Hiring Managers are People Too

A funny thing happened on the way to this article. A client in the midwest that does a fair amount of complex hiring (ranging from volume call-center to senior actuaries, etc) reached out with - what seemed like - a fairly straightforward question: could we point them to a few articles, videos, etc they could share with their hiring managers.

This seemed simple. And yet, the well was pretty much dry. Turns out, once again, hiring managers are the red-headed stepchild of our industry. (Also, if anyone out there is working on the hiring manager experience, let’s talk - we want to cover it at RNN). So the team here thought we’d step in to fill the gap a bit.

Without further ado:

5 Things for Hiring Managers to Consider When Conducting a Video Interview

1. ‍‍Check your set-up – If you are new to conducting video interviews, you will want to practice with the video software. Whether you are using Zoom, Skype, Teams, or any other software, you want to be sure you are familiar with the controls like turning on your webcam, using the screen-sharing (if needed) and switching your view between participants (if you are conducting a panel video interview).  Set-up a session with a colleague or your recruiter to test it out and be sure you are comfortable.
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   Make sure you check your internet connection, microphone, and speakers before each video interview.  Just because they worked fine yesterday, does not mean they will today.  You may need to move closer to your wireless router or use a headset to be sure you can hear and be heard clearly.
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   Also, check your surroundings.  Finding a quiet space in your house may be a challenge with your significant other and kids working and schooling from home. Do your best to find a spot (I’ve known some hiring managers to go to the garage or even sit in their car).  When you settle on the best possible spot, turn your webcam on and check what can be seen in the camera. Try to avoid dirty dishes or laundry.  Most candidates will understand if you are sitting at your tool bench or in one of your kids’ rooms.
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2. Prepare the candidate – Live video interviews are likely new for many of your candidates, too.  Communicate to the candidate at least a day before the interview that it will be a live video interview.  Let them know what software you will be using so they can practice with it beforehand.  Let the candidate know what attire is expected.  If you are OK with a relaxed dress code and plan to be casual yourself, definitely communicate that.
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   Give the candidate the opportunity to be their best self during the interview and be as transparent as possible.  Share your plan for the interview (a few minutes upfront for small talk, the types of questions you plan to ask, how long you will leave for their questions at the end).  Having this information will put the candidate’s mind at ease so they can most effectively answer your questions.
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3. Make more of an effort to be more personable than you normally are in an in-person interview. Video interviews can be awkward and thus more difficult to make connections with each other.  Check out the candidate’s resume for something you have in common before the interview so you have an ice-breaker that is better than “how’s the weather?” or “how’s the pandemic treating you?”  Allow extra time in the interview for building rapport.  You may want to schedule the interview for 5-10 minutes longer than your normal in-person interview so you have ample time to make a connection. The goal is to make the candidate comfortable so you can learn more about them and make an informed hiring decision.
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   Because it can be challenging to feel like you have gotten to know a person over video, consider adding an additional interviewer or two to the schedule.  The more people they have a chance to meet, the more likely you are to have some members of the interview team connect with them.  An additional benefit of having more people involved is that you can gather more information to feel more confident in your hiring decision.
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4. Be kind to the candidate during your evaluation.  Be sure to focus on the content of their answers (and questions) vs. their surroundings. Like you, they may be challenged to find an appropriate space in today’s environment. So, give them some grace and ignore their kid running through the video or that they are sitting in their laundry room.
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5. Cut yourself and the candidate some slack on eye contact.  It can be very awkward and uncomfortable to make eye contact over video.  Do your best to look at the camera when speaking as this is the closest to eye contact as you can get.  Try to avoid looking at your own image on video as it will be distracting to you and the candidate.

The main point here is: be human. Be yourself. It can be odd emoting through a screen, but it matters - and, it can actually be a solid way to break the ice by simply acknowledging “hey, this is different”. Getting the connection matters, and even once we’re past this current crisis, these points will help you make that connection.

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