How to Conduct an Interview Online
The evolution of video chat has made conducting a job interview online possible. Although there’s a few side effects, including lag, interviewing a candidate online provides an opportunity for an employer to interview candidates across the country without incurring the cost of flying them to the interview. Once you get past the technical part of setting up the interview, conducting it is largely the same as conducting a face-to-face interview.
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Instructions
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Install software that’s compatible with multiple operating systems. If you use Windows and your candidate uses a Mac, the software you use must be compatible with both systems. You can find this type of information on the official site of the software’s manufacturer.
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Learn the software by studying the manual that comes with it. Make sure you fully understand how to effectively solve common problems that may arise.
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Tell the candidate what software you will use to conduct the interview. The candidate can then download the software and learn how to use it; you may give him a few pointers, but it's his responsibility to read the manual.
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Tell the candidate what time you will conduct the interview so that he can log on to his computer. Avoid calling the candidate significantly earlier or later than the timeframe you gave, as he must log into his computer and launch the video chat software to accept the call. Consider time zones when setting a time; 8 a.m. on the east coast is 5 a.m. on the west.
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Position the webcam so that it displays your face. Make sure the room has sufficient lighting, as a lack of light makes it difficult to see during video chat.
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Begin the interview by greeting the candidate. Explain that while the setting may seem different, the interview will go on as normal. Tell the candidate that if at any time during the interview he cannot hear you, bring up the chat and say so. Almost all video chat programs come with a text chat feature.
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Start asking questions as you would during a face-to-face interview. Do not count it against the candidate if he takes a few moments to answer. Unless the connection is perfect, you will likely experience a bit of delay.
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Factor in the candidate’s body language, but don’t put as much emphasis on it as you would during a face-to-face interview. The fact that there’s a delay can cause you to see jerky movements that aren’t happening in real time, leading you to falsely believe the candidate may be nervous or having trouble communicating.
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End the interview as you normally would. Thank the candidate for his time, and tell him how to sign out of the video chat if he’s unsure. Explain when you will next contact him.
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Tips & Warnings
If the candidate seems to have a problem that you cannot help him fix, instruct him to visit the software manufacturer's site for help.
Make sure you conduct the interview in a professional setting and you're dressed professionally. Your appearance should reflect the type of professionalism you expect from the candidate.
