The current travel restrictions and quarantines, while meant to slow the spread of COVID-19, make the hiring process even more intensive. Recruiters must find new or previously underutilized ways to continue hiring because, while the economy might be slow now, once we come out the other side of this, recruiting firms and the companies they service will need to be ready to accept a slew of economic activity. 

Enter Zoom Conferencing. 

This video meeting and chat app has been around for some time but, due to current global events, has now become an indispensable tool in getting things done remotely, from education to business. If you are not familiar, here are a few features for interviews and meetings you will want to be aware of so you can direct this app toward productive ends.

Record for Review. Stay Engaged.   

Zoom subscribers and those using the free version can record their meetings, which can then be uploaded to Google Drive, Dropbox or your chosen cloud-based system. In order to record on mobile, you’ll need the paid version—just so you know. Zoom's paid plans start at $15 a month. 

How to: go to Settings > Recording, and toggle it on. When you're hosting Zoom conferencing meetings, click the Record icon on the bottom toolbar. 

Become Keystroke Savvy.

When you are on-screen, in a meeting or an interview, don’t take the chance of fumbling around, clicking off-screen, losing focus and the engagement of those on the other end of the fiber optic line. Zoom conferencing has a plethora of keyboard shortcuts built-in—from joining a meeting to changing the display size—to make the user and meeting attendees’ experience as smooth as possible.

How to: Check out Zoom's full list of hotkeys and keyboard shortcuts. 

Be Heard, When Appropriate. 

When you are called on to speak, stop scrambling to click the microphone button. You can press and hold the spacebar to quickly mute and unmute your mic, right from your keyboard. 

Connect Visually.

Gallery view lets you see everyone in the meeting at once, instead of just the person speaking. It might look like an old episode of Hollywood Squares, but this will let you effectively gauge reactions, especially if you are the one presenting, allowing you to interpret a host of nonverbal signals. Some attendees might be inclined to remain silent but by interpreting their visual cues, you can effectively ask them to elaborate on their reactions as if you were face to face. 

How To: click “Gallery View” in the top right corner. If the meeting has 49 or fewer attendees, all of their screens will display on one page, while more will give you the options to display on multiple pages. Revert to your original view by clicking “Speaker View.”

Engage Your Peers.

Zoom provides options to interact with your peers, to share media or participate in other interactive games and activities. It provides opportunities to do more than exchange verbal and visual communication.

How To: Click the “Share Screen” icon on the toolbar at the bottom of the meeting screen. You can share your entire desktop or a single window. Click the “Stop Share” button at the top of the screen to return to the standard meeting. 

The Power of Symbols.

There are ways to communicate in Zoom, even if you’re muted. An attendee can let hosts know their thoughts with emoji reactions. Emojis are a common and frequent element of online communication and there’s really no reason why they wouldn’t be part of professional online interactions. 

How to: To react during a meeting, click “Reactions” in the same panel as mute audio and video. Emoji will disappear after five seconds. 

These are just a few tips to get any professional started with Zoom. During a time when social distancing is recommended, and even after, the recruiting community will benefit from completely mastering this and other competing apps. Given enough user interaction and feedback, Zoom and its competitors will develop into vital tools when sourcing talent, regardless of location. 

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At Recruiters Websites, we want to help our clients and colleagues stay as informed and up-to-date on current and developing digital tools of the trade. We encourage you all to stay productive, healthy and safe.