With hiring managers and HR teams hiring more and more permanent remote workers, the number of video interviews conducted are also on the rise. If you want to get the best staff for your company, you need to become proficient at holding video interviews. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of video interview tips; to make sure you’re getting the most out of your interviews.

10 Top Video Interview Tips

Spend Time Preparing

You may think that the candidate has to impress you, not the other way around. This causes many hiring managers not to spend much time preparing for upcoming video interviews. However, this way of thinking is not accurate. If you find a quality candidate that you want in your business, then you should try to impress them as much as they impress you. That’s why it’s so important to put the work in beforehand. Reread the interviewee’s CV and cover letter, then spend some time thinking about what areas you’d like to find out more about from them. This will give you a sense of purpose when you start the interview as you’ll know what you need to discover about them.

Figure Out the Technical Details in Advance

There’s nothing worse than waiting for a candidate to log on for their video interview, only to find that you got the time wrong or they are on another video platform. Ensure that when you book in the interview, you check what time zone they are in. Then give them the interview time and date for their time zone, not yours. This will simplify things on their end and ensure they log in at the right time. Also, send them details of the platform you’re using and how to access it.

Create A Plan B

Hopefully, all the technology works, and everything goes to plan. However, we all know that it doesn’t always happen like that. So, create a plan B just in case. A regular voice call can be an excellent first interview substitute, so make sure that you have the person’s phone number. You could always do a video interview later if they reach the next round of recruitment.

Dress Professionally

Just because the person won’t physically meet you doesn’t mean that you’re not making a first impression on them. If you end up hiring a video interviewee, your first impression will matter. Don’t only dress well on the top half either – what if you have to get up to get a pen or a notebook? Dressing completely professionally can also make you feel more confident when interviewing.

Find a Quiet Space

Any background noise, movement, or distractions should be minimized during a video interview. Sit with your back to a wall and your computer in front of you. This ensures that no one will walk behind you as you interview from home. Make sure that you’re in a quiet room where no one else will be making noise. These details will stop you or the candidate from getting distracted during the interview.

Print Your Questions

It may seem like odd advice to do the old-fashioned method of printing out your interview questions, but there is a good reason for it. If you are video interviewing on your laptop or computer, you will need to keep switching between programs to see the interviewee and then read the questions. Plus, typing your answers can be noisy and distracting. So, utilizing the old method of pen and paper is ideal.

Analyze Body Language

This is one of the most crucial video interview tips we have for you, as it can change your entire perception of a candidate. One of the things that you can miss out on when you do video interviews is being able to get an impression of what this person is like. This happens naturally when you meet someone in person. You can combat this by paying attention to the candidate’s body language, tone, and expressions. This can give you more insight into who they are as a person, past what they say in their responses.

Start with Some Information About Your Company

If you’re used to conducting in-person interviews, these are generally held at your company’s offices. The person will get to walk through to the meeting room and gain an impression of your company from things like the building, the receptionist, and any people or rooms they walk past. In lieu of this, you may want to describe what your company is like to work for at the start of the interview. For example, cover whether you have open-plan or separate offices, what the culture is like, where the office is, and those types of details.

Leave Time for Questions

Having been part of a video interview process, the candidate may have even more questions for you than usual. They haven’t seen your offices and might want to know more about various details of the company. So, make sure that you leave plenty of time for them to ask you questions at the end of the interview, so they go away with as much information as possible.

End with Next Steps

Finally, the last of our video interview tips is to be extremely clear about what the applicant can expect from you next. Let them know when you hope to finish the round of interviews, and when they might hear back by. Also, tell them whether there is expected to be a second round of screening or any other steps before you make a decision. This will let them know exactly where they stand and what to expect.

Those are our top video interview tips for hiring managers or HR staff. Follow this list when preparing for your upcoming video interviews to be prepared and ready for any type of interview situation. Most of all, make sure that you get to know the candidates. Contrary to popular belief, you can get a good perception of what the applicants are like during a video interview, so make the most of the time.