Six ways to create an enjoyable and comfortable on-demand interview
A vast majority of candidates we polled reflected that interview process is very stressful to them. They felt even more stressed about an upcoming video interview. This was because they did not know what to expect, given this format is fairly new. Additional stress was due to the lack of feedback during a one way video-interview.
So we decided to share some tips for making EasyHire.me video interviews more comfortable for your candidates.
- Create a clear branded image of the hiring team using customization options!
You can add your company logo, corporate colors, the email signature to all emails that are sent to candidates. This feature is available on the Teams page – Customization tab.
Ask your hiring team to fill out their profiles and add their photos.This will significantly increase candidate’s level of trust and confidence.
Profile photo can be specified by clicking on the profile drop down and selecting the Settings option.
Each team member can easily specify their title, position and responsibilities in the “About Me” section of their profile.
- Compose a friendly email invitation to the interview!
Easyhire.me allows hiring managers to customize emails that will be sent to candidates on behalf of the team. This option is available on the Team page, the Email Templates tab. Often candidates get acquainted with a vacancy from an invitation to the interview – create your perfect invitation!
- Add a welcome video message.
Take the opportunity to greet your candidates by creating video messages. Candidates will see the welcome video before they start interviews. This is a great way for a hiring manager to introduce themselves, share exciting facts about the company and team, provide more details about the position and the interview process.
You can record one video introduction and use it for all your question sets, or record an unique introduction to each set.
- Be creative when composing a question set!
In order to diversify question set you may use any combination of the following types of questions:
- Video questions
- Quiz questions
- Text questions
- Technical questions with the code runner
- Questions with attached images
Our candidate surveys showed that when candidates see a video question, they feel less anxious about their own video recording. Therefore we recommend creating at least one video question.
One good way to create such question is to ask several of your colleagues to record a video question. You can then combine these into a single question set. As a result, candidates would get to know their potential future team before the formal on site interview. This way they are more likely to be excited about the position and have a much higher chance of a more positive outcome of the interview process.
For Default questions use the editor to create a question, attach a picture or insert a link.
Add time to prepare to your questions so that candidates get the opportunity to fully understand questions and think about the answers before being recorded. This will result in more complete and detailed answers.
- Begin the interview with simple and open-ended questions, for instance:
«Tell us about yourself»
«Why are you interested in the role?»
«Describe your current (or most recent) position»
and then add more complex questions.
- Thank the candidate for taking the interview.
Add «Thank you» video-message to your question sets. In this video, you can thank the candidate for the interview and explain to them what next steps will be taken if they will be approved or rejected.
We wish you good luck in finding and selecting suitable employees, and Easyhire.me will make this process easy and fast!!!
10 Questions You Should Never be Asked in a Video Interview
Having a set of question ready can be handy especially when it comes to video interviews. But it doesn’t mean that you can just ask any question that comes to mind. There are certain questions that should never be asked during an interview and we have here a list of questions that should ensure that you do not ask the wrong questions.
Do You Have Kids?
This is an innocent enough question and does come up during small talk. It may seem like a harmless enough question and some Hiring Managers may even use this question to connect to the candidate and put them at ease. But if you try to analyze it, asking candidates about their kids isn’t exactly related to the job. A candidate’s capabilities do not lie on whether or not they have kids. And if this question is connected with the jobs hours required, then you are better off asking the candidate about availability and stating that the company has rigid about hours.
Do You Speak Another Language at Home?
Again, this may seem like an innocent enough question but when it’s an interview, you need to take into consideration that this can be considered as discrimination. You typically learn their language skills as you conduct the interview and so asking about other languages that the candidate speaks at home becomes a bit redundant.
Do You Have Any Disabilities?
Certain disabilities are pretty obvious and it can be easily seen by the interviewer. But, there are certain disabilities that are not that apparent but it doesn’t mean that you can outright ask about it. Even though, this can be something that the company would, of course, want to know, asking someone about their disability can still be considered a discrimination. Asking the candidate about their capabilities is much more appropriate and if the candidate does have a disability that can affect his/her job, then it should be brought up after a job offer is made.
Funny Questions From the Internet.
Hiring managers sometimes want to make it fun for the candidates and ask questions that they get from the internet. While this kind of questions makes a good reliever of tension, it does not actually help in the process of evaluating the candidate. The questions should be relevant to the job every time. And if your reason the reason is wanting to be able to look into the personality of the candidate, then that should probably be the job of a trained psychologist.
