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Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, a growing body of research had shown that Gen Y and Gen Z jobseekers prefer communicating digitally.

In addition, several companies in the US that have been hiring virtually and continue doing so, report that it saves time and money as interviewers and candidates are able to exercise more flexibility with scheduling when they don’t all have to converge on a physical interview venue. Saving time also allows hiring managers to make decisions more swiftly, reducing the incidence of losing high-performing candidates to the competition.

Now that social distancing and remote working have become the norm as part of Covid-19 mitigation measures, it might be time to consider the merits of virtual hiring and recruitment and whether these methods could benefit both candidates and hirers even beyond this crisis.

Granted, hiring momentum has slowed as a result of the current economic uncertainty, but many companies are continuing to build their bench strength due to current needs or in preparation for recovery. Several are also looking into flexible staffing more closely in order to build a more nimble and enduring HR model.

Whatever the case, the current climate will require you to adjust more quickly to a largely virtual hiring process.

As it is, recruiters and hirers had been doing many first-round interviews virtually even before Covid-19. The current situation simply demands continuing in the same vein for a longer period of engagement over several touchpoints.

Use the phone, video calls and virtual assignments liberally.

Here are some tips to make the virtual interview process easier for both candidates and hirers:

Test and Rehearse

If you are not a digital native, do a test call with a colleague or a friend. Make sure you know how everything works and that if something goes wrong, you’ll know how to troubleshoot or at least have resources handy.

Technical difficulties can really dampen the mood and affect performance.

However, how a candidate deals with the challenges of a technically rocky interview might be useful in revealing key elements of their personality and their ability to deal with uncertainty or solve problems.

Always Have a Backup Plan

Considering the strain on WiFi networks these days, the possibility of being cut off is very real. Always provide each other with a backup phone number to call in case technical difficulties can’t be remedied in a timely fashion. If your video call can’t continue, a good old phone interview would suffice for a first-round interaction.

Work with the Limitations, Capitalise on the Merits

Hirers and candidates generally agree that non-verbal communication is a vital element of the mutual evaluation process. Video calls may not provide you with much of an insight in this regard. But you will certainly be able to observe the other person’s facial expressions and general demeanour. Concentrate on reading these better and on listening more closely to what they are saying.

Make the Most of Branding

Some of our clients play a virtual office tour video during the second or third-round interview. It’s a way of giving the candidate an insight into the environment they will be working in once things go back to normal. Even if the new norm might entail telecommuting, the physical appearance of the work environment could tell the candidate a lot about your corporate culture. Opening up your offices this way could also help with branding to fuel your long-term recruitment efforts.

Candidates, on their part, are generally advised to do video interviews against a neutral backdrop to prevent interviewers from being distracted during the chat, but depending on the job role, feel free to be creative. If you’re interviewing for a marketing position, perhaps use a customised backdrop that reflects your personal brand while being aligned with the hiring party’s brand elements.

Set up a Face-to-Face Meeting, but Accept that it May Not Be Possible

Many of our clients aren’t comfortable hiring without having met the candidate in-person at least once. The hope is that the situation improves and circuit breaker measures (in Singapore’s case) and lockdowns elsewhere in the world will be relaxed to at least allow limited face-to-face meetings.

However, if the measures stay in place for an extended period and you need to fill the position, you might have to hire virtually. In such instances, make sure you have a comprehensive onboarding process in place with regular meeting rhythms spelt out and observed so that the new hire feels sufficiently inducted to start work comfortably, albeit remotely.