If you’re a part of the hiring industry, you might have heard of the term “video interview” being thrown around a lot off-late. Video interviews have become increasingly common with time. In fact, according to a recent survey by Bayt.com, 89% of Middle Eastern and North African professionals expect video job interviews to rise in the coming months.
As many companies explore this novel option, let us understand what these interviews are and why they’re becoming so popular. In this article, we will also explore the future of hiring powered by artificial intelligence (AI).
A video interview refers to a job interview that is conducted remotely, using video technology for communication. It can be used across several stages in the hiring process and has become very popular, especially in the post-pandemic world.
Video interviews can be of various kinds. Recruiters usually choose the type most suitable for them based on the available internet connectivity, stage of the hiring process, and the convenience of the interviewee.
Some of the most common types of video interviews have been listed below.
When interviews are conducted live via the internet, they are known as synchronous video interviews. Such interviews are often used as a proxy for in-person interviews.
Live video interviews allow interviewers to communicate one-on-one with the candidates, similar to a physical setting. To add to it, video conferencing enables the interviewers to assess the candidate’s responses in real-time and ask follow-up questions without lag.
Synchronous video interviews typically take place via video-conferencing applications.
In this case, hiring managers provide a list of questions they would like to ask the candidate. The candidates can then record their answers in a controlled and comfortable environment as per their convenience and send them across.
Asynchronous video interviews enable the candidates to absorb each question and think of answers accordingly properly. This is an excellent option for candidates who get nervous about live interviews.
Moreover, hiring managers receive well-thought, more-rounded answers through this process.
Wondering what the hype is about? Here are a few reasons why video interviews are becoming popular these days.
While you may not wish to use video interviews at every phase of the hiring process, they are an excellent option for the early stages.
As an employer, using video assessments in the early stages allows you to sort through numerous candidates quickly while getting an insight into their personalities.
Video interviews bring life to resumes and allow the candidates a fair fighting chance. They also enable better judgment of character and reduce overall hiring time and resources.
Although a resume captures the professional and academic history, it cannot help assess a candidate's personality and soft skills, which are crucial aspects for recruitment. This is where video interviews come in handy. They allow you to make a well-rounded judgment of candidates.
Additionally, sometimes in physical interviews, some details might slip by recruiters since they need to focus on multiple things simultaneously. Video interviews provide them with the option of replaying answers and thus help form a more apparent well-rounded opinion.
Perhaps the best part about video interviews is that there are no geographical restrictions. The recruiter and the candidate do not need to be in the same location for the interview to happen.
It increases the pool of candidates for employers and makes the interview process more convenient for candidates, giving everyone a fighting chance.
Flexibility in the hiring process can be a boon for those who are already working. Video interviews can fit pretty much anybody’s schedule, no matter how packed. Candidates can appear for video interviews at any time during the day, at their convenience.
Additionally, when candidates are given the option to choose when, where, and how they can interview, it makes the entire recruitment process more comfortable.
Commuting can be pretty expensive and time-consuming. In case a candidate is already working somewhere and wants to appear for interviews, managing the commute can be a disaster for them.
Video interviews eliminate the need to travel and make the entire process much smoother.
One-on-one interviews make it difficult for the recruiters to share their views with the rest of the team.
If you offer candidates to appear for pre-recorded video interviews, several team members can assess the recordings together, speeding up the evaluation process and making it more thorough.
Moreover, pre-recorded video assessments also allow the recruiters to rewind or replay segments they’d like to revisit.
In traditional interviews, candidates do not get a lot of chances or time to think about their responses. However, in the case of video interviews, candidates have the option to re-record their answers and submit them only when they’re fully convinced.
Moreover, live interviews can be intimidating for many. Some people might not be able to put their best foot forward in such cases but can perform well in recordings. Thus, recorded interviews give everyone an equal chance.
Additionally, when candidates are in the comfort of their own homes without any pressure, they have better chances of acing an interview.
Many a time, candidates don’t show up for scheduled interviews. It wastes a lot of time for the recruiters, who plan their days accordingly. One of the main reasons for no-shows is that they find it challenging to take time off from their current jobs.
Video assessments reduce this by allowing the candidates to pick their live interview slots or submit their recorded interviews at their convenience.
Candidates have the option to appear for the video interview after regular working hours, and their day-to-day work remains unaffected.
Adopting video interviewing as a part of your hiring process is not all that simple. You will have to consider several factors before making it a regular practice.
Here are a few considerations that can help you make the most of video interviews and ensure fairness in the recruitment process.
Just like traditional interviews, you should focus on questions that are thought-provoking. The questions should be relevant to the position and help you determine whether or not the candidate is a good fit for the job.
Avoid asking personal questions that do not have any bearing on their ability to qualify for the role. Instead, ask candidates how they would handle potential challenges or different situations in their job.
It would help if you also asked about their professional accomplishments and anecdotes from their work lives.
Video interviews can be tricky since they depend quite a lot on technology. Remember, you need to focus on the answers provided by the candidate and not their video quality.
Every candidate might not have access to the best video facilities, and that does not reflect who they are as professionals.
Your assessment should only be based on the content of their responses, body language, and other relevant factors that you would pay attention to in a physical interview.
Video interviewing applications offer a variety of settings for recording the responses. It is essential that you set these parameters beforehand to avoid any confusion during the interview.
For recorded interviews, you can even fix the number of takes that can candidate can have. Some video interviewing applications even hide the questions till the candidate starts recording.
Several video interviewing providers are using AI to hire candidates these days. AI can detect if the candidate is lying based on voice intonation, facial expressions, and other non-verbal forms of communication, which helps immensely during the recruitment process.
Once the technology is perfected, it can be an excellent tool for recruiters to weed out undeserving applicants.
Evalufy is one such platform. It speeds up the candidate screening process by using artificial intelligence.
Evalufy is a video assessment platform perfect for teams that operate remotely. Let us look at how the platform can simplify the recruitment process with tests and video assessments.
Evalufy replaces time-consuming recruitment processes with video-based assignments. It allows you to learn more about a candidate than what a resume can tell.
With Eavlufy, you can present customized tests and assessments to your candidates. The video responses and text answers will give you a better overview of the candidate.
Evalufy lets you test your remote staff regularly with video assessments. These tests can also help you determine the effectiveness of online training programs.
In our ever-evolving world, recruiters need to move beyond traditional interviews and adopt newer methods of hiring.
Video interviewing is one such technique that has boomed recently and is definitely here to stay. It offers numerous benefits to both the recruiters and the job seekers. The flexibility and convenience of video interviews are unmatched.
With recent technological developments, artificial intelligence will also become a significant part of the recruitment process. Just like video interviews are the future of hiring, AI is the future of video interviewing. As technology advances, we can expect artificial intelligence to play a significant role in video interviewing.