What Did You Hate About Your Last Job?
A question like this may seem reasonable enough but this is also a question that outright opens an opportunity for you candidate to become negative, and that is not very professional. The candidate obviously had some problems with the last job that they have got and that is why they are applying for a new one. So instead of asking this question, you can ask them what their expectations may be in their new job. It is a much more positive approach to finding out what type of environment or job the candidate loves doing.
What is Your Religion?
Asking someone about their faith does not help you in analyzing their true capabilities, so never go there. It may seem like small talk for you, but during an interview, there is no reason for you to ask this. You should only ask about a candidates religion if there are certain events or even a task that will be assigned to them that may affect them or is not allowed in their religious customs.
How old are you?
This is something that can easily found out in the candidate’s resume or bio and it should not ask during the interview. It may be considered as age discrimination and again that is something that should be avoided. Just try to know the candidate’s age beforehand and do not include this in the interview questions.
Have you ever been arrested?
Everyone is innocent until proven guilty and yes, it is illegal to ask someone if they have ever been arrested. Finding out about this info is easy enough and the candidate should still have the right to prove himself or herself because their capabilities aren’t directly connected to their having been arrested in the past.
Have you ever filed for bankruptcy?
Asking someone about their financial status are off-limits. While this may seem like a question that can be asked harmlessly, it may be something of a sensitive topic to the candidate. And again, this is a question that wouldn’t actually allow hiring managers to measure a candidate’s capabilities so try to get more relevant questions instead.
How often did you take sick days in your last job?
If there is a time gap on a candidate’s resume, then it is okay to ask what happened during this period. But asking outright about how many sick days a candidate has taken is not okay because it is still related to their disability and is another question that should not be asked. Asking about pre-existing medical conditions if perfectly fine though once the job has been offered to the candidate to ensure that there are no obstacles in the candidate’s fulfillment of the role.
It can be a bit tricky to pick the right questions when it comes to video interviews but EasyHire.me actually comes with a library of good questions and any hiring manager can use this if in doubt. And you can even make it easier by conducting a recorded video interview and this way, managers can ensure that hiring managers are asking the right questions.
6 Ways To Better Prepare for Video Interviews
In this day and age, more and more companies are turning to video interviews since it is more convenient and allows them to pool more talents across the globe. Now, video interviews have become a vital part of the hiring process and it is now imperative that you know how to handle yourself during the interview and answer the questions that are being asked in a flawless manner and are thoroughly prepared for it. So here are a few important points for you to remember for you to land that job.
Have a General Idea About the Company
As someone looking for a position within any certain company, you should be able to have at least a general idea of what the company does and not just apply blindly. And besides, with the internet, you can easily look up any information you want and there is no real excuse for you to not do this. Research the company and know what they have been able to accomplish. Know who the CEO may be or what the company is working on at the moment because it will then give you a better idea of what their question may be. Even on their social media pages, you can see and get a general idea of what type of company they are. Here are points worth mentioning during the video interview:
What product or service the company sells
How long the company has been operating
Recent accomplishments of the company
The culture and values of the company
Placement of Webcam
Yes, this is important. Because you don’t want your potential boss to be looking at a stack of dirty clothes behind you while you are being interviewed. Know that there is such thing as the right background and right lighting for that matter. Also, it is important that you position your webcam at a flattering angle because it never hurts to make a good first impression. Position it above your eye-line and angle it slightly downwards.
Clothes & Make-up
Being presentable during a video interview is a must. You may think that just because the interview is done through a webcam that you should not be obligated to wear something formal. It is highly recommended that you do not wear pure black since the webcam will need to constantly adapt to show the black and cause your face to appear a bit wash out due to overexposure. You don’t necessarily need to wear make-up but as mentioned, it is better to create a good first impression and if make-up helps in doing that then you should consider it.
Maintaining a Good Eye Contact
Maintaining a good eye contact can often signify confidence and so hiring managers often do look for someone who is able to do this during an interview. But when it comes to video interviews, know that your eyes should always be focused on the webcam, unless they are actually the one talking and you need to listen. To do this better, you should have the video on full screen so that you would easily see and create a good eye contact with the interviewer.
Internet Connection
Having a good internet connection is essential for any video interview. Because without it, there would basically be no interview. Physically connecting your laptop or desktop to the router is the safest way to go. And ideally, your internet connection should be about 10Mbps and the higher it is the better. Right before the interview, make sure to test your connection speed and if your connection is at least 25Mbps, then you may just use wi-fi and a physical connection is not needed.
