In person interviews have not been possible since March. This means that if you have hired any drivers in the past three months, you had to conduct a video chat interview. Whether you are using Zoom, Google Hangouts, etc. you need to be prepared. Follow this guide to get the most out of your video interviews.
1. Set the Bar for the Meeting
As the interviewer, it is up to you to be an example of what it means to be a professional at your company. You need to set the bar for the interview.
One way that you can set the professional bar is by dressing professionally. Working from home it is tempting to remain in your comfortable clothes, but when you interview you are the face of your company.
Drivers are going to judge your company based on you. So dressing professionally will send the message that your company takes themselves seriously. Professional drivers want to work for professional companies.
The next thing you need to do is find a space that has quality lighting and is in a quiet space. Doing this will ensure that the driver will be able to see you clearly and there will not be any interruptions.
2. Understand Technical Difficulties
You need to remember that this world is new to the drivers as well. Many of them are going to struggle with interviewing remotely.
If a driver you are interviewing hops on the call late because they could not load the page, or if the call drops, you need to work with them.
Do not rule out hiring a potential driver because they could not figure out the video interview. Have patience, rushing to judgement will lead to you ruling out quality drivers.
3. Record and Review Later
There is no doubt that interviewing drivers in person is the best way to gauge a potential employee. However, video interviews have certain advantages.
The biggest advantage that video interviews have is that it is easier for you to record the interview and review it later.
You will become fatigued if you conduct multiple interviews in one day. This can lead to you overlooking a great driver.
Recording and reviewing the video interviews will help ensure you offer your positions to the most qualified driver.
4. Provide Clear Instructions
As mentioned earlier, drivers are likely to struggle technically with the video interview. The best way to avoid this is to provide clear, step-by-step, instructions prior to the interview.
The more you can do to eliminate technical barriers, the more you can focus on the driver. This way you can get a better idea of who the driver is as a person.
5. Ask Questions That Generate Articulation
Because you won’t get to have the human interaction like a typical interview, you need to ask questions that get drivers to explain themselves.
Here are some common video questions to ask drivers:
- Why did you decide to apply with our company?
- Why are you a truck driver?
- Describe the best work environment you have been a part of
- How did you manage driving your toughest routes?
Video interviews will not allow you to test a driver’s capabilities so you must get drivers to describe their skills to you. You will have to make your hiring decisions based on how drivers are able to articulate their thoughts. Because of this, the questions you ask directly affect retention and overall company performance.
If you don’t know what you are doing with video interviews, it can lead to hiring the wrong person. Follow these 5 tips to get the most out of your video interviews.