Hiring for January 2021
As we head into winter and towards January, maintaining the safety of your colleagues and pupils by managing exposure to risk is hugely important. Protocol Education can help you recruit effectively for January. We have put together a package of measures we are calling Protocol Education Connect, which gives you the opportunity to quickly and safely appoint the teachers, support and tuition staff you need to take your plans forward in 2021.
One of the opportunities Connect takes advantage of is managed recruitment events, using a mixture of online and in-school interviews to make the most of the time you commit to recruitment. Video interviewing is a safe and efficient way of speaking to candidates, but for some people, it can feel a little forced. By following our hints and tips, you can be sure you will get the most out of video interviewing and make hiring decisions with confidence.
Video Interview Hints & Tips
You may not be able to meet your short-listed candidates in person, but you can still interview face-to-face thanks to video interviewing. There are some important nuances to consider, to make video interviews a wholly satisfying experience.
Perform a test run
Familiarize yourself with the platform you are using in advance and complete a quick run through with a colleague to check that the sound, web camera and connection is working as it should.
Provide instructions for your interviewee
While everyone’s knowledge of online video meeting platforms has increased massively over recent months, do not assume that the person you are interviewing will be familiar with your chosen platform. Provide step-by-step instructions for accessing the platform, so the candidate can seamlessly connect to the interview.
Budget Time and Have a Plan B
Give yourself a little more time than you would for a traditional interview as you might run into technical issues. If you are scheduling back-to-back meetings, create some buffer time between them to account for potential overrun. Unfortunately, if you are running late, there is no virtual waiting room for candidates to be offered tea and biscuits in (that we know of). As a plan-B, it is a wise precaution to provide a telephone number just in case the technology does not play ball.
Light, Location, Background and Noise
Make sure your light source is in front of you. A window with lots of natural light coming in is perfect. As well as being bright, the perfect location is quiet and uncluttered. Turn off the TV and radio, close windows, and doors, ask people in your home not to disturb you. Avoid places with a cluttered or untidy background (or tidy up!). A blank, light coloured wall is ideal.
Prepare your video interview questions ahead of time
There is no reason why you should not use the same questions on a video interview that you would during a traditional interview. However, it is a good idea to have a few ice-breaker questions to start with, make sure the conversation flows and you and your candidate are at ease. Maintaining eye contact is important too. Although it may seem a little unnatural at first, you should try looking directly into the webcam, not at the candidate on your screen.
Outline Follow Up Actions
While no one is expecting you to make a job offer while you are on the call, it is good practice to be clear to your interviewee what happens next in terms of decisions, second interviews or online trials etc.
Your Next Steps
If you are looking to hire teachers or support staff for January, Protocol Education can help. We can help you define your needs, provide you with video profiles, arrange video interviews and online trial lessons and enable you to overcome the challenges of recruiting remotely.
