Nailing the Video Interview | Tips & Techniques

Can video interviewing get the job done? Is it a platform you can trust to provide you with the information you need to make the best hiring decision?

When you’re looking for ways to save recruiting dollars, reducing travel expenses for interviews appears to do the trick. Instead of flying candidates in for face-to-face meetings, organizations are relying on technology to help bridge the distance gap. Platforms like Skype, laptop cameras, mobile video cameras, FaceTime, and Microsoft Lync are beginning to take the place of traditional interviews.

Is it a good idea?

Lights. Camera. Action.
The obvious cost savings are huge.
• Expenses. No longer are you paying flight, hotel, and transportation costs.
• Flexibility. The candidate avoids extended travel time and doesn’t have to arrange for time-off from his current employer.
• Convenience. If you use vendor-based video interviewing software, the candidate can take the interview at any time of day from any location and the recruiting team can review the interview at their convenience. How does it work? The organization will send a link to an interview platform that allows the candidate to answer predetermined questions related to the job. Questions are presented on the screen, and the candidate is provided with a few minutes to formulate an answer. Ready to go? Hit the record button and the responses are recorded, saved, and able to be viewed at a later time by the recruiting team.
• Image. As an organization, you can demonstrate that you’re technologically advanced. You value the ease of use of video interviewing and want to share that with your candidates. It gives the impression that you are savvy, quick to adapt, and willing to be on the cusp of innovation.

Stage Fright
As with most technology products, there are drawbacks. Let’s talk about the potentially negative aspects of video interviewing.
• Comfort. There are some people who are not comfortable in front of the camera.
• Follow-up. In a face-to-face interview, if a candidate doesn’t understand the question, they can ask a follow-up question. However, in recorded video interviewing, the candidate is unable to ask questions and must only respond to the questions provided.

Just as phone screens are a great way to determine the next step, video interviewing can do the same. If you use it, keep in mind it is only one factor in making a hiring decision. Be sure to use the same questions for every candidate, and if using video interviewing for one, use it for all. You might cause unfair advantage if you invite some to use it and others to interview in person. Be fair and be consistent.