Let’s time travel back a couple of decades. Visit any organization, and you will find recruiters making hundreds of frantic calls to candidates who have applied for a job opening with them. The goal of the call was simple – to know more about the candidates and determine whether they are a good fit or not.
However, this was a tedious and time-consuming process. On top of it, it was impossible to determine their confidence levels, their body language, or their professionalism over a telephone call. And the worst part, many candidates do not pick the calls because they are busy in their current workplace.
This pain point of the recruiters led to the birth of one way interviews. In this, recruiters or hiring managers frame the questions and post them in a dedicated video interview software. The candidates are allotted a specific time frame to provide the answers, who record them as a video. Once the recording is complete, the answers zoom back to the inbox of the recruiters who can make an informed decision.
Let’s dive a little deeper into the whole one-way video interview process.
How to conduct a perfect one-way video interview?
Here are the different steps to conduct and make the best use of one-way video interviews as a recruiter –
Step 1
Find the right one-way video software or application that serves your purpose. Keep the criteria pretty simple – The software should be easy to use for both recruiters and the candidates. Also, look for some basic features like a dedicated dashboard to view the responses. You should also be able to bookmark, share, reply and annotate candidate submissions from within the dashboard.
Step 2
Prepare detailed documentation that explains the entire interview process. The same can also be recorded as a video explanation for candidates to understand better. Try to incorporate tips and advice on how to attend the interviews properly.
Step 3
Share all the relevant information. Make sure to specify a deadline for the candidates to submit the response. Also, plan on what happens if the candidate submits after the deadline. Would the submission be automatically disqualified, or a grace period will be provided.
Step 4
Build a solid selection panel. Most one-way interview tools let you share the recordings with multiple stakeholders. You can also allot a deadline for this group to review the videos.
Step 5
Thoroughly analyze the candidates. Have a look at their behavior, attitude, comfort level, professionalism, body language, eye contact, etc. These can be key factors when comparing candidates with similar experiences and knowledge.
Step 6
Prepare a rating system for the candidates. Make sure all the personnel in the team know what each rating corresponds to and what factors are to be assessed.
Step 7
Once the final decision is made, notify the candidates about the results, whether positive or negative. This builds a positive mindset in their minds.
One way video interview tips for candidates
If you’re a candidate, here are some vital tips for one way video interview –
- Double-check all your devices and the internet connection before you start the interview.
- Most one-way interviews are pretty short and have a tight timeframe. So keep a timer next to you, or on the phone or computer. Keep glancing at the timer to stay on track.
- Focus on the camera while answering.
- It is quite common for many of us to talk loudly during video calls. Avoid doing that. Talk in your regular tone and give highs and lows when required.
- Always dress formally. This will show your seriousness to the recruiter.
Here are some common one way interview questions you might encounter while attending an interview-
- What do you know about the company?
- What is your ideal work environment?
- Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
- Why are you interested in the position?
- Tell me something about you that’s not part of the resume.
Conclusion
One-way video interviews are helping companies to accelerate their hiring process and make it more effective. The one-way video interview also solves all the pain points of the traditional phone call screening process. They also help recruiters collect more data points about candidates to analyze them better during the direct interviews.
In summary, one-way video interviews have become a vital component in the hiring process of every company today, thanks to their ability to make the hiring process quicker and more effective.
