Recruitment has changed dramatically during the Covid-19 pandemic. From Zoom interviews to half-empty offices, the standard job interview is a thing of the past.
If your organisation is in a position to be hiring new employees, you likely have a rich talent pool to select candidates from.
So what new questions should you ask in job interviews following Covid-19?
Let’s find out.
- How have you been feeling over the last few months?
This will help build rapport and instantly shows a human side to both interviewer and candidate. The pandemic has been a strange and humbling experience for us all, so it’s a good opportunity to engage with a candidate on a personal level.
- What have you learnt about yourself?
With time to reflect and challenges to overcome, we’ve had time to learn about how we adapt to change.
- What have you been doing with your time?
If the candidate has been on furlough or been made redundant, this question will let you learn a bit more about them.
- Have you learnt any new skills recently?
This will let you know who has used the “lockdown” period proactively to learn and develop.
- Are you willing to work remotely?
If your organisation is still working remotely, a candidate’s willingness to do that is vital.
- Have you worked remotely before?
This will let you know if they are experienced in remote work and therefore more likely to adapt.
- If yes, how was the experience?
You’ll learn if they enjoyed it and were productive, as well as if anything needs to be provided to help them have a better experience
- Do you have a suitable workspace at home?
This includes equipment such as a computer, sturdy desk and a comfortable chair.
- Do you have suitable connectivity at home i.e. phone and internet?
It’s vital to communicate and collaborate with your team and manage when working remotely.
- Do you have any experience using Skype, Whatsapp, Zoom, Microsoft Teams or other similar collaboration tools?
These tools are essential for collaborative working as well as building team spirit with your new colleague.
- How do you feel about video calls? Are you willing to use them for team meetings if necessary?
Some people love video calls and some people hate them. What’s most important is that they’re willing to do them if needed.
- How will you cope with meeting the team virtually from home?
This is a difficult question but will help you assess their enthusiasm to overcome the challenge of being new and isolated.
- What will motivate you whilst working remotely or in a quiet environment with fewer people?
This will help you learn whether the candidate is burning to get going and prove themselves. With so many people unemployed right now, it shouldn’t be hard to find the motivated candidates.
- Are you willing and able to come into work?
Some candidates may be hesitant to physically go into work while the Covid-19 threat remains.
- Do you have your own transport or do you use public transport?
Public transport offers greater risks of spreading Covid-19 so you’ll need to be aware of how a candidate travels to mitigate the risk.
- Can you be flexible (start times, break times) to ensure social distancing at work?
You may need them to start earlier or go to lunch later to avoid too many people in the office or break-out areas at once.
- Do you have any questions about our office safety?
This will give you a chance to alleviate any concerns they have and explain what they can expect should they join you.
Hopefully these questions can help you learn more about the candidate in a sensitive way while assessing their suitability.
