Photo by Lukas from PexelsDigital transformation is changing the way we work and live every day. In an age of cloud computing and remote workers, employees don’t need to be in an office environment to stay productive. You don’t even need to host a face-to-face interview to bring on new talent anymore.
Online hiring processes are emerging as a great way to save time for hiring managers and business leaders. At the same time, they ensure that you can potentially onboard fantastic talent from around the world, rather than just focusing on the employees closest to you.
Today we’re going to look at some ways that companies can create efficient online hiring processes for technology roles.
1. Send Detailed Instructions to Candidates
If you’re hiring a tech employee, you’ll probably assume that these professionals will have some basic knowledge about how things like video conferencing works. Many non-tech professionals and specialists alike learned how to use video tools in 2020 during the pandemic.
However, it’s best to make sure that your candidate knows what to expect so they can be
properly prepared for the meeting. Let them know what time the conversation will begin and whether you expect them to provide any presentations or files they may need to share.
Highlight which tools you’ll be using for your interview, too, so your candidate can make sure they’re comfortable with the software.
If you’re going to be conducting a test that requires your candidate to use another application or website, let them know in advance so that they can download any features they need.
2. Choose the Right Platform for Video Interviews
Once you and your candidate know what the interview and onboarding process will entail, you can begin to search for the right tools to assist you.
A good video conferencing service should be easy to use, so avoid asking your candidates to download any complicated software or utilize tools that require an extra fast internet connection.
You might also need to check whether your video conferencing service has any additional features. For instance, recording capabilities will enable you to show interviews to other members of your team. Screen sharing and file-sharing services often come in handy when people need a way to share further context and information.
If your candidate will need a paid account or a guest account on your video service for the interview, send them details on how to access this before the day of the conversation.
3. Prepare a Set of Questions
Some interviewers like to take an ad-hoc approach to interviews, where they make up questions on the fly based on what they learn about their candidate.
Unfortunately, this makes it much harder to compare your hiring options based on unified criteria. Having a consistent set of questions that you use with every applicant will help you to assign scores to certain attributes.
You’ll be able to analyze the results of each conversation and make an objective decision about who is right for you. Questions might include:
- Name two skills you’ve learned that will help with this role.
- What inspires you to pursue a career in tech?
- What does your ideal work environment look like?
- What experience do you have working with (name) software?
- Which must-have talents from our job listing do you think you embody best?
Having questions ready in advance will make the final decision more impartial and more
intentional.
4. Test Their Technical Knowledge
Online interviews are handy for the technology industry because they give you a chance to put your candidates to the test in a technical environment. You can ask them to share their screen while they perform certain tasks and check how well they solve the problems you present.
You can also consider assigning a project or set of questions for your potential employee to answer, complete with points to determine who is best suited to your role. Testing the knowledge of a technology employee is extremely important to ensure you get the right skills. This is particularly true when you’re hiring developers.
Developers come with different levels of experience and specific knowledge in certain specialist areas. Putting your candidates to the test before you give them the job will save you from wasting time on an inappropriate hire.
5. Prepare an Online Onboarding Process
Once you’ve successfully built a reliable online hiring process for your candidates, the next step is to effectively onboard them onto your team. If you did the interview online, then you can continue the onboarding process online too. Maybe you can invite your new employee to meet the rest of the team with a group video meeting.
Adding your new staff member to an online collaboration environment like Slack or Microsoft Teams is a great way to keep them in constant contact with the rest of your employees.
You can also link them to your digital calendar, so they know when they need to be available for important conversations and meetings.
Other parts of the onboarding process might include using video webinars to teach team members how to use certain pieces of software or asking them to complete digital courses. It’s easy to make someone feel like part of the team nowadays, even when you’re dealing with remote workers.
Creating the Right Hiring Process
A successful online hiring process, complete with convenient tools for digital interviewing and onboarding, will save your team a lot of resources. With a strategy for online hiring, you open yourself up to the possibility of hiring talent from all over the world. You’re not limited in your choice of candidates who can apply for your latest roles.
Digital strategies for hiring also save you a lot of time and effort. There’s no need for you or your potential employee to travel to a meeting. Moreover, you can easily record interviews and conduct tests online with possible team members, which makes it easier to analyze the results of every conversation.
The future of hiring will be online. Make sure you’re ready for the change.
