Know all about Video Interviewing

Although over half of our business remains in and around London, this year we have made placements in seven different countries. This is obviously a huge challenge to source, screen and co-ordinate interviews with candidates. On many occasions we are recruiting for a client in one country, the candidate is in another, and our business is based in London. It can be a logistical nightmare however over the past year we have really embraced video screening and pushed our clients for video interview with tremendous results.

Advancement in video-conferencing technology and webcam have made it possible to conduct job interviews from anywhere in the world. Today, more and more employers are taking advantage of this opportunity to make the interviewing process more convenient and easier. Furthermore, companies have identified two types of video interviews – live and one-way video interview.

·       Live video interview: As the name itself suggests, this type of interview allows candidates and employers to connect remotely in real-time, offering the advantage of the personal connection you can get from a face-to-face meeting. Depending on the platform capabilities, employers may use video-chat services like Skype or Google Hangouts to conduct this interview. These services also allow the hiring manager to record the interview and share it with others involved in the hiring process. You can even conduct live coding / technical interviews on Skype - https://www.producthunt.com/posts/interviews-on-skype

·       One-way interview: This is becoming popular among the hiring manager as it helps in screening the candidates quickly and efficiently. This type of interviews demands applicants to respond to pre-set interview questions. This allows the applicants to think through their answers and be their best when they submit their videos. A major advantage of this type of video interview is that hiring managers can watch the video anywhere and at any time, without having to clear his/her schedule for a full-on face-to-face interview.

In fact, there are many reasons why a virtual interview can streamline the hiring process.

Let’s take a look at some of the key benefits of video interview:

·       Less expensive: Time and travel are two largest money pits in the hiring process. Based on the job and the candidate, some companies are willing to fly top talent with no guarantee the candidate will turn into an employee. Video interviews help interviewers to cut down on the consumption of time to travel a long distance. Making use of this advanced technology ensures that productivity isn’t affected.

·       Widens the pool of candidates: The cost of an interview is dependent on the geography. Though genuinely interested candidates come from anywhere to your company, not every candidate has the luxury of taking a day off to fly out for a short interview. These problems can be avoided by video interviews, giving you a chance to reach out the candidates from anywhere across the globe.

·       Avoid no-shows and late appearances: Conducting a face-to-face interview demands taking time out from your day that could be well-spent on other tasks. Many times, candidates may fail to show up or appear late, leaving hiring manager to wait for them. Video interview helps you prevent the loss of valuable time. If a candidate doesn’t submit a video, recruiters can easily move on to the next one while keeping up their productivity throughout the day.

·       The right person for a right job: Using online video interviewing demonstrates that your potential hires can understand the online marketplace. Embracing emerging technology and new ways of approaching the hiring process, helps in attracting talent with similar values.

There are also pitfalls of video interviewing. Communication experts believe that though technology communication is more casual. It is so important the video interview is conducted in the same way you would conduct a face-to-face meeting. Dress smartly, make sure the environment is clean and tidy… nothing worse than having your laundry on show in the background!

If your company are still doing conventional interviews, then you are missing a fantastic opportunity to save both time and money. Reap the benefits of video interviewing techniques, at least for the first round of interview, and streamline many of the hiring processes within your office.  For more information on video interviews and how this can assist in your recruitment strategy please feel free to reach out to us for further information - 02030510247.