Practice Practice Practice
It helps to give yourself some time to practice to get accustomed to the camera. You can even try answering some commonly asked interview questions and try to see where you are lacking and then try to improve on them. Even practicing in front of a mirror helps and can give you a better view of how you react or how you basically speak. And if you prefer that someone actually outright ask you questions, then finding someone to do it with you can be your best help. But no matter how you do it, know that the important thing is that you actually practice.
There you have it. Six ways in which you could better prepare for that video interview. Don’t be fooled into thinking that the hiring process is less traditional and that you do not need to prepare for it. Make necessary preparations and follow these tips to nail that video interview.
Future of Interviewing is Here – Mobile Video Interviews
Just at the end of last year, EasyHire.me proudly to announced a new innovation within our system that will allow hiring managers to have an even easier time reviewing applicants! We have integrated our platform with the internet browser systems that are accessible both on iOS and Android. Candidates can now take interviews any time and anywhere without the need to install additional apps.
Having the ability to take an interview instantly from any location in the world puts you, as a hiring team member, in a better position by improving efficiency between you and the candidates. Statistics show that it allows you to increase your exposure to new candidates by 36%*.
Since hundreds of other people are competing for the same position it is important to contact the hiring team as fast as possible to conduct your interview. Being able to see in which order the interviews come in as a hiring manager puts you in an advantageous spot. Here is what NPR said about a study done in 2015,
“being the first person to apply for an interview allows you to gain a more objective review of your resume and gives you a higher chance of landing the position you are seeking” – NPR, 2015.
Since those applying first will almost always be the ones who are genuinely seeking the position our new system removes the barrier of additional apps in order to get the hiring managers to the new contacts as soon as possible. If the statistics aren’t enough to satisfy you, check out these three reasons on why you should use our system.
Here are the three reasons why you should use EasyHire.me for your next position:
- Uniqueness – Hiring managers have hundreds of choices. Set yourself apart with a mobile video interview.
- Convenience – Integrated interviews allow you to take an interview from any device, anywhere. If you find yourself in the library, dorm, or just lounging in the comfort of your living room you can take out your phone and quickly come in contact with a hiring manager.
- Efficiency – As a hiring team member you are able to review more interviews in a shorter amount of time. If you are a skilled individual at your position, you can get faster feedback from the candidate in order
If you are getting too many of inconsistent results getting in contact with hiring teams, we would be happy to show how EasyHire.me can lead to conduction of efficient, consistent, and meaningful job interviews. See the official announcement for this update here. If you’re not using video interviews yet, click here to sign-up and try!
*INC.com 2017
Mobile Video Interviews: New Feature Release
The EasyHire.me Team is thrilled to announce the general availability of its mobile interface for on-demand interviews. Job seekers can now use their iPhone or Android phones/tablets to take on-demand interviews anytime and anywhere. The Mobile Video Interviews are recorded and made available for grading and sharing among the hiring team upon completion.
Benefits of Mobile Video Interviews:
- No webcam, no problem. Candidates without a computer or webcam are still able to complete video interview via their mobile device.
- Interview anytime, anywhere. Need to interview while vacationing or during your lunch break? Sure! Simply pull out your smartphone and take your interview anytime, anywhere.
- High Definition video recording. Modern smartphones have better cameras than most computers. Candidates can reliably capture high definition video.
How it works:
EasyHire.me Mobile Video Interviews do not require candidates to download and install any custom mobile applications. This feature works right from the build-in Safari (iOS) or Chrome (Android) browsers, making it taking interviews easier than ever!
Mobile video interviews enable candidates to complete their assessments faster, so the hiring team can accelerate its hiring decision and ultimately the overall hiring process.
At EasyHire.me we strongly believe that mobile video interview technologies give hiring teams the much-needed edge in today’s competitive talent market.
Contact us at sales@easyhire.me to learn more or sign up now to accelerate your hiring!
Click the Product Update link to see all of our updates.
What type of interviewer are you?
Interviewing is an art! It is a self taught skill that you need to learn and master yourself. There is no clear-cut course that teaches you how to be a good interviewer. An effective interviewer makes their candidate feel comfortable and relaxed to bring the best out of them in order to ascertain what skills they can bring to the table. They inspire the candidate to want to be part of their initiative and engage them in introspective discussions. They make the candidate contemplate on how they can improve themselves and their peers.
