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While giving employees work from home arrangements has been growing in popularity in the past decade, the COVID-19 crisis has greatly accelerated the trend. Even workplaces that were resistant to the idea have been forced to accept that some people do not need to be physically close to be productive. No even old-school employers are turning to apps like Skype and Zoom to facilitate important meetings between employees.
That’s all well and good — but do employers benefit from conducting applicant interviews on Skype or Zoom? A lot of local businesses are starting to realize that the answer is a resounding “yes”.
Whether you’re creating openings for Metro Manila jobs or positions elsewhere in the country, here are 7 reasons you may want to allow remote job interviews even after the end of the crisis.
1.) Faster interview turnovers
Interviewing applicants in person can be very time-intensive. There’s always a bit of downtime between interviewees. While individual chunks of downtime aren’t that long, it can all add up and reduce the total number of applicants that could be interviewed in a day. Plus, it’s also way too easy for face-to-face interviews to run a little longer than you want them to.
Online interviews, on the other hand, can usually be more effectively managed. Not only is there normally less downtime between interviews, but most video call apps also offer handy time management functions. Zoom, for instance, has time management functions that allow you to have a preset meeting time, alerting both parties when the set time is almost out.
This makes video call interviews potentially more efficient for HR managers, at least for initial interviews. Applicants that make a favorable impression can always be invited for a face-to-face meeting later.
2.) Employers can interview qualified applicants anywhere in the world
With video call technology, there’s no reason you have to limit yourself to candidates within specific geographic regions. If you’re truly looking for the best people to fill a position, video call interviews shouldn’t be left off the table.
3.) Interviews can be easily logged if needed
The ability to record and log video calls can be extremely useful for reference purposes. Plus, this means that interviewers can concentrate more on conducting a smoother interview and less on note-taking, which can do a lot to save time.
4.) Candidates can be put at ease
A person’s eloquence does not necessarily equate to competence. If we were to look at some Filipino politicians, we might even say that there’s evidence to the contrary. It’s just unfortunate that some highly-competent people do badly in face-to-face meetings. If the job does not require much socialization, then it may make sense to allow video call interviews so that the candidate is more at ease.
5.) Traffic and commuting becomes a non-issue
Metro Manila has some of the most brutal commuting conditions in the world, and it’s not unusual for some people to be stuck in traffic for up to 4 hours a day. Other Philippine cities are unfortunately following Manila’s lead when it comes to traffic. This presents a problem for applicants and HR personnel, as average traffic conditions can severely limit the pool of qualified applicants if you insist on a face-to-face interview. If there is no real reason to have a face-to-face meeting, you should at least allow the candidate a choice of a remote interview.
6.) Broadband internet is now widespread
Video calling has been around for a very long time now, with Skype practically democratizing it when it was released in 2003. Since then, many other video calling solutions have been made available.
Unfortunately, the adoption of video calls in the professional context had been slow in the Philippines due to the country’s problematic internet speeds. Even if you wanted to interview a candidate that way, the choppy and slow internet connection would almost certainly guarantee an unpleasant experience.
Things have changed for the better since those early days though. While terrible internet service is still widespread, in most cases, video calls are no longer out of the question. Given this, employers mustn’t leave video calls out when interviewing candidates.
7.) It’s easier for busy candidates
The best candidates are rarely idle. Even if they do take a break from their professional life, chances are they will be busy with important personal projects. Asking a high-caliber candidate to drastically readjust their schedule by taking a day off so that they can come in for an interview is sometimes out of the question, especially if you need them more than they need you.
Offering qualified candidates a chance to be interviewed over a video call platform can give you most of the benefits of a face-to-face interview without any of the hassles. This way, you have a better chance of gauging highly-qualified applicants regardless of their schedules.
While online interviews shouldn’t be your only tool for learning more about individual job applicants, they can be an especially powerful one in this interconnected world. Not only do video call interviews remove the limitations of geography, but they also offer a more efficient way for hiring managers to use their time as well.
What other advantages or disadvantages did we miss? Tell us!
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