In the last 12 weeks we have recruited 6 new staff. None of us had ever hired someone without physically meeting them before.
FOR BUSINESSES
1. YOU CAN MAKE YOUR PROCESS MORE RIGOUROUS
Too many trips to your office can put candidates off. Conversely the more we see them, the more likely they are to reveal their true selves. You can use multiple Teams calls and they don’t all have to be an hour long to justify the travel time. Just make sure you prepare well and avoid repeating questions.
2. RECORD THE INTERVIEW
This enables you to take fewer notes, focus on the candidate and include others in the review process. Ever interviewed a candidate from an agency and within 10 minutes you know it’s not a fit? Help your agency filter better by watching videos of their CV interviews.
3. TAKE VERBAL PRE-OFFER REFERENCES
References are especially important if you can’t physically meet someone. Nowadays written references are practically useless. Ask candidates for phone numbers of recent bosses and their permission to call them. If they think highly of the person, they will take your call so as to not harm their chances. Describe the job and ask them why they think 'X' is suited to the role and what training will be required.
FOR CANDIDATES
1 – FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT
You may be at home and so not expected to wear a business suit, however when interviewing from home you must consider the first impression you are giving. Think about where you are having the meeting, what you are wearing and what the interviewer can see and hear in the background.
2 – FAIL TO PREPARE, PREPARE TO FAIL
Companies want to know how interested you are in the role advertised. Have you done your research? Do you know what the company does? When it was established? Who the senior management team are? The markets they serve and the products they sell? You can find a lot of this on the company website and LinkedIn. You may also want to check out their financials if you have access to a credit checking website or companies house.
Keep your notes to hand and take notes. Also look directly at the person interviewing you, so you look engaged and not easily distracted.
3 – ASK QUESTIONS
Prepare questions in advance. There must be something you want to know about the role, the training programme, the career prospects etc. to ensure it is right for you. Also ask about the company’s future – what are they hoping to achieve over the next few years to understand what they are looking for and how you may be able to help them.
To find out more about Jola and our current vacancies, visit our website. To find out more about Jola and our partner programme, request our Partner Pack.
