How To Use Video Interviewing and Scheduling at a Teacher Hiring Fair

Picture this: you and one co-worker are at a hiring fair for teachers. There’s a line of candidates 25 long, and you have to interview each one, collect their resume, and figure out their preferences in approximately 5 minutes. Not a lot of time to get a handle on the best teachers for your students.

Now, picture an alternate scenario. You’ve already screened every candidate because you sent one way interviews to each candidate that applied. You have their resume because they submitted it before completing the interview. And you used interview scheduling to schedule interview slots for the hiring fair.

Now you have more time with the candidates you really want to interview. You’re completing your second interview while other school districts are gathering resumes. 

Why Use interviewstream At A Hiring Fair?

Using virtual interviewing technology for hiring fairs helps you reach your top candidates, interview them quickly, and give them a fast & easy interview experience. Here are the advantages of video interviewing:

• Having candidates complete an on-demand interview before a hiring fair allows districts and agencies to get to know a candidate better before they speak to them in person.
• Video interviews allow candidates to showcase their skills and experience in a flexible way.
• Districts can reach out to candidates and schedule in person interviews. Schools use interview slots with the candidates they want to connect with, which helps them use event time more efficiently.

How The Oregon Professional Educator Fair Works With interviewstream

In 2021, interviewstream first partnered with OPEF for a virtual career fair. They needed a way to streamline candidate interviews for the 170 districts that attend their hiring fair.

OPEF Challenges:

• Over 700 candidates registered for the event. Districts did not have an easy way to get to know candidates before the event.
• Long lines and wait times caused poor candidate experience. School districts had little time to screen candidates.
• Collecting resumes and taking notes on the go was a big part of the process.

OPEF + interviewstream Process

• interviewstream provided every candidate the opportunity to complete up to 12 different interviews, based on their area of expertise
• Each district participating in OPEF gained access to these candidate interviews via the OPEF Interviewstream account.
• Districts could get a “first look” at candidates and connect with candidates they wanted to interview in person.

Dos + Don’ts For Using Video Interviews At Your Hiring Fair

Things to do when using video interviewing for hiring fairs

1. Prepare your interviews ahead of time with high-quality videos, graphics, and PDF documents. This improves your brand and candidate experience, which is a win for you any way you spin it.
2. Sell your district and open positions in the interview welcome messages or landing areas. Showcase why they should want to be a part of your district, the values your district is looking for, and the benefits of joining your team. Keep things warm, upbeat, and mention how excited you are to connect with candidates.
3. Make sure you register your reps ahead of the fair. This will give them time to access the platform and familiarize themselves with the tools available.
4. If you’re using on demand (AKA pre-recorded interviews), give your candidates at least one retry during the interview (we recommend two to three). This allows your candidates to provide their best response and calms their nerves!
5. Use video technology if you have the option! Tools like on demand interviews allow you to self-pace your interviews and gather candidates while focusing on other tasks.

Things to avoid when using video interviewing for hiring fairs

1. Don’t wait until the last minute to prepare your interviews. Giving yourself enough time allows for a stress free environment, which fosters a positive interaction between you and your candidates.
2. Don’t make your written material too long, keep things short and sweet. Make it easy for them to connect with you.
3. Don’t make your on demand interviews too long. You want the barrier to entry to be low so that you’re encouraging as many candidates as possible to complete the interview. We recommend keeping your number of questions to three or less, with a two minute answer time limit, and prep time of one minute.
4. Don’t ask questions that prompt one word or binary answers, like “yes” or “no”. Keep your teacher interview questions open ended to give yourself an opportunity to learn more about the candidate. Here’s a great example question: “Is there anything you want to tell me about yourself or your qualifications that I couldn’t glean from your resume?”

Using interviewstream At Teacher Hiring Fairs

Start saving time and interviewing k12 candidates smarter by using video interviewing and scheduling interviews at your next hiring fair. Give your candidates and recruiters a fast and easy experience with interviewstream. Contact us for more information.

About The Author

Joey is a Client Success Account Manager at interviewstream. Before joining our team, he worked for Baylor Football and the Dallas Cowboys, solidifying his love for sports. When not watching a big game, Joey spends his time adventuring outdoors with his friends and family.