Anh Ta, Senior IT Recruiter

I really do enjoy the freedoms that come with working remotely, especially when in my last position I had a two-hour trip each day. It was exhausting and far from productive use of my time. However, as a Senior Recruiter for Sharesource, having the ability to meet with prospective candidates face-to-face has real benefits.

Although I am getting better at ‘reading’ people online, there is nothing like the emotion and personality that you gather about the person when you are sitting opposite them. However, that doesn’t mean interviewing online is bad, in fact, it can be a great benefit, especially when candidates live in another city, or it’s too difficult for me to meet in person that day due to other commitments.

This is where good recruiting techniques come in. Such as asking emotive questions rather than seeking straight facts so that I can get a feel for the true nature of the person. This is especially important when we do culture-fit interviews. Without giving all of my techniques away, there are some clues that I look for when interviewing online. For example, excessive blinking may mean they are being less than truthful; and taking long breaks before answering may indicate they are making things up before responding. 

I believe that as technology advances, we will start to see improved communication options such as virtual reality where we feel like we are in the room together possibly as holograms. This could provide insights that we don’t get currently online in terms of hand gestures and attentiveness to the interview. It will be interesting to trial these as they are certainly the way of the future.

Although there are benefits of both face-to-face and on line interviews there are times when face-to-face is still superior which is why I love having both options. When I do online recruitment interviews, I aim to weave some ‘chit chat’ into the meeting. Exploring feelings and emotions in how you start the meeting, your wording, and yes, the body language you use in terms of what the person you are speaking to can see. These are all important techniques that I use to get the most from the interview. We also coach team members, especially those who are new to the role, to understand how to work in a blended work environment. To be productive no matter where they work, and thankfully now the Vietnam hub is open, to allow them flexibility when working in the hub is best for them and the team they work with.

For me, the blended work approach is not about days I work from home and days I am in the office, but having a choice around what would allow me and the people around me most productive. Sometimes that will be at home, other times at the Vietnam hub while sometimes it might be at a café or at the airport. It has to work for both parties and I love that we have this flexibility now. It is also one thing I love about working for Sharesource.