Strategies To Hire The Right Person—Virtually

Virtual hiring is here to stay. Here’s how to make it work for you.

Virtual interviews have been around for quite a few years—but now, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, they’re fast becoming a vital part of the hiring process. And, once entrenched, the virtual-dominant hiring model will likely be here to stay.

But just because the pandemic forced our hand doesn’t mean that virtual hiring is inferior to the traditional model. For companies that implement it wisely, virtual hiring may even offer some advantages.

“With 33 million unemployed Americans applying for a finite number of jobs, companies can turn to digital hiring to find the right candidates (the first time around), and ultimately, make quicker and more effective hiring decisions,” says OutMatch CEO Greg Moran.

By eliminating inefficiencies such as manual steps and in-person meetings, virtual hiring can streamline a time-intensive hiring process. The ability to hire more diverse talent from anywhere is another perk of virtual hiring, which removes barriers like logistics and geographical limitations.

Make virtual hiring work for you

Effective virtual hiring is a symbiotic balance between AI recruitment/candidate screening tools and the live video interview. “Together, these tools make a perfect team,” says Moran. “Assessments provide much-needed data and objectivity, and video interviewing adds a human layer that allows candidates to express their uniqueness and be seen as a person, not just a score.”

In the virtual hiring process, companies should prioritize soft skills. These skills—defined by Outmatch as “enduring skills” that stay with an individual throughout their life—are becoming ever more important in the age of remote work. Though more elusive to detect, these traits are extremely valuable to an employer, says Moran. “In today’s COVID-19 world, where job roles are changing rapidly—and many roles are moving remote—it’s vital that companies focus not only on the necessary hard skills, but more so on the underlying enduring, soft skills of each applicant.”

When screening potential candidates virtually, companies need to ensure they are asking the right questions. Moran recommends probing for the following soft-skill attributes:

• Adaptability: Open to new ideas and ways of doing business, as well as adopting change willingly.
• Resilience: Responds to challenges with composure, optimism and hardiness; perseveres and exhibits healthy stress management strategies.
• Learning agility: Learns quickly, applies newly learned information and skills to innovate and adapt and uses feedback to improve.
• Communicating effectively: Expresses thoughts and ideas in a clear and effective manner.
• Relationship management: Builds and maintains meaningful and positive connections with others inside or outside of the organization.
• Teamwork and collaboration: Cooperates with others through mutual trust and accountability to accomplish shared objectives.

Virtual hiring is here to stay, so it’s time for companies pivot their human capital strategies in that direction. “Digital hiring will be a make-or-break trend in 2020, allowing companies to reinvent their hiring practices and adjust to the changes that COVID-19 has brought to the forefront,” says Moran. “It’s not just a short-term patch for COVID-19, but rather a long-term hiring solution.”