5 Tips to Get the Most Out of Video Interviews

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.

Man gets the most out of video interview

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?

Driver providing articulate answers on video interview

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.

How to Keep Drivers From Backing Out

Hiring qualified truck drivers is hard! That is no secret. Writing enticing job posts, getting drivers to apply, going through the interview process, offering the position, and putting the driver through orientation is a long and expensive process.

The average cost to hire a new driver is $8,612. As a recruiter, nothing is more deflating than going through 95% of the process only to have the driver bail. Unfortunately, this occurs far too often.  A survey conducted by Robert Half staffing agency shows that 28% of people admit to backing out of a job offer after accepting it. Here is how to keep drivers from backing out before orientation.

Offer Competitive Benefits, and Shout Them From the Rooftops

Many truckers feel that they are underpaid, overworked, and treated with little respect. This feeling is one of the driving forces behind the high turnover rate. If your company is offering benefits that are on the low side then drivers are likely to back out.

The Robert Half survey mentioned earlier found that of all the employees who backed out of an offered position, 44% of them did so because they received a better offer from another employer. Offering competitive benefits is only part of the equation.

As the recruiter it is up to you to make the benefits of the position abundantly clear. Handing the applicant paperwork that lays out the benefits is not enough. Repeatedly through the hiring process you need to highlight the benefits offered.

Get the applicant excited about the opportunity. If you do not ingrain the company’s benefits into the applicant’s mind you are leaving the door cracked for another company to use their benefits to lure the applicant away.

Slow Onboarding Speeds Increase Frustration 

A slow onboarding process can be frustrating for new hires. Being hired by a company  is an exciting moment for drivers. Either this is the driver’s first driving job, it is a second chance, or they are being hired for a position that better aligns with their personal needs.

However, a painstaking onboarding process can kill that excitement the driver felt when initially hired. Difficult paperwork, manually submitting documents, figuring out how to get to orientation, delayed drug tests, etc. are all headache inducing actions.

In addition to increasing the levels of frustration, a prolonged onboarding process increases the amount of time other companies have to lure your hire away from you. High levels of frustration combined with an extended amount of time for competition to poach your applicants is a recipe for disaster.

Tenstreet has some excellent tools for increasing the speed of your onboarding process.

frustrated driver on the verge of backing out of their new job

Personally Call Your Applicants at Each Step

In the past, we have written about the importance of calling leads immediately after they apply. Phoning does not lose its importance as the hiring process goes on. In fact, phoning becomes more important. You must be calling your applicants as much as you can.

By calling the driver you will establish a personal relationship with them. Drivers are less likely to back out on a job offer, even if presented with a better option, if they have a relationship with the recruiter. Applicants will feel loyal to you if you take the time and effort to build a relationship with them.

As a truck driver recruiter dealing with applicants backing out of a position is part of the job. That does not make it any less frustrating. By taking a few extra steps, you can keep drivers from backing out before orientation. Make sure the driver knows the company benefits, speed up your onboarding process, and build a personal relationship by calling the driver frequently.