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Organizations are implementing video interviewing to reduce time-to-hire, to save money on the recruiting process, and to more easily connect with top talent. Video interviewing can potentially save companies money on the recruiting process by eliminating the need to fly candidates to in-person interviews. With video interviewing, travel costs and scheduling snafus with out-of-town candidates can be virtually removed from the equation.
As organizations expand their video interviewing capabilities, it’s important to approach the process strategically to maximize the benefits for hiring managers and candidates alike.
New technologies got you stymied? Start on Tuesday, January 12, 2016, with a new interactive webinar—Recruiting Technology 101: What It Can Do and How to Use It. Learn More
Live or Recorded
There are two main forms of video interviewing—live conversations between a hiring manager and candidate, and asynchronous recordings; where a candidate receives a list of questions and records answers to send to the hiring manager. Each method offers different advantages and benefits, which can help companies decide what type of video interviewing strategy best fits their organization.
Live video interviews give hiring managers the chance to talk directly to candidates in a one-on-one setting that more closely resembles an in-person interview. Managers can see how the potential hire responds to questions and scenarios in real time and can clarify or ask follow-up questions based on the answers the candidate provides.
In asynchronous video interviews, hiring managers can create recorded questions for the candidate to answer, or can provide a list of written questions. This enables the candidate to answer questions in a more controlled setting and at his or her own convenience.
Recorded interviews give candidates more time to absorb each question and form their “best” possible answer. This form of video interviewing can help candidates who are nervous about the video interviewing process, and it theoretically provides the hiring manager with a more thoughtful response.
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Best Practices
There are a number of factors companies should consider before implementing video interviewing as part of the talent acquisition process. Deciding what questions to ask, how many takes to allow if the candidate’s responses are recorded, and how to assess the video interview results are core components of creating a video interviewing strategy. Here are three best practices to consider:
- Ask thoughtful questions. As with any interview, asking candidates thoughtful questions is essential for determining whether they are the right fit for an organization. Questions that draw out anecdotes about candidates’ experience and delve into their accomplishments will provide the best insight. Asking candidates to describe how they might handle a potential challenge within their new role will be more informative than asking about their most recent job title.
- Establish recording parameters. Video interviewing systems can provide a number of options for recording a candidate’s responses. Employers can allow candidates to record as many takes as they want, can designate a set number of takes, or can require the candidate to submit his or her first response. Some systems even hide the interview question until the candidate starts the recording. Candidates are understandably more comfortable with a system that gives them a few tries to hone their answer. Organizations might find that getting an answer on the first take gives them the most accurate impression and mirrors the immediacy they’d experience if the interview were in-person and face-to-face.
- Assess content, not video quality. Assessing the results of a video interview can be challenging, but it isn’t all that different from evaluating an in-person conversation. The key is to focus on the content of the interview answers, not whether the candidate is a stellar videographer—especially if they’ve had to use equipment that was given to them for the interview. Instead, hiring managers should pay attention to body language, eye contact, and the content of responses.
Tomorrow we’ll discuss the technology available for video recruiting as well as some strategies you might employ. Plus, an introduction to an interactive webinar, Recruiting Technology 101: What It Can Do and How to Use It.