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Sometimes recruiters and hiring managers can’t meet face-to-face with potential employees. One-way video interviews can make some steps of the hiring process more convenient for both recruiter and candidate, especially when there are different time zones involved. Video is already being used for training and onboarding. Now it's making in-roads into the interviewing process, particularly in the form of one-way interviews.
Read on to learn more about how your recruitment process can transform with one-way video interviews.
What are one-way video interviews?
Also known as asynchronous interviews, one-way video interviews mean job seekers don't need to answer questions or attend interviews in real-time. In a one-way interview, job seekers can record themselves answering a set of questions and submit it to their recruiter. Hiring managers will then view and assess the answers later. They don’t require a live discussion over a video meeting like Zoom or Google Hangouts.
Benefits to using one-way video interviews
Videos can improve your work culture. Let’s take a look at the benefits of using one-way video interviews for your recruitment process.
1. Convenient for recruiters and job seekers
One-way interviews are convenient for both recruiters and job seekers.
The video-style interview gives candidates the freedom to create video answers in a location of their choice, and in a time that suits them. The convenience of one-way video interviews can impact a job seeker's performance. They can relax in their environment, record on a day that suits them, and give them the best possible chance to show their true comfortable personality.
Sometimes hiring managers have limited time to sit through interviews. Recruiters can watch the video interview in their own time, and also rewatch as many times as they need.
2. Review interviews in your own time
One-way video interviews make candidates’ performances available for assessment and reappraisal at any given time. Recruiters can review the interview as many times as they need. One-way video interviews can add additional input into the question of “what are test metrics telling you here?”.
3. Save valuable time
The average face-to-face interview takes around 45-90 minutes, including turnaround time. Using one-way video interviewing, up to 10 candidates can be assessed in the same amount of time that it takes to conduct one face-to-face interview.
There may be a deal-breaker question built into the process, and if the candidate fails at that hurdle, they aren’t the right person to fill that particular role. Interviewers can proceed to the next candidate faster, and more efficiently through video responses.
4. Cost-efficient alternative to traditional methods
One-way video interviews are cost-effective for both recruiter and candidate. Individuals applying for a position only require a recording device, free video editor, and sharing abilities.
Recruiters can create a cost-efficient online team to assess one-way video interviews, especially if you exploit such resources as free web conferencing. One-way video interviews also remove the travel cost from both candidates and recruiters.
5. Have more objectivity
In-person interactions can sometimes lead to individuals being more favorably regarded by an interviewer just because they happen to have a good rapport. But interviewers may be entirely unaware of this. Inappropriate selection can then result, courtesy of what is often termed the “halo effect”.
Using one-way interviews, the selection team can assess interview performance without any of the social add-ons like small talk at the greeting stage. This will enhance objectivity and render the process as one that checks the candidate’s suitability against concrete criteria.
What does it involve for the candidate?
It’s all quite straightforward. The candidate will receive an invitation to a one-way video interview, complete with the link they need to follow. The system will then perform a compatibility check on the interviewee’s kit. There is then the facility for the candidate to have a practice run before the real thing starts. This will not involve the actual questions.
The real video recording then starts when the candidate is ready. Each question comes with a time limit for the answer. Should the candidate feel that the answer they gave was not as good as it could have been, they can usually submit an improved version, but they have to stay within the time limit. Sometimes they will only get one re-take.
What does it involve for the interviewer?
Interviewers firstly must set up the questionnaire. This includes generating the question and scorecard templates. Consider what each question is intended specifically to discern. Is it a single piece of information you are seeking, or are you more interested in topic clusters?
Then, recruiters can select candidates and send out interview invitations (this may be an automated process using a recruitment CRM). Once the candidates have uploaded their responses, recruiters can then assess them about the agreed criteria.
Some automated one-way interview systems assist with the selection process. AI does this by comparing candidate skillsets with required characteristics and putting forward the best scorers.
One-way video interview tips
1. Always give candidates an equal chance
Companies are becoming quite adept at digital customer experience management. Interviews should be thought about in the same fashion. A key consideration for the interviewer is to make the whole process as inclusive as possible for the interviewee.
Not every candidate will be familiar with the one-way video interview process. Some might be used to video features like screen recording, and others prefer face-to-face traditional methods.
Some one-way interviews allow candidates some thinking time before sharing answers. This is a good approach for job seekers who are unfamiliar with the process. Make sure to create a set of helpful instructions for one-way interview success. Include tips on where best to situate themselves, what to think about with backgrounds, and perhaps a few words on appearance. Be sure to clear any security concerns candidates may have as well.
2. Humans rule
A good organization will often practice workforce engagement management by promoting human contact although there are plenty of workforce management tools for remote workplaces too. In much the same way, it’s worth remembering that an over-emphasis on automation can alienate.
It’s best to mix in some human ingredients from time to time. Otherwise, candidates will possibly come away with a less than glowing image of your organization. There’s nothing like a bad interview to affect how somebody feels about a business. And these people will talk. Even just a warmly-worded email explaining why they didn’t get the job. Such efforts are massively worthwhile.
3. Think about the package
Give some thought to what video package you use for this. You may wish to use proprietary hiring software, with a one-way interview facility included as standard, together with a workflow process that is clear to all involved.
As far as workflow packages are concerned, you can find many alternatives to process street, if that is what you are looking for. Whichever platform you choose, consider what contributes to really good interview performance.
Improve your recruitment process with one-way videos
One-way video interviewing can be extremely useful to both recruiters and job seekers if practiced properly. Take the stress out of recruitment with a one-way video interview.
