As technology continues to enable organizations to conduct business virtually, video interviews are growing in popularity. Virtual job interviews allow companies to continue conducting effective talent searches at a low cost.
With Bryq playing a critical role in your recruitment process, you can conduct better and more structured interviews. Our personalized interview guides help to get the best candidates from the next step of your recruitment process: virtual interviews.
Using these guidelines will help your remove bias from the screening process and reduce bias in the interview process, resulting in increased Diversity & Inclusion.
Step #1 Review the Bryq results and prepare your shortlist
The results are in! Bryq’s ranking system provides you with the results of the candidates you would like to start interviewing.
The overall score of the candidate assessment is comprised of both cognitive and personality traits that have been selected based on the job and company requirements.
Start working on your list from the top down. Look at candidate #1's resume (this is the first time you look at his or her resume; so far the process has been completely bias-free). Does he/she fulfill your hard requirements (maybe she lives in another country and you don't offer relocation for this role)? If so add them to your shortlist and move to the next, until your shortlist is full.
Typical shortlists have 3-5 candidates, so you will usually have to review less than 10 candidates. Remember, you have reviewed the top candidates based on objective criteria and regardless of their sex, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, or any other bias factor - you are looking at a diverse and inclusive talent pool.
Step #2: Preparing for the Structured Virtual Interview with Bryq
You already have your top candidates, now it's time to look into each profile and into the areas you would like to further probe. Remember, structured interviews keep the process aligned by asking participants questions from a predetermined list, in order to gather consistent and comparable data.
Bryq's match scores (both cognitive and personality) show you which areas a candidate scores low in. The interview guide provides you with interview questions that will aid in conducting a structured interview. These questions will help you dig deeper in areas of weakness or less confidence.
For both the employer and the candidate to get the most out of a virtual interview, you:
should carefully consider the type of questions to ask.
shouldn't expect to go into an interview with a list of ideal answers in mind.
It is unlikely that any applicant would come close to providing such answers. A better approach is to keep in mind ideal characteristics that a successful candidate would possess, such as those presented from the Bryq assessment profile.
Open-ended questions encourage candidates to provide longer answers and to expand on their knowledge, strengths, and job experiences. For interviewers, such questions can provide greater insight into a candidate's personality. They can help you understand the degree of how adaptive, rule-conscious, or perfectionist a candidate may be.
Step #3: Setting up the Virtual Interview with the Candidate
Give candidates enough time to prepare 😊
Ensure you provide your candidates time to prepare for the virtual interview.
Send a 'one-day-in-advance' notification to provide the candidate with the opportunity to prepare for the interview. This also builds on the employer brand, showing thoughtfulness in terms of the interview process.
Send each candidate an invitation for the virtual interview to stay organized. The invitation should include the day and time that the interview will be held, and all the information needed to access the software you’ll be using.
Be very clear about the format of the virtual video interview, so candidates know what is expected of them.
Step #4: Conducting the Virtual Interview
It is normal for an applicant to be nervous, so interviewers should try to put the person at ease from the moment he or she enters the room (virtual or not). By helping the interviewee feel relaxed and comfortable, the interviewer stands a better chance of obtaining a clear idea of the applicant's abilities and personality.
Before commencing with your prepared questions, the interviewer could ease tensions by encouraging the applicant to talk about a particular hobby and then go into the structured interview questions that have been prepared based on the candidate profile and Bryq results.
Step #5: Develop a standardized rating system
Bryq’s scoring will help you develop a standardized rating system for each candidate profile. You have the overall score of the candidates you are interviewing which is balanced between cognitive skills and personality. After constructing a good set of structured interview questions for your interview, you should also produce a rating guide. The guide consists of a simple rating scale and your predetermined expectations for the quality of the applicant’s response at each level of the scale. The rating system will streamline your final decision when you are ready to proceed with the hiring decision.
Step #6: Location to conduct your interviews
Conduct your virtual interviews in a place that is quiet and free from distractions so you can give your full attention. If you need to conduct your interviews from home, choose a quiet room. Try to keep the environment as professional as possible.
Time - schedule the interview at a time that will allow you to be comfortable and unhurried.
Location - select a dedicated space that has closed doors.
Interruption free - if you’re using a cell phone for audio set it to “Do Not Disturb” to eliminate call waiting and notification interruptions.
Lighting - use warm room lighting.
Outfit - Dress to impress with professional and modest business attire.
You should not always hire the candidate with the highest score! The score is provided as an indication - how well a candidate is suited for a specific position. Even though a candidate may score high, they may lack the appropriate skills, certifications, or experience for the specific role. Keep in mind that with Bryq you are able to apply the candidate to another role within your organization. There is a chance the candidate is a better fit for your organization in that role.