You can be more successful as an interviewer by being conscious as to whom you are interviewing. Before commencing the interview, first establish the role and the job you are interviewing the candidate for. Are you interviewing for a customer facing role or a product development role? Additionally, while interviewing, be aware of the type of person you are talking to. Are you talking to a fresh graduate or an industry veteran? Would the candidate be reporting to you or would he be joining the team as your peer? These are but few of the factors that you should consider before initiating the interview. By analyzing and deciding all of these factors, you can pick a candidate who is best suitable for your work style and the job at hand, and hopefully, a long-term contributor to your company.
Here are some crucial qualities that you can pick from as the interviewer:
- Assertive: If you are going to be their manager, establish the company’s hierarchy and accountability in a positive manner. Act like his manager and give the candidate a realistic glimpse on how you see them fitting in your company.
- Collaborative: If you are interviewing your peer, solve problems together with the candidate. Your interview should aim in not only finding out how suitable the candidate is for the job but also how good it is to work with him.
- Inquisitive: If you are interviewing your boss, talk about his vision and plans for the company and evaluate if he has the abilities to execute on them. Share your passion and commitment towards the job and find out if they are aligned with his.
Your evaluation on the candidate should depend on the interview session. If you were a tough interviewer, go easy on the evaluation. If you were collaborative and friendly, be tough on the evaluation. Finally, the choice is yours to pick a persona and conduct the interview accordingly. Plan ahead – study the candidate, choose the appropriate persona, and provide a rounded, insightful evaluation on the candidate.
Phone calls from EasyHire web interface
EasyHire.me is thrilled to announce a significant addition to its interview platform. The award winning cloud-enabled interview platform now incorporates a WebRTC-powered phone calling from within its web interface. Recruiters and hiring managers can now call candidates on their conventional phones from within the EasyHire.me Interview Room. Similar to video interviews, the phone interviews can be recorded and shared with the hiring team.
Hiring the right talent demands a tremendous amount of time and money. The EasyHire.me platform revolutionizes the hiring process by making interviews both structured and easy to conduct. It provides tools and workflows to conduct phone & video interviews that could be recorded and shared with team to collaborate and make evidence-based hiring decisions.
EasyHire.me is the state-of-the-art platform to schedule, interview and review candidates, all in one place! The unrivaled platform gives hiring managers, recruiters, and HR personnel the tools they need to successfully and efficiently recruit top talent in their industry. The startup is based in Silicon Valley and is founded on the basis of bringing cutting-edge technology to enable a structured and reliable process for recruiting professionals.
The art of interviewing
Yesterday, I was having a cup of coffee with a long lost friend from college who is smart, intelligent and a true engineer at heart. He was a problem solver and carved his path as an individual contributor in a reputed fortune 500 company.
Slowly sipping his coffee, he muttered “I am changing my job. I am joining this new startup next week!”.
Quite surprised, I asked, “I thought u are happy in your current job. What happened? Why this sudden shift?”
“Oh yeah, I do love my current job. I was happily busy . I was not at all looking for a change.”, he said.
Looking at my confused expression he continued, “Well, I was glancing through an email that I got from a recruiter and was intrigued by the job description. It was not only interesting but sounded like fun. So I responded to that.”
“Hmm.. So you are the typical passive candidate that they talk about in the recruiting blogs”
“Very much so. As soon as I responded, things started rolling fast. The manager talked and immediately scheduled an interview with their technical guru. I had a long video chat with him and then everything just moved fast. I was impressed with their interviewing process and more so with their interviewer!”.
Then for about five minutes, my friend went on and on about the interesting discussion that he had with the interviewer. He continued, “it felt like a discussion, nothing like an interview. He started with a simple question but soon interweaved it with the multiple challenges in solving it. We discussed in depth the algorithm to be used, optimizations to consider and implementation stacks to use. By the end of the hour, I decided that I want to work with this guy !”.
I started thinking, is it that easy to get a good hire? Just have a good interview session with him? The “interview session” was the one that made him decide to take the job, not how the company is doing or what he is being offered. He knew that he could negotiate everything else. And he is convinced that if the company had great people like his interviewer, it has to succeed sooner or later.
So here I am, more than ever convinced that if you want to attract great, passive talent, have a great interview session. No doubt, one frequently overlooked challenge in recruiting is finding a good interviewer!