What Is An Online Video Interview?

If you're new to the digital recruitment scene, you may wonder, what is an online video interview?

There are many names for online video interviews that you may have heard of. It is otherwise known as virtual interviewing or one way recorded interview. In this blog post, we will look at online video interviewing.

Coming up in this post:

• What is an online video interview?
• Whats a virtual interview?
• Why use video interviewing?
• Benefits of online video interviewing for the company
• Benefits of online video interviewing for the candidate
• How to do a recorded video interview? Candidate questions answered

Millennials now make up the majority of the workforce with 35% of the labour force. With that being said, it should also come as no surprise that a massive 72% of Millennials use their mobile phones for job searches.

Adapting to new methods of recruitment is crucial to capturing the best talent for your workforce. With technology having such a huge impact on job seekers. Organisations must recognise the importance of utilizing online video interviews.

The hiring process needs to be quick and effective to hold the interest of our new generation in the workforce. A recruitment process that takes longer than 2 weeks will have you saying goodbye to 66% of job seekers! You can’t afford to be slow with your hiring process and that's just one of the reasons video calling is gaining traction.

Whats a virtual interview?

A virtual interview otherwise known as an online video interview is a remote job interview that you can either pre-record or take place in real-time via online communication software instead of in a face-to-face setting.

Why use video interviewing?

There are many benefits of utilizing video interviewing that are outweighing the benefits of face-to-face interviews. This is especially true considering our recent situation with the Coronavirus lockdown and social distancing in place. Since the pandemic, remote working is pretty much mandatory where possible which has resulted in video interviewing rising by 67%!

Benefits of online video interviewing for the company

1.    Fast hiring

One of the problems companies face during recruitment is a long and slow hiring process. This can give rise to several problems. These include losing the best candidates. There is also financial strain and the impact of taking core staff away from their roles to interview candidates.

The average length of the hiring process is 45 days!

Video interviewing dramatically cuts this time. It enables hiring managers to review many one-way video interviews in the time it takes to complete even one phone interview. This is especially important when you know that someone is a bad fit within the first few minutes of an interview. You have to see the interview through to the end to be polite and fair.

Streamlining and speeding up the hiring process is extremely important in industries with talent shortages such as Engineering and IT.

This can be critical as it will allow you to respond and contact candidates immediately before your competitors.

2.    Positive company image

Companies that are using video interviews are deemed innovative by 98% of candidates. This is an important statistic to focus on, as many critiques of video interviews worry about the perception they give off to candidates.

It goes to show that there is a way to use technology to speed up processes while maintaining a good relationship with people you interact with. It’s important that companies who use video interviewing are communicating effectively with candidates to maintain this positive first impression, and not making the candidate feel alienated.

A forward-thinking company that adapts to new technologies in the market is also more likely to capture the best talent. Talented candidates have the luxury of being selective where they work. Presenting your company in the strongest image is vital for attracting these candidates.

3.    Eases interview scheduling burdens on the organisation

When recruiters hire for a role, usually the manager or supervisor of a department will need to take time out of their schedule to carry out the interviews. Whether this is one, two or even more staff on the hiring panel, it causes a hole in the workforce for the duration of time the interviews take. And let’s be honest, face-to-face interviews take up significantly more time than watching a video recording would. -Especially considering the inevitable small talk before and after.

A prerecorded video interview eliminates the back and fore of finding a suitable interviewing time for the candidate and interviewer.

4.    Compare candidates more effectively

Being able to review multiple video interviews in a row allows you to compare candidates more effectively. Notes taken during a face-to-face interview won’t have the same accuracy as being able to re-watch an answer to a question to determine which candidates had the better answer.

5.    Consistent interviews

One-way video interviewing follows the same set of questions to each candidate. This means going off on a tangent is eliminated and no questions are accidentally skipped.

This identical process ensures your interviews are more consistent and makes for easier comparisons across candidates.

6.    Eliminates no shows

One of the biggest frustrations’ recruiters face are candidates not showing up for interviews, which takes away valuable time from the organisation. Video interviewing eliminates no shows, if a candidate decides not to pre-record their interview then it’s no time wasted from the recruiter!

7.    Removes geographical restrictions

Scouting out talent can be costly - especially when you consider travel and overnight costs of working with long-distance talent. Utilizing online video interviewing eliminates all associated costs with geographical restrictions.

8.    Observe body language and nonverbal cues

Body language is a huge aspect of deciding on hiring a candidate. Especially if they’ll be in a customer-facing role.

Do they smile? Do they hold themselves in a professional but approachable manner? How do they act when faced with difficult questions? Seeing their body language and facial expressions allow you to see if the candidate would be a good fit within your company.

A video interview allows you to also see how they’ve presented themselves in their appearance too. Have they dressed suitably for the role? Did they take note of any company dress code and apply it during this interview? You can determine strong candidates from weak ones by seeing who researched the role.

Benefits of online video interviewing for the candidate

1.    Increased chance of recruitment

Candidates are 40% more likely to be shortlisted for an interview if they submit a video alongside their CV.

2.    Speeds up the recruitment process

As we mentioned the benefits of speeding up the recruitment process for organisations, this is also the same for candidates.

Often candidates aren’t able to hang around waiting for a response from organisations. Time isn’t a luxury to have when you need to pay your bills!

