Years ago, I interviewed for a senior writing position at a major trade organization. The final step in the process was me facing five of my potential workmates in a conference room, with the panel on one side of a big table and me on the other, while they fired questions at me almost without interruption.
I must’ve done OK because I got the job, but it was nerve-wracking and I remember thinking at the time, “There’s got to be a better way.”
Kevin Hegebarth, VP of marketing and product manager at HireIQ Solutions, a company dedicated to helping others make their best hires, believes he has indeed found that “better way.”
In a recent blog post, Hegebarth makes the case for virtual interviewing, and why more companies should start seriously looking into using this technology to their advantage.
“Virtual interviewing is time and cost efficient. In the time it takes to conduct one telephone or in-person interview, as many as ten or more virtual interviews can be reviewed and evaluated,” Hegebarth writes. “Furthermore, virtual interviewing avoids the ‘relay-style’ process that is in use in many organizations. It also means that more current employees can be brought into the hiring process, if desired.”
There is also the time factor to consider. With virtual interviewing, such interviews can be recorded and then viewed by interested stakeholders at their convenience, and not only when the candidate is available. “This not only means that the time-to-hire cycle time is shortened, it also means that recruiters and stakeholders are calibrated, ensuring all parties are in sync with what constitutes a good candidate from one who's not,” Hegebarth adds.
“Companies that adopt virtual interviewing get the added benefit of consistency and fairness in the interview process,” Hegebarth further notes. “Virtual interviews are conducted using the same group of questions, normally in the same order, and recorded for future reference (and for potential compliance audits), ensuring each candidate is afforded the same opportunity to shine. Individual recruiter bias is minimized, if not eliminated, which can be valuable should a candidate later claim that he or she wasn't fairly evaluated.”
In short, virtual interviews can be a timesaver while offering some legal protections, while also offering the upside of more than likely getting you the best candidate for the job. Win-win, indeed.
Edited by Alisen Downey