In this post, you will find out the benefits of video interviewing for hiring managers and candidates. You'll also learn about the different types of video interviews and how they can transform the recruitment process.
What's Driving Adoption of Video Interviewing in recruitment?
Video interviewing has become a popular recruitment tool for many organizations. At the same time, it is an evolving technology that requires companies to adapt their interviewing processes accordingly.
Companies are using video interview software as a way to reduce costs and save time, as well as to help recruiters manage the volume of interviews they need to conduct.
We are also seeing recruiters and hiring managers turning to video interview platforms to increase candidate engagement by giving them a more realistic view of what it would be like at work.
Video interviews also allow recruiters and hiring managers to get a better sense of the candidate's personality and see if they would fit in with their company culture.
We will see video interviewing continue to grow and adapt, with a much wider acceptance from both recruiters and candidates.
What is video interviewing?
Video interviews (otherwise known as virtual interviews), speeds up and simplifies the recruiting process through communicating digitally. There are many different options for video interview software, from desktop to mobile.
Types of video interviewing
There are 2 distinct types of remote interviewing that are used. The first is live video interviewing, otherwise known as two-way remote interviewing. The second is on-demand video interviewing which we will talk about below.
Live video interviewing
This technique uses video conferencing technology to interview an individual or group of people. It allows the interviewer to be present to ask questions and receive responses via live video.
On-demand video interviewing
You may also have heard of on-demand video interviews. These are also known as pre-recorded interviews, one-way video interviewing software or asynchronous video interviews. While they all are called different things, this type of remote interview refers to where the candidate answers a set of interview questions on a screen while being recorded. The footage of the interview then gets sent to the recruiter for the job posting to review.
The latter is the more popular form of video interviewing.
The rest of this blog post will be specifically looking at on-demand video interviews and how candidates and recruiters can use this type of video interviewing to their advantage.
Why should employers use video interviewing?
Any size HR team should consider implementing video interviewing into their recruitment process. Here's why:
Improved candidate screening
With pre-recorded video interviews, recruiters can watch and review candidate video interviews at any time. Eliminating the need to arrange same time phone interviews or face-to-face interviews. - Which as we all know, can come with time-wasting eventualities such as the candidates being late or not showing up to the interview.
Video interviewing platforms also enable recruiters to interview many more candidates in much less time. Drastically increasing the talent pool with higher-quality candidates.
With video interviewing having an advantage with remote communication, the talent pool can extend to capture candidates from anywhere.
Recruiters can easily screen candidates by accessing all the interviews from a centralised dashboard.
Increase collaboration with the recruitment team
With traditional interviews, HR managers need to arrange for multiple members of the recruitment team to be available at the same time for an interview. This is costly for the organisation as employees are temporarily away from their roles to attend the interview. Also, scheduling is often difficult as HR managers need to find a time where all managers and candidates are available- which drags out the hiring process necessarily.
With digital interviewing, all interviews can be shared and watched among hiring teams easily. This massively cuts down the hiring time, reduces recruiter bias and it enables all hiring managers to feel a part of the process.
Improve the candidate experience
Candidates who participate in video interviews have a better experience. This is typically due to the fast hiring time, improved communication and innovative method of interviewing, which allows the candidate to record their interview from a familiar and comforting environment.
Increase interview effectiveness
By using video interviewing you can get to know your candidates on a more personal level. This helps you identify which candidates are a better fit for your role earlier on in the recruitment process.
You can guarantee that by using video interviewing you'll have a fair assessment of each candidate, as they are all answering the same set of structured questions. This ultimately eliminates any unfair hiring bias that can occur in interviews.
What are some benefits of video interviewing for candidates?
Better interview performance
Video interviewing is a growing trend in the recruitment industry because it has been proven to be more effective than traditional interviews. Remote interviewing allow candidates to answer questions from their home or office, which makes them more likely to answer honestly. As well as being more comfortable and reducing nerves.
Fast hire time
Remote interviews allow candidates to move through the hiring funnel when their busy schedules don't allow them to meet in person.
Fairer hiring
Standardizing the interview process across all candidates means less bias and better assessments of applicants. Everyone is judged fairly on the same set of questions, with no misleading or biased questions.
Improved communication
Automated email cadences throughout the hiring process allow employers to showcase their employer brand, and set the right expectations with job seekers.
Improved candidate experience
As well as improved communication, remote interviews mean less time playing phone tag to set up a time to screen candidates. This combined with the opportunity to record the video at any time convenient to the candidate results in a better candidate experience.
Recruiter interviewing tips for video interviews
When interviewing candidates via video it's important to ask questions to reveal which candidate fits your vacancy the best. To achieve the best candidate fit consider the following:
1. Understand the role requirements
To ask the right questions, recruiters need to understand the role requirements. So hiring managers to get out there and talk to the team, get feedback from customers (if it's a customer-facing role) and spend a little time experiencing the role. Then write interview questions around the skills, experience and qualifications needed to excel at the job.
2. Ask behavioural-based interview questions
To best understand and predict how a candidate will act in the role, recruiters should aim to ask behavioural-based questions. These are questions that require the candidate to describe a time in the past how they acted and what was the result.
An example of this would be, "Describe a time when you had to deal with a customer complaint and it resulted in the customer leaving satisfied".
depending on how the candidate answers this question, recruiters can determine how best they handle confrontation, thinking on their feet and problem-solving.
3. Instruction
Give instruction prior to the video interview so the candidates know how to set up their recording and how much time they'll have to answer questions. This usually works best with a trial run so candidates can play around with their setup and see how it's received via a recording.
For more information on how to set up your video, see this post here: Your guide to interviewing remotely
What are some tips to do a better job interviewing?
Before you start thinking about what to wear, what to say, and how to act in your interview, you should know the basics. To get better at interviewing for a job if you're a candidate, here are a few small pointers.
1. Be Prepared
Research the companies you are interviewing with, research the position and be prepared for anything that might come up during the interview.
2. Dress for Success
Wear professional clothes that fit the company culture, but don't wear anything too flashy or distracting. Just because you aren't there with the recruiter face-to-face doesn't mean you should let your presentation slide.
3. Be Confident
Smile and be confident. You will make a great first impression and it's always good to start with a positive outlook.
4. Maintain Eye Contact (with the recording lens)
Always maintain eye contact, as you will make a great first impression and appear confident.
While this is difficult on video as there's no person to make eye contact with, you should aim to look into the camera lens. This will make the viewer feel like you're looking at them.
Avoid looking down or away in another direction as this will make you appear nervous.
5. Follow the recruiters' instructions
The quickest way to inform a recruiter you're not a great hire is to not listen to their direction. While recording yourself speak can sound straightforward to some, you may miss some crucial instructions from the recruiter.
How to enhance the candidate experience?
Remote interviewing is a great way to improve the candidate experience. It speeds up the hiring process, enables more frequent communication, it's innovative and more relaxing for the candidate.
In addition to letting the software elevate the candidate experience, there are a few things employers can do to improve the experience.
- Employers can increase the candidate experience by offering interview tips to job seekers, allowing them to showcase more than just their resumes.
- Employers should look to get feedback from candidates through candidate surveys.
For more information on the candidate experience, read here on how to improve the candidate experience.
reworking video interview header questions
Conclusion
If you are looking for a way to conduct interviews in an engaging and efficient way, then digital interviews are the solution for you. It is time-saving, more personal and leaves a better impression on the candidate.
For more information on using high-quality video interviewing software, contact a member of our team today!