Hybrid workforce is the buzzword in corporate circles. Since the onset of restrictions on movement in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19, the way we work has changed drastically. A recent LinkedIn survey showed that almost 85% of candidates preferred not to go for a 9 to 5 job routine. 

And rather than debating the true driver of the work-from-home trend, how widespread it is and how long it will last, it’s smarter to adapt quickly where possible.

A Robert Half survey found that 51% of workers want a hybrid work schedule post-pandemic, and 33% will consider quitting if they can’t occasionally work from home. So yes, not everyone will be able to work from home all the time, which is why organizations need to get conversant with the intricacies of a hybrid workforce.

With 63% of high-growth companies already using a hybrid work arrangement according to Accenture, it is evident that hiring is a crucial aspect to refine since it’s harder to meet every remote applicant physically. Let’s share more on how to successfully hire for a hybrid workforce, and how the applicable techniques yield positive results:

Remote interviewing

While some may think that remote interviewing is only thriving because people want to stay safe, the innovation in this space is steadily making remote interviews an adequate alternative to face-to-face interviews. The video interviewing software market which was valued at USD176 million in 2019 is projected to reach USD407.5 million by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 11.3% from 2020 to 2027.

The incorporation of automation and artificial intelligence (AI) into video interview tools and other HR tools has not only increased administrative efficiency, but also helped to improve the quality of hires. Interviewers can not only archive, organize and revisit recorded interviews, but also view ratings across various candidate attributes, gauged from both verbal and non-verbal cues.

So how exactly does getting acquainted with such practices and their associated tools pay off when running a hybrid workforce?

Enhancing business processes through remote interviewing

One key aspect of business that could become more challenging as the pandemic persists is sales. Whether B2B or B2C, human interaction often plays a role in getting the sale done. In-person requests are 34 times more successful than email requests, and in-person meetings have a 40% close rate.

So as sales go remote and record deals are closed over Zoom, Inside Sales could become the default for many enterprises, especially those trying to safely maintain the personal touch. Subsequently, it will be vital to hire candidates who can have effective sales conversations with prospects remotely.

This is where remote interviewing comes in. With AI-powered video interviewing software, you can prepare sets of questions and incorporate remote sales scenarios to see how candidates answer. Once they are graded, you can tell who’s lacking the communication skills, professionalism, sociability and other attributes required in certain sales situations.

You can evaluate a candidate’s ability to keep a prospect interested amidst connectivity issues, their intuition in organizing virtual meetings and handling complementary sales-related communications, their balance of charisma and technical knowledge, proficiency in using presentations and multimedia, and a lot more.

Taro Araya, the CEO of Goama, a leading player in integrating social games into apps says, “At Goama, we are looking to hire across the globe and with Interviewer.AI we were able to streamline our remote hiring.

We made our first hire in Argentina using the platform. In markets like Indonesia where we see a high volume of applications, Interviewer.AI was useful to ensure we have structured processes to help us recruit the right candidates. We look forward to continuing our engagement with the platform as

we scale our business and look at more remote hiring in the near future.”

Research shows that body language and tone of voice convey up to 55% and 38% of your messages respectively, with text accounting for only 7%. This is why video meetings can be more effective for communication when making complex sales.

Remote interviewing with video and AI in the mix creates the perfect opportunity to see how a candidate might perform in a video sales meeting call. In essence, video interviewing will help you establish a starting point from which you can help recruits improve their sales game.