Interview Process in COVID-19 Lockdown

Due to the global pandemic, people are restricted by lockdown and self-quarantine. With this changing landscape, corporates and companies are revising their hiring strategies. Recruitment and human resource management have become a prime priority for the organization during this time of crisis. On a positive note, this global pandemic has opened new doors for new opportunities and created new job roles. Businesses are focussing on different ways that can accommodate virtual handling of people and processes.

Recruitment Process in Lockdown

The prolonged lockdown due to COVID-19 has drastically reshaped the entire operations of almost all the industries. Even after the quarantine restrictions are eased, some companies maintained the social distancing norms and understood the importance of working remotely. It is also important for the companies to make the recruitment process remote to improve the bandwidth of possible job seekers as location conformity will not be an issue.

Digital Processes in Remote Recruitment

The introduction of remote recruitment processes came within lockdown due to COVID-19. Conducting the entire recruitment process was daunting for some organizations. However, due to the restrictions of social distancing, companies rolled out different digital processes for completing the recruitment life cycle. Artificial intelligence, advanced software development processes, and digital technology have shaped the remote recruitment process.

Sourcing Candidates - The recruitment process starts with sourcing eligible candidatures for making a pool for qualified job applicants for the respective vacant positions. Sourcing and networking have already shifted to online media for most of the companies. Now it's easier for the recruiter to post job vacancies online to attract ideal candidates.

2. Remote Interviews - The next step of online interviewing has been introduced for companies who used to hire remotely. However, this concept has been adopted by all organizations to evaluate all the applicants. Interviewing candidates remotely is a good way to follow social distancing rules amidst the pandemic virus spread. The online interviews can be additionally equipped with artificial intelligence tools to examine and analyse the tone, voice, and speech pattern of the candidates. The interviewer can understand the confidence level and knowledge with these analytical techniques.

3. Online Evaluation - Online evaluation is also an efficient way to examine the skill set and intellect of the candidates. Earlier, the online evaluation tests were conducted inside the premises of the interviewer. During the lockdown scenario, it is difficult to conduct any evaluation test offline. Thereby, online evaluations and tests have become popular. This evaluation technique takes place with uninterrupted internet connectivity. The evaluation software used by companies is equipped with automation that can track the movement of the interviewee with microphones and video cameras. This technology helps the recruiter to sense discrepancies conducted during the exam.

4. Screening of Candidates - Online interview analytics for the candidate's speech depict the skill set and confidence, and the evaluation process will score the candidates according to their skills. Thus, it is easier for the recruiter to view their scorecard and analyze their performances. The screening of eligible candidates becomes easier with these technological advances. The interviewer can conduct the evaluation process and carry out screening process more efficiently.

Importance of Hiring Remotely

From the sourcing to the screening, the remote recruitment processes are efficient in selecting the right candidates for fulfilling the vacancies. The recruitment success rate becomes high as the companies can recruit serious and honest candidates who prove to be reliable for the organization. The remote hiring process has the following advantages:

It has facilitated business operations and recruitment during the pandemic spread. Hiring remotely helped companies in manpower planning and recruitment.
The time and location conformity have been successfully eradicated with the remote recruitment process. Both the interviewer and the interviewee can schedule a time for conducting online interviews and assessments from anywhere they are. The screening process takes less time with online facilities.
During some interviews, the company is responsible for travel expenses, which can be completely avoided by the organizations when opting for remote recruitment processes.
The entire interview process followed by on-boarding can be done online, and the chosen candidates can start working as soon as the offer letter is received and accepted by them. There is no lag time or waiting time for the same.
With no traveling and relocation involved, companies can expand their geographical boundaries for hiring a deserving candidate from a different location. The candidate pool increases with expanded geography, and in turn, a company becomes successful in selecting a suitable hire.

However, every process is not perfect and there are a few drawbacks of remote hiring also. There should be good internet connectivity with an ambient space to conduct the online hiring process. Sometimes the video lagging and connectivity issues can hamper the pace of the interview. The interviewee may get demotivated, hampering the performance during the process. There might be miscommunications, and that may lead to inadequate recruitment. The candidates may not have a full understanding of the company and job role, which might cause reluctance for on-boarding.

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