The concept of Work from Anywhere has replaced Work from Home over the past year. This has created some incredibly positive changes as well as some very real challenges. Not only did we find ourselves re-thinking how to select talent in a remote way, but also how we think about where people will perform their work. To be successful in the competition for talent, we’ll need to adapt how we source for talent and, most assuredly, how we interview and select talent. Of course, with technology, we can source candidates from all over the world and easily schedule and manage interviews. But still, there are technology challenges which impact the candidate experience in a less than positive way. As a result, organizations have to re-think how they screen, interview, and select talent remotely. Today, we’re beginning to consider what hiring will look like post-pandemic: what elements will we pull through to the future state, including the concept of working from anywhere?
At MXA Talent Solutions, our process and TA operations experts have been busy putting together ideas to help you build better remote selection processes. Here are some things you may want to consider as we move towards a post-pandemic workplace:
Be clear about your hiring needs:
Job descriptions and go-to-market talent attraction always begins with a clear understanding of who you need and what they will be doing. Today, you also need to consider how flexible you will be about where they perform the work. If the top talent for your vacancy is sitting in another city, region, or country, can they still perform the role at a high level?
Having a custom decision-making matrix for remote candidates is a great way to make sure that you’re making good hiring decisions. Determining if you are flexible about where they will be working, is a good place to start, this will drive your attraction strategy. Additionally, consider offering a technology package (laptop, phone, internet, hotspot, etc.) to show the candidates how dedicated you are to supporting remote workforce.
Improve the Candidate Experience:
Hiring for remote positions is a unique experience for most of us. Studies show that almost sixty percent of job seekers lose interest when the recruitment process is lengthy. With that in mind, take the opportunity to tailor your remote recruitment experience to make it simple and engaging for your candidates.
· Tailor the candidate experience and follow a structured plan to maintain consistency across all interviews with different candidates.
· Be transparent about company culture, and ensure it is tied into the screening and interviewing process. Company culture that remote employees embody needs to be incorporated into your hiring process to be successful.
· One key element of this plan should be communicating expectations and the details of the interview clearly.
Prepare the Candidate!
If your organization is using a remote selection and interview structure, it’s possible that you’re using tools which the candidate may not have. Be clear in communicating:
· Who will the candidate be interviewing with and their role in the selection process?
· Will the interview be conducted via audio or will it be a video conference?
· Will the candidate need to share their screen?
· Does the candidate need specific technology, and will they need to download it prior to the interview?
Adapting to Remote Interviewing
Traditional interviews over the past decade or so have likely included a phone interview followed by a face-to-face interview with the hiring leader or a panel. Often there were multiple such interviews. Transitioning your interviewing process to a remote medium allows you to make it more seamless by adjusting certain elements.
Use Video to Build Trust
According to Gallup, great leaders need to show compassion, provide stability, and hope but most importantly build trust. A friendly approach helps to build trust quickly when conducting remote interviews. The interview should start by opening the interview by introducing themselves in a friendly manner, followed by an overview of the interview process.
Creating a connection through video can be more difficult than in-person, think about being more expressive so that your candidate can get a relate more easily.
Keep up the Pace!
Candidates can veer off-topic trying to answer a question, especially when they are nervous on video. A video screen can make it difficult for candidates to realize they’re diverting off-course.
Technology Limitations
Slow computers and poor internet connections can make candidates more nervous and stressed when trying to prove their worth and skill set during an interview. Be considerate and allow them the space to shine.
Practice Makes Perfect
Planning and establishing the roles that remote interview and selection team will take, ensures they can make it function as it did when in-house, if not better.
Remote interviewing allows you to acquire talent from a global pool. Widening a talent funnel is a huge benefit but also requires more patience, planning and accommodating candidates from different time zones.
