Phone screening interviews have long been a staple in the hiring process, allowing recruiters and hiring managers to evaluate candidates' communication skills and assess their fit for the role before proceeding to in-person interviews. However, as technology evolves and remote work becomes more prevalent, it's time to explore alternatives that can lead to more effective and efficient hiring decisions. In this article, we'll delve into the concept of moving beyond traditional phone screening interviews and adopting innovative strategies for making even better hires.

How to Never Do a Phone Screening Interview Again & Make Even Better Hires

1. Video Assessments: A Visual Perspective

Videos have changed how we talk, share, and even decide things. They're now a big part of our daily lives, especially on social media. However, videos aren't just for fun or talking with friends. They're also changing how companies hire new people.Before, they'd often use phone calls or meet in person to decide if someone was right for a job. But now, thanks to better technology and video tools, they can use video interviews to find the right fit. It's a fresh and strong way to pick the best candidates.

Video assessments offer several advantages:

• Video interviews enhance communication as they allow you to measure not just verbal communication skills, but also non-verbal cues such as facial expressions, body language, and eye contact.
• Video interviews are ideal for remote positions since it enables you to assess a candidate's comfort with technology, their remote work environment, and their ability to engage effectively from a distance.
• If candidates are potentially located across different time zones, video assessments provide more flexibility in scheduling interviews that accommodate both parties.

2. Skills-Based Assessments: Putting Competence First

Interviews are common, but they don't always show if a person can actually do the work. Instead of just talking to candidates, consider incorporating skill tests into your hiring process. These tests provide valuable insights into a person's job proficiency.Using skill tests offers a significant advantage as they are fair and unbiased. Interviews can sometimes be influenced by how well someone talks or their self-presentation. Skill tests focus on what a person can show through their work, which makes the evaluation more objective.Skill tests also help you see how well a candidate can actually apply what they know. A resume can detail academic achievements and certifications, but observing a candidate in action is a different matter altogether. Skill tests let you see how candidates think, solve problems, and contribute to the job.

Skill-based assessments can take up various forms, such as:

• Work Samples: Request candidates to submit samples of their previous work relevant to the role. This allows you to evaluate their skills firsthand and assess their ability to deliver on the job.
• Coding Challenges: For technical roles, coding challenges or practical tasks can help you gauge a candidate's problem-solving abilities and coding skills.
• Simulation Exercises: Create real-world scenarios and ask candidates to provide solutions, demonstrating their critical thinking, decision-making, and creativity.

3. Behavioural Assessments: Understanding Fit and Values

Cultural fit and shared values are really important for a company's long-term success. To understand if a candidate fits well with your company, you can use behavioural assessments. These assessments will help you learn about a candidate's personality, work style and if they match your company's culture.Behavioural assessments go beyond just looking at the candidate's skills and qualifications. They give you a deeper look into their personality traits, like how well they work in teams, handle challenges, and adapt to changes.

Different types of Behavioural assessments:

• Personality Tests: Utilise reputable personality assessments to understand a candidate's natural tendencies, communication style, and how well they might fit into your team dynamics.
• Values-Based Questions: Craft interview questions that revolve around your company's core values, encouraging candidates to share examples of how they've demonstrated these values in their previous roles.
• Scenario-Based Questions: Pose hypothetical scenarios that reflect real challenges your team faces, and evaluate how candidates respond, showcasing their problem-solving skills and cultural alignment.

4. One-Way Video Interviews: Flexibility and Efficiency

Another interview process that is taking the industry by storm is one-way video interviews. It offers a unique approach to screening candidates. With this method, candidates respond to a set of predefined questions through video recordings.Normally, candidates talk to interviewers in real time during interviews. But in one-way video interviews, candidates can record their answers at their convenience, which is helpful if they have busy schedules or live in different time zones. This makes it possible for more people to apply for the job.Using videos also lets employers see how candidates communicate and present themselves. This is something that's hard to understand from just a written application like a CV or a phone call. It gives employers a better idea of how well candidates might fit into the company.

How Wamly Can Improve Your Hiring Process

Wamly is an award-winning one-way video interview software company base in South Africa. It will improve your screening process and help you hire better candidates faster.

Wamly saves time and money

Wamly’s software allows you to automate the screening process which eliminates time-consuming tasks like scheduling phone or in-person interviews. It can save up to 70% of the time that you normally spend in the interview process. This gives you the ability to focus on analysing interview responses and selecting the best candidates.

Wamly eliminate bias

Unconscious bias remains a challenge in recruitment. Wamly addresses this concern by standardising the interview experience. All candidates respond to the same set of questions, ensuring fair evaluation. The raters can also rate each candidate without being influenced by other raters.

Wamly improves the quality of hires

Wamly give you a deeper understanding of candidates' abilities and characteristics compared to phone screenings. This enhances your pool of information and equips you with a richer dataset to determine which candidates to advance in the hiring process, ultimately enhancing the quality of your hires.You don't have to possess any technical expertise to begin, establish your interviews, and commence the assessment of top-notch candidates. Warmly’s friendly sales, support and account management help make this process as effortless as possible.Book a demo with Wamly today.

In a world, where remote work and digital communication have become the norm, it's essential to adapt and innovate in your hiring process. While phone screening interviews have served their purpose, there are more effective ways to evaluate candidates and make better hiring decisions.Embrace video assessments, skills-based evaluations, behavioural assessments, and one-way video interviews to create a comprehensive and forward-thinking hiring strategy that not only saves time but also results in more successful hires who align with your company's values and goals. By embracing these alternative methods, you can say goodbye to traditional phone screening interviews and welcome a more modern, efficient, and impactful approach to hiring.