities for lapses in communication between the HR team, the hiring manager, and the candidate. Here's how to avoid them:

• Create a consistent process for all hiring efforts and remove any guess work.

• Use an internal candidate database (similar to a CRM) where every applicant's application materials are kept (including notes and interview times etc.).

• Take time to review the candidate's material before the interview.

• Be clear with the candidate about next steps, expectations and timelines.

• Ensure communication between the HR department and the hiring manager is clear and regular (create a loop for feedback so that everyone is on the same page).

Another huge issue I see when interviewing candidates is a lack of consistency. In the event that the hiring manager is unprepared, the amount of time that candidates get to sell themselves and ask questions varies greatly. If there's no clear structure to the interview and no skills are tested, you're not really conducting interviews in a productive manner. In the next and final installment of my remote interview series, I will lay out the best practices for a successful and productive interview.

Image by: Scott Graham on Unsplash