TieTalent’s 11 Top Tips for Conducting a Remote Interview With Ease

Have you ever tried conducting a remote interview?

With the ever-increasing capacity to work remotely, organizations are faced with the new challenge of conducting and assessing interviews entirely over video call.

Common remote interview problems can vary, from technological issues (such as bad internet connection or lagging audio), to background noises, and even unforeseeable mishaps (if you have kids at home, you know what we mean).

Even though much of the world is now familiar with technology and video interviews, most interviewers still struggle with how to make these work in their favor.

The good news is that there are ways that you can conduct video interviews in a way that allows for an instant connection between both parties.

If you ever found yourself struggling conducting video interviews to find new talent for your company, you'll want to read the following tips.

Research shows that 70%-90% of information communicated by the human brain is nonverbal.

This means that the way you look, how you move, and even how you dress will impact how well you conduct the interview (and how the candidate will perceive you and the company as a whole).

Adding on to the awkwardness, it’s harder to create a connection and to engage with people via a screen, as opposed to face-to-face.

Like it or not, there is no escaping it. Thanks to the impact of Covid in the jobs market, video interviews are becoming more popular everyday. And interviews done via a video call allow you to see candidates' reactions and body language, even if the interviewee is sitting in a different country.

Here are 11 tips for effectively conducting a remote interview:

1. Make sure all of your tech devices are properly working
2. Ensure that everyone knows what to expect
3. Adjust your background accordingly
4. Check your lighting
5. Busy house? Wear headphones
6. Make sure you’re in the best possible environment without any distractions
7. Be ready to share your screen
8. Be cordial when recording
9. Using company tech? Ensure the candidate knows how everything works ahead of time
10. When evaluating candidates, always keep video challenges in mind
11. Send a follow up email after the interview

Now let’s dive into each of these.

When you’re the one conducting a video interview, there is no room for technical mistakes.

This means if you use a laptop, make sure that your computer is fully charged and has good speed. Ensure that it has enough battery power and memory capacity for everything else you need to do that day — otherwise it could crash and give an image of lack of care or professionalism on your part.

What’s worse, this could lead to an incomplete or inaccurate understanding of the candidate's skills (causing you to perhaps overlook candidates that would have otherwise been a perfect match for the given job vacancy).

It’s equally important to ensure that you’re connected to a reliable wifi network so there aren't any problems with the video call lagging, which could cause frustrations on both ends (not to mention waste precious interview time).

Conducting a remote interview is different from in-person interviews, so be sure that everyone who will be participating knows what to expect from both sides of the process.

For example, if you're using a virtual whiteboard or other collaborative tools during the interview, let the candidate know in advance how they can access them and how they should use them once they're there.

If possible, ask them to have it ready by the time the interview starts so no time is wasted.

For this, aim to send the interviewee an email containing the link to the meeting at least 24h in advance, along with further detailed instructions if necessary. This will also help candidates feel more confident and prepared.

A rather obvious (but important) detail: clearly state that the remote interview will be via video and that you’re both expected to have the camera turned on during the entire interview process.

As reported by Harvard Business Review, the majority of people don’t want to see a fake scenic background, preferring to see the actual room behind the speaker.

According to a survey conducted by authors Noah Zandan and Hallie Lynch, "44% of respondents preferred to see a wall with books or bookshelves, while 34% preferred framed decor such as art, diplomas, or photographs".

This might come as a surprise to you, given the risk of accidentally showing your interviewee a pile of laundry or a curious cat behind you when you’re conducting the interview from home.

But if professionalism is the image you wish to convey, it’s best to have a blank wall instead of a fake virtual background.

The most common mistake people make in a remote interview is not checking for good lighting before the time of the interview itself. A subpar light will make it hard for the candidate to see you and may indirectly cause a bad impression.

To solve this, make sure that you're in a well-lit room with no glare on the camera or monitor.

If you live in a home with family, kids, dogs, etc., you should aim to use a headset so that the interview isn’t disrupted by unpredictable background noises.

This is also a helpful way to avoid others around you from hearing your conversation.

Inform your family members about the interview. Ask them to keep the volume down and to avoid entering the room in which you’ll be conducting the interview.

If necessary, add a sticky note to the door as a reminder for forgetful family members.

This point goes beyond your busy house.

When conducting a remote interview, be mindful of any external background noises and sounds (e.g., traffic, construction work, air conditioner).

Tell the candidate in advance that there might be external background noises that are out of your control (and apologize beforehand for any inconveniences they might experience with it during the remote interview).

If, for whatever reason, there is no way of escaping external background noise, use a good quality microphone so that the candidate can hear you without any problems. Additionally, you may want to mute your microphone whenever the interviewee is speaking so they aren’t distracted by the noise coming from your side of the conversation. You don't want your interview to be affected by poor sound quality.

On that note, check that your microphone is working properly and connected to the computer before the interview starts.

If you’re conducting a remote video interview, you should be ready to share your screen.

This is to say: make sure that your computer is set up so that it gives a professional image.

• Turn off any notifications (like email alerts) on your computer so they don't distract from what's happening on screen
• Clean up your desktop
• Close all irrelevant tabs
• Ensure your computer’s background is appropriate

Also, don’t assume everyone can read what you’re sharing from your screen. Ask if they need you to zoom in to better read what’s being shown.

Should you want to record the screen, it’s of utmost importance that you firstly ask if the candidate would mind being recorded.

If they agree, be sure to tell them exactly when the recording starts (and as soon as it ends).

Consider providing candidates with instructions about how to use their equipment prior to the interview so they don’t have to worry about it during the call.

Ask them ahead of time if they need any help setting up their equipment, or if they have any questions about how everything works before you start chatting.

This is a good time to thank them for their time and reiterate why you’re interested in them as an applicant. It’s also another great opportunity to create rapport, especially given the difficulties of making deeper connections via video versus in-person.

Should the candidate make a good impression and if you wish to push the selection process, offer to schedule an in-person follow-up meeting if possible. This is a fantastic way to see how they perform in person and assess their soft skills, such as personality, to see if the candidate will be a good fit in your team.

Your objective should be to structure your interviews in a clear and concise manner both for the interviewer and the interviewee. The more organized you are, the better able you'll be to efficiently gather information from candidates for your open position(s).

These tips will help you make the most of your video interview by letting you control the situation, knowing what to expect, and making the most out of the limited time that you have with the candidate.

We wish you the best of luck in your future video interviews and hope that these tips will be useful in helping you have a smoother, more productive experience.

If you need help finding the right candidates to interview for both tech and marketing jobs in Switzerland, Germany or France, we might know a thing or two about that. Contact us to learn more.

Not everyone is accustomed to speaking in front of a camera. Regardless of technology advancements, most people still feel self-conscious when speaking during a formal video call.

This is to say, if you have reasons to believe that a possible strong candidate may not have performed well during their interview because of technical challenges or nerves, you might want to consider giving them a second shot.

If possible, call them in for an in-person assessment, or follow up with a phone call to gather more information without the pressure of the video camera.