What is the Purpose of a Video Interview?

The purpose of a video interview is initially to be used by recruiters as a screening tool. By using video interviews to review applicants, you can make significant savings on costs and time. This way, you can better spend resources getting to know more suitable candidates later in the recruitment process.

Types of video interview

There are two types of video interviews, synchronous and asynchronous, better known as live and pre-recorded video interviews.

Synchronous Video Interviews

As we just mentioned, synchronous video interviews are conducted live, with both the applicant and interviewer connecting remotely over the internet.

Popular video calling tools such as Skype or Zoom are used to conduct these types of video interviews.

But when we talk about video interviews growing in popularity, it’s not the live videos we refer to...

Asynchronous Video Interviews (Pre-recorded)

Asynchronous interviews (otherwise known as pre-recorded or one-way video interviews) are becoming increasingly important tools in the recruitment world.

This is when the applicant records an online job interview following a set of questions while the recruiter is absent, where the name ‘one-way’ comes from. It’s recorded in advance of the recruiter, which it’s why it’s often referred to as a ‘pre-recorded’ video interview.

How do pre-recorded videos work?

Typically, applicants will interview at a time and place that’s convenient for them. This works by using a dedicated video interviewing app where a link is sent to the applicant to download the app. The applicant then needs to record their interview either on their mobile, tablet or PC by a deadline outlined by the recruiter.

There are structured text-based questions displayed on the interview app. The applicant needs to respond normally in a typical interview scenario, except for an interviewer being absent. The app will video record all of the applicant's answers through a webcam or mobile camera.

What are the benefits of pre-recorded video interviews?

For the recruiter:

Fast hiring
Positive company image
Lowers recruitment costs
Eliminates unfit candidates more quickly
Easily compare candidates
Consistency across interview questions
Eliminates the prospect of no shows, which commonly happens with face-to-face interviews
Removes geographical restrictions
Gives additional advantages over phone interviews- where body language and nonverbal cues can be observed.
Can see how confident and comfortable they are when presenting themselves. Arguably this is more difficult to come across as authentic when talking to a screen instead of a person.
Can assess their technical skills with camera and voice set up.

For the applicant:

Increases recruitment chance
Fast recruitment process
Convenient for passive job searchers
Less nerve wracking interview process
Removes travelling inconvenience
Enables a fairer process for each candidate

There are many more benefits to video interviewing to both the employer and the applicant. We’ve written a great blog post on the benefits to both parties, which you can read in much more detail here: What is an online video interview?

What type of questions are asked?

Recruiters tailor their own interview questions, so this will vary across organisations and industries. However, typically recruiters will ask applicants about their current employment, their past experiences, a little about themselves and why they are suited to the role on offer. The goal of the video interview is to get to know the applicant and see if they are a good company fit.

Where can I use a free one-way video interview tool?

If you’re searching for a FREE video-interview app, then take a look at our app -ReWorking.

Benefits of using our app for your video recruiting needs

Save your organisation valuable time and keep within budgets by automating your recruitment process.

Premade interview question packs

Our simple and easy-to-tailor questions packs are a great way to get using the app right away, without your recruitment team wasting hours and hours writing up questions from scratch. They are easy to edit and tailor to individual job roles and company culture too.

Companies that have structured interview questions drive job-related answers from candidates. Spontaneous job interview questions tend to wander off-topic and can even create bias.

This can prove unfavourably, as you lean more towards a candidate with who you made a connection. Still, you overlook another more suitable candidate who wasn’t given the same question opportunities.

With structured questions, you’ll be able to compare applicants more effectively with the same set of questions being asked in the same order.

Video recording technology- how it all works!

The ReWorking app is easy to use.

When a company creates a question pack for a specific role, ReWorking generates a unique URL link that you can share via text, email, social media, or through an ‘apply now button.

Depending on the device being used, applicants who click the link are either directed to the app store to download the ReWorking app (via mobile) or directed to the ReWorking website to sign in.

Sign in is easy. Our app remembers the link click and automatically puts applicants into the interview designed by the company.

This process saves recruiters and applicants the precious time it has taken to schedule a phone or face-to-face interview to suit both parties. It also eliminates the annoying no shows that can often occur with face-to-face interviews.

Recording the interview

what is the purpose of a video interview?

With the interview videos being available via an app, applicants can record their interviews from the sanctuary and convenience of their own homes. Arguably this makes for a more relaxed setting and ultimately allows applicants to showcase themselves in their best light without letting nerves get in the way.

Our app comes with a simple set of instructions before starting the recording so applicants can set up their camera in the optimum lighting and achieve optimum sound for a high-quality video when watched by the recruiter.

Once the interview is complete, the applicant receives an email saying the application has been submitted and that the employer will be in contact should they be successful.

Accessing the recorded interviews

It’s rapid to watch through the video interviews. Employers can skip between questions (each question is time-stamped in the interview), shortlist, accept or reject candidates from the video screen and then move straight into the next interview without backing out of the video playback screen.

Recruiters can view candidates CVs, Linkedin profiles and email directly from the platform.

All interviews can be watched multiple times and even sent to other team members for review or shortlisting securely with a password. This makes for easier comparison and feedback across applicants.

Our employee development feature

Harvard Business Review found that 61% of employees submit feedback and suggestions in employee surveys. It shows that employees value being listened to.

Surveys also give HR staff a good indicator of staff behaviour. HBR found that staff is quite honest in surveys about how long they intend to stay in a role. They found that staff who don’t fill out surveys are twice as likely to leave in the next 6 months.

Here at ReWorking, we recognise the importance of getting staff surveys out to the organisation and back in for easy review by the HR team. That’s why our ReWorking app also doubles as a key tool for your HR staff in this way.

When carrying out simple staff surveys and feedback, you can download the app, and questionnaires can be filled out by staff to identify company morale and satisfaction.

Why choose ReWorking for your video interview needs?

Our ReWorking pre-recorded interview tool has an advantage over other apps through its simplicity and ease of creating question packs.

Our app is also available on all devices - IOS, Android and Web.

We are a bit different from other virtual interviewing apps as we are a technology company. This gives us the advantage of having a full in-house technological team, which means we constantly listen to our customers and value their feedback. As our product progresses, we are fully capable of adding features to enhance the product.

Coming soon, we will be fully integrated with background checking software, which will enable employers to run background checks in-app within seconds. Further streamlining the recruitment process.

For more information on our Reworking app, visit our website.

Where to get the free one way video interview app?

Download the app here for Android: Google Play

Download the app here for iPhone: App Store.

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What is a one way video interview?