With pre-recorded video interviewing, candidates can be informed of the next stage of the interview process within a much faster time frame.

Keen candidates can even schedule their interviews within 24 hours of receiving an invite from companies, thus enabling faster response times from companies alike.

3.    Convenience for passive job search

If a candidate is passively job searching, video interviewing makes this process extremely simple. Many people are open to new career opportunities but do not have the time to take from work to go for a scheduled interview. Especially if they worry about the impact this has on their current job.

Video interviewing allows candidates to apply and interview for a position from the comfort of their own home, at a time that is convenient to them.

4.    A more comfortable interview process

Recording a video interview can take the edge off a usually daunting and nerve-wracking interview process. Video interviews give candidates the comfort of their home and time to consider questions carefully before answering.

5.    Removes travelling inconveniences

Video interviews save the candidate from transportation headaches.

6.    Enables a fairer process for every candidate

The consistency of the interviews allows a fairer process for the candidates. Every candidate is asked the same questions, in the same way enabling a much fairer process.

In face-to-face interviews some interviewers can present questions in different ways, or even give follow up questions that change the interview from other candidates, eliminating unconscious bias.

How to do a recorded video interview? Candidate questions answered

Setting up a one-way interview can feel awkward and strange talking to a camera. But you should internalise that there will be people at the other end watching your pre-recorded video.

So take this opportunity to demonstrate who you are confidently and with a smile on your face

Look relaxed and pretend you’re talking to someone when answering each question. Let’s look into this in more detail.

1.   How to do well in a virtual interview?

Determining successful candidates in video interviews is so much more than just how each question is answered.

Setting up

The recruiter will send step-by-step instructions on how to set up your interview recording. Ensure you follow these instructions carefully to demonstrate your ability to take instruction.

Right off the bat candidates who fail to set up the audio or the quality of the picture will not only be judged upon lack of effort to make the video successful but also they may not be able to even hear your answers to interview questions.

Introduce yourself

First impressions count in a recorded video interview too. Start the recording off positively with a confident smile which communicates warmth and openness.

Your voice

Ensure you speak at a good volume, that your voice is clear and also your pace of talk is not too slow or too fast. A good way to determine how you sound is to practice a video recording beforehand. This is also a good way to test your equipment too.

You may not see anyone at the other end of your interview, but it’s important to talk with tone and pitch like you’re having a natural conversation. The advantage of this being a video recording is that you can use your body language to convey what you’re saying if it feels natural.

Control potential interruptions

Get a babysitter, switch off your phone, put a note on your door, tell friends and family not to disturb you. If you were in a normal face-to-face interview, none of these disruptions would get in your way. Treat a video interview the same. This will demonstrate that you're serious about the interview and the role.

2.   Where to have video interview?

Your video interview location is important as you want to have minimal distractions while maximising focus on yourself. Be in your own home, in your own room alone, where you can control your surroundings.

Set up in lightroom. A white background is ideal facing towards a light source. Don’t sit with your back to a bright window as this will cast a dark shadow on the front of you, which will block out all view on you on the camera.

Look through your camera and see what is in view of the shot. Remove anything that is unprofessional and distracting. A blank wall is ideal as all focus needs to be on you. Look to see how you look through the camera also. You also should take this opportunity to check your audio and ensure you can be heard. A quiet room is ideal. Any background noise or traffic from the road outside can be a huge distraction and even disrupt your being heard.

Sit far enough away that you can be seen from the waist up, and ensure you can see space above your head.

3.   Where to look in a video interview?

When recording your video interview, you want the interviewer to feel like they’re there with you. To achieve this ensure you look into the camera. This will feel like you’re making eye contact when the video is being viewed.

Looking away from the camera can make you come across as insecure and disinterested.

4.   How should I dress for a video interview?

How you should dress for your video interview depends entirely on the company and industry you’re applying to. Follow any instructions the company gives.

If you’re not sure, it’s always good practice to dress to impress with a suit or office dress as if you were going for a face-to-face interview. Dressing well will give the recruiters a good impression of you and enable them to see if you’re a good company fit for them.

5.   Best colors to wear for online interview?

The colors you wear has a huge effect on people's perception of you more than you may realise. Opt for solid colors not patterns as patterns can become a distraction.

Consider the below effects of colors and apply appropriately to the desired job role.

Black is a high-power color representing leadership- great for managerial positions. Not so great for jobs where you need to be approachable by customers.

White is a safe colour and will look good in a video interview. It won’t distract from what you’re saying and will look neutral. Typically a color is associated with being organized.

Grey says you're logical and analytical. It conveys an innovative thinker when worn with confidence.

Blue is good for indicating a team player. It’s an approachable color that indicates friendliness and dissipates threat.

Brown communicates that you’re reliable and dependable but it can also come across as old fashioned.

6.   Should I wear a tie for a video interview?

If this interview were face-to-face would you wear a tie? If so, then wear a tie!

So what is an online video interview?

By now you should have a pretty good understanding of what an online video interview is.

And remember, 80% of turnovers are because of poor hires.

Improve your recruitment process by introducing video interviewing. The statistics demonstrated in this article are more than enough to get started today.

We hope you enjoyed our post on what is an online video interview. Stay tuned as we will next talk about the types of video interviews and which application you should consider for your organisation.

If you've found this article interesting check out our post on introducing a structured hiring process to your organisation.