Virtual Interview Tips for Candidates & Employers

As a Fintech industry executive and now as a Payments & Fintech recruiter I wanted to share my observations on the emerging growth of Virtual Interviews.

Based on Payments client feedback and Fintech industry analysis over 85% of hiring managers are using or plan on adopting virtual interviewing for most or in some situations all of the hiring process.

The impact for both the candidate and employer of this trend requires an understanding of the shift in approach and most importantly the ability to adapt to this change.

For the candidate, the preparation for the interview remains the same, however the introduction of video interviewing platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype and Google Hangouts require some knowledge and skill to effectively manage these applications.

Prior to a virtual interview, determine which platform will be used and prepare by visiting the application in advance to check connectivity and how to navigate the solution. Most importantly record some interview role plays, play them back to check background, video quality and communication style.

For employers virtual interviewing provides many benefits including a safe environment, speed, flexibility, and the ability to evaluate communication skills. However, as companies integrate this new medium the hiring manager should be present and avoid the pitfall of using virtual interviewing as a screening tactic for the perfect video interviewing candidate versus the best fit candidate.

Some of the areas hiring managers should consider adapting to for virtual interviews include, avoiding background distractions, providing candidates with FAQ’s on the application and leveraging different mediums in addition to the virtual interview including, phone, scripted calls, PowerPoint presentations and written documents to create as much of a 360 degree approach as possible.

Since 1999 Group W Partners has connected todays Payments, eCommerce, and Fintech executives with tomorrow’s opportunities.