💻 What is a video interview?
A video interview electronically connects hiring professionals with candidates, allowing HR professionals to interview applicants face-to-face without them having to be in the same room. This popular interviewing technique is so convenient, efficient and affordable, it has replaced many outdated hiring processes such as phone interviews. It’s become the new standard for recruiting. Video interviewing goes by several other names, including:
- Virtual interviews
- Digital interviews
- Video screening
- Video screening interviews
- Video conferencing interviews
All these terms refer to the series of questions asked to job candidates via video. Advancements in technology have greatly improved the video interviewing process, making it more streamlined and integrated with other online hiring tools. Some sophisticated video interviewing platforms serve as a complete recruitment solution, helping manage every stage of the recruitment process.
⚙️ How do video interviews work?
Video interviews work in much the same way as in-person job interviews—but they are conducted using video conferencing software. Start by creating a list of intelligent interview questions to minimize bias in the hiring process. Implementing a structured digital interview methodology eliminates the guesswork and provides a fair line of questioning for all interviewed applicants. When you’re ready to conduct the video interview, you, any other people involved in the hiring process, and the applicants will need:
- An electronic device connected to the internet
- A laptop
- Desktop computer
- Tablet
- Mobile phone
- Functional webcam and microphone
Choose to meet online in real-time (live video interviewing) by using interview scheduling software to arrange a mutually-convenient time, or arrange a pre-recorded video interview. In this scenario, job applicants are shown questions one at a time and then they record their answers. Either way, video interviews are setup via a simple email invitation containing the link. HR professionals can easily rate and make comments on candidate’s video interviews, allowing hiring teams to collaborate and shortlist applicants with ease.
❓ Why use video interviewing?
There are many reasons why so many companies and organizations have switched to video interviewing. Video interviews help:
- Reduce time-to-hire by up to 80%
- Cut costs, especially travel-related expenses
- Minimize emissions from reduced travel
- Eliminate the frustration of phone tag and long email exchanges
- Decrease hiring bias
- Find top talent anywhere in the world
Unlike one-dimensional resume and telephone interviews, video interviews reveal much more information about candidates. Why? Because interviewers can see applicants’ facial expressions, hand gestures, mannerisms, as well as background indicators, helping HR professionals get a better picture of the people they’re interviewing before making them a job offer.
📲 Are there different types of video interviews?
Yes, there are two different types of video interviewing methods that HR professionals can use to meet candidates online:
Pre-recorded video interviews consist of a series of predetermined interview questions, which are sent to applicants so they can record their responses. This is a very popular method of video interviewing because recruiters and hiring professionals simply watch and grade the recorded videos when time allows. Since there is no need to arrange a set time to meet online, pre-recorded video interviews (sometimes called one-way or on-demand interviews) make schedule conflicts and time zone considerations a thing of the past.
Live video interviews Live video interviews connect hiring professionals and teams with job applicants face-to-face in real-time at a distance at a mutually-convenient time (interview scheduling makes this a breeze). Think of it as a professional version of video platforms like Zoom and Skype. Professional video interviewing software takes video conferencing freebies to the next level by providing a secure, reliable and seamless connection with built-in candidate rating functionality. Neither type of video interview is “better” than the other; your preferred video interviewing style will depend on the structure of your hiring team and your unique recruitment objectives.
🔍 What should I look for in a video interview provider?
In our digital age, there are certainly no shortage of software offerings for recruiters. But make no mistake: not all video interview companies are the same. Consider these things when choosing a video interviewing platform:
- Ease of use: How user-friendly is the software?
- Pricing: How is the cost calculated?
- Support & Training: What kind of support and training is offered?
- Candidate Experience: How does the platform ensure a positive experience for job applicants?
- Brand Promotion: Can you include and customize elements of your brand on the video interviewing tool?
- Collaboration, Customization & Scalability: Is the software capable of growing alongside your business and engaging multiple stakeholders?
- Mobile-friendly: Does the technology work on mobile apps?
- Customization: How adaptable is the platform to your personal preferences?
- Integrations: Does the platform integrate with your existing applicant tracking system (ATS)? Or better yet, does the provider offer its own ATS?
- Structured Interviews: Are the same questions being asked to all applicants in the same order so the hiring team can evaluate candidates fairly?
- Happy Customers & Referrals: Can the video interview provider share examples of satisfied customers and testimonials?
- Thought Leadership: Does the technology have a reputation as being an industry leader that can share recruitment knowledge?
VidCruiter is the best video interviewing platform on the market. It can be easily customized to your unique hiring needs, helping HR professionals around the world find top talent more quickly while minimizing hiring expenses.
