Whether you are interviewing, just starting, on continuing ongoing work on a project, you will be communicating with learners for that project almost constantly.
Here are some best practices for communicating with those learners in all situations.
Be professional
Whatever the means of communication, communicate to the learners as you would a colleague in a professional role. Be courteous, pay attention, be proactive.
Batch your communication
It is easier and more time efficient for learners to take several actions or answer several questions at the same time. Try to provide as much guidance or ask as many questions as you can in the same conversation.
Set a team lead
If you are working with learners in a team of 2 or more, is can often be beneficial to designate one person to be the main point of contact with yourself to cut down on the number of individuals you are communicating with. This can save time and cut down on communications being dispersed and disparate with important information being lost.
Provide context
When communicating with learners, remember they may be unfamiliar with your specific industry or your business. Give them context for your requests and any problems you ask them to solve, and it will improve their understanding.
Be patient
Remember that learners are doing exactly that, learning. They are not industry professionals and in fact this might be their first time interacting with a company like yours. Create a safe space for them to conduct their work and to be able to share their progress and any challenges they may face.
Follow up
Remember that learners are usually busy with full course loads on top of completing your project. Allow an adequate amount of time between your first message to an learner and any follow up messages you may wish to send.
Report bad actors
If you are unable to communicate with your learners or you have a negative interaction with them, report that actor to the experience administrator immediately so that further action can be taken.