We tend to use our mobiles for almost everything these days. We already use them to access the
internet, television and games not to mention phone calls. Something else we might soon be
familiar with is the advent of text based interviews where the employer gets in touch and conducts
interviews entirely by text.
There are many potential benefits to this. For instance, those who fear verbal interviews or are at
work can find this a convenient means to overcome such obstacles. The interviewers themselves
can conduct multiple interviews at once, keep written records of conversations and save on
administration and time costs. This also allows interviewers to reduce their own bias based on an
interviewee’s accent and/or mannerisms in order to hire the best candidates.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t pitfalls however. This kind of pre-screening can rule out those better
able to communicate verbally rather than over text. It also means that the candidate has time to
conduct research before answering questions or even get someone else to answer on their behalf.
Of course, that doesn’t mean a phone or face to face interview won’t be conducted later on so it’s
always useful to remain professional just like a standard interview. If you’re unsure about a text
interview, you can listen to Searchologist’s social media recruitment trainer Katrina Collier’s advice
and “guide [interviewers] to your preferred method of communication,” so that you make the best
impression possible.