Mastering Remote Recruitment During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Tips to Bear in Mind

2020 saw the workplace move from traditional office buildings into homes all over the world. In fact, almost twice as many of us are now working from home in comparison to those heading to a place of work!

And as working remotely increasingly became the new normal, business operations had to keep up. Not only in terms of how we interact with our colleagues but also how we hire new recruits.

Although remote recruitment was already handy to master pre-COVID, now it’s often the only way to attract and assess new candidates.

So, in this article, we’re going to cover what remote recruiting actually it is, how it’s done, and how your HR team can excel at it.

Let’s dive in!

What’s Remote Recruiting?

As its name implies, remote recruiting refers to a hiring process that relies on technology. Consequently, an in-person meeting isn’t necessary. As such, the candidate and interviewer don’t meet face to face during the hiring process, and sometimes decisions are made without any in-person meeting.

Parts of the recruitment process have been remote for decades. For example, initial resumes are usually sent online without a physical meeting.

But, in recent years, other means of assessing candidates have become available online. Remote recruitment now refers primarily to the practice of video interviews. But online candidate assessments and tests also feature in this category.

The Benefits of Remote Recruiting

During the recent pandemic, remote recruiting presented a much safer hiring process for candidates and recruiters alike. After all, interviewers and candidates don’t have to physically get in touch, which means no handshakes and no infections!

These are just a few of the benefits remote recruiting has to offer. Still, as you can see, it certainly has its advantages.

How to Master Remote Recruitment Using Video Interviews

Like any aspect of recruitment, you can optimize your strategy to ensure a pleasant candidate experience. Your goal is to provide a fair and effective means of assessment for all your candidates. In light of that, we have a few tips on how to ensure your candidates love your remote recruitment strategies!

Let Your Candidates Prepare

Just like a face-to-face interview, video interviews can be nerve-wracking. So, allow candidates to ‘settle in’ by letting them test their video and audio inside the chat software before the interview starts.

You should also let them know beforehand what to expect from the technology. For instance, where do they click to start the interview? Will their camera come on automatically? Who will they be speaking to? Avoid surprises to make your candidates more comfortable.

Treat it Like a Real Interview

Suppose you’re interviewing the candidate in real-time. In that case, both you and the candidate need to treat the interview seriously. That means dressing well, establishing a personal connection, and acting naturally…like one would in any other interview situation.

Give Candidates All the Information They Need

Sending a reminder email an hour before the interview is a great way to make sure candidates know precisely when and where to head. This gives them some time to prepare and properly understand what’s expected of them.

In that same reminder email, let candidates know where they can get technical help if issues arise.

Let your Candidates teach you about getting Remote Recruiting right.

Remote recruitment might be new both to you and your candidates. Luckily you can learn quickly by collecting candidate feedback and improving as you go. Trustcruit automates this by sending review requests to each candidate. It then translates the information you’ve gathered into practical insights to help nudge you in the right direction.

For more information on how to run a decent video interview, download our free eBook today: ‘What Your Candidates Believe Is Important For a Good Video Interview.’ Enjoy!