What Do Candidates Think About Video Interviews
EasyRecrue conducted a 2016 survey of 25,000 job candidates for its e-book The Definitive Guide to Video Interviewing. Researchers discovered that candidates were overwhelmingly positive about video interviews, in part because the process allowed them to get a better feel for the company. A whopping 82 percent of respondents had a positive opinion of the company because of its video interview process, while 76 percent either enjoyed or loved the experience.
Todays younger employees expect the newest technologies, and smart, strategic video tactics are definitely a competitive advantage, said Futurestep Vice President of Global Technology Solutions Mir Ali. Video usage not only makes the candidate experience better, it ultimately increases the chances the right candidates are hired for the right roles at the right time.
Video Interviews: A Tool For Transparency
Video interviewing software can combat discrimination in the interviewing process. Video interview services, such as the one offered by LaunchPad Recruits, let employers pre-set questions. Having a standard set of questions for all candidates ensures that everyone gets the same experience.
Discrimination can flare up in subtle ways: even in the amount of time that interviewers allow different candidates to respond to questions. By letting employers set a specific amount of time for candidates to respond, video interviews make the process that much more standardised.
An interview recorded on video can be shared between multiple parties, reducing miscommunications and misinterpretations. Video interviews even allow candidates to advocate for themselves. If a candidate feels like their presentation was misrepresented, they can view the recording of their interview to revisit what was said.
As Irina Nagy says at mypeoplebiz, video interviews are an oral and visual record bringing transparency to the entire interviewing process. Employers no longer have to depend on their memories when comparing candidates performances.
Launchpad Recruits video interview software allows you to take notes on specific aspects of each recorded interview, which can be compared to other interviews and analysed by multiple parties.
What Is An Asynchronous Interview
Synchronous interviews involve a recruiter and a candidate being in conversation simultaneously. Asynchronous interviews, or one-way interviews, mean each side responds at separate times. Both one-way video interviews or one-way phone interviews allow a recruiter to review more candidates than they would typically be able to with a traditional interview.
Once the candidate receives the recruiter recorded questions, their interview is self-guided. The candidate can answer these pre-recorded questions at any time that is convenient to them. Once a recruiter receives their response, the recruiter can listen or watch the interview at any point.
While technology has dramatically evolved to make asynchronous interviews a seamless process, recruiters must choose between one-way phone or one-way video interviews. These two types of asynchronous interview methods hold similarities but create vastly different impacts on companies attempting to eliminate bias.
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What Interview Questions Are Illegal
It’s important to recognise when an interviewer is asking generic conversational questions to get to know you and make you comfortable. Or whether they are digging for information that may impact you getting the role.
Some questions such as do you have a family, or children may be asked. These are typically friendly conversational topics to build rapport. However, there can be instances of the employer trying to dig out more information to check your suitability for the role.
For example, if the role requires evening or weekend overtime, having family commitments may impact your availability. Therefore, recruiters may prefer to hire a single person with more availability commitment and flexibility.
As an employer, it’s so important to avoid straying into grey areas, especially when making general chit chat and getting to know the candidate. You could unintentionally ask the candidate an uncomfortable question that they won’t want to answer. Then if they aren’t selected for the role, they may accuse you of discriminating against them.
Its best to just avoid all questions to do with disabilities, religion, sexual orientation, age and other personal information that has nothing to do with the job qualifications.
Video Interviews Remove Geographical Barriers
Too often good candidates are turned down even before companies get to know them, simply because they’re too far from each other. And because of this geographical distance, organizations might miss out on skilled talent from other cities and countries. Using video interviews makes it possible to meet candidates wherever they are, without discriminating against them based on their location.
When the University of Helsinki used Recright to hire researchers, they had received roughly 250 applications from 27 countries, and offered contracts to more candidates than initially planned! Had they not used video interviews in their recruitment, the result would have been very different.
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High Court Rules Workers May Sue For Thirdparty Retaliation Under Title Vii
On January 24, with Justice Antonin Scalia writing an opinion supported by eight justices, the U.S. Supreme Court held that an employee who was fired shortly after his fiancée filed a bias charge against her employer may sue under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for third-party retaliation. According to the high
Eeoc And Video Interviewing: The Sequel
Of course, hiring managers and employers are cautious folk. In 2010, the EEOC was once again asked about discrimination laws as they applied to the video interview. Again, the organization cited Title VII when explaining why it saw no problem with the usage of the video interview.
Here’s an exact quote: The EEO laws do not expressly prohibit the use of specific technologies or methods for selecting employees, and therefore do not prohibit the use of video resumes.
While the letter is about the usage of video resumes, it’s a small logical leap to see how Title VII would play out similarly for one-way video interviews. And live video interviews should have no more potential to run afoul of discrimination laws than an in-person meeting, since employer and candidate meet in real-time.
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Key Takeaway On Video Interviewing Software
Adapting the video interview tool can speed up your hiring process and deliver the best experience to the candidate. Also, it will help the interviewer to simplify their recruiting work as they can analyze the candidate with one click. Thus, video interview software serves as a boon in streamlining the traditional interview methods.
Picking The Wrong Place
An interview at the companys offices gives you one less thing to worry aboutthe interview environment. Face-to-face interviews generally mean that everyone enjoys a professional, office-based setting. But for video interviews, figuring out where youll conduct the interview becomes of paramount importance.
The employer will see two things during the interviewyou and the background behind you. Therefore, you need to ensure that your chosen video venue reflects a professional setting. A car wont cut it, and neither will a messy bedroom with your personal effects in full view as a backdrop. If you dont have a clean desk area with neutral, plain walls behind you, it may make sense to rent an office space for an hour or two to ensure the right environment for your video interview.
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Loss Of Group Impression
While you can orchestrate a rather large videoconference interview, there are limits to the number of people who can be involved without diminishing quality, especially depending on the type of technology you have available. If things go well, you cant make a quick decision to walk a candidate around to meet a few more people in your office like you could during a face-to-face interview.
And virtual interviews for leadership positions are rarely suitable because direct reports dont get an adequate chance to interact with candidates.
What Video Interviewing Can And Cannot Do
Even though video interviews can be used to battle discrimination on many fronts, they cant eliminate it entirely. An interviewer could pre-set discriminatory questions to ask to applicants during a video interview.
Employers could still make biased judgements about quality candidates, even after going through the motions of comparing recorded answers. Adding a video interviewing process wont solve the problems of a work environment where discrimination is allowed to flourish.
Ultimately, maintaining fair workplaces is up to us humans the machines can only take us so far. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, as reported on mypeoplebiz, emphasises that, regardless of the technology available to us, we should work to structure the recruitment and selection processes to focus on the job qualifications of all job seekers.
Heather Sandell, in an article for Foster Thomas, identifies video interviewing as a trend in corporate recruiting thats here to stay. And thats a good thing: when used correctly, video interviewing can make the recruitment process fairer for all candidates. There are many steps that organisations can take to create more equitable working environments: and setting up a video interviewing process is a step in the right direction.
Run 50% fewer assessment centres through increased offer rates.
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The Horrible Truth About One
Dear Liz,
I was asked to take a one-way video interview last week. It took me some time to understand what the lady wanted because I couldn’t believe they would ask me to answer questions in front of my computer with no live person on the other end of the line. I think it’s disgusting.
I declined to take the interview. I don’t want to work for a company that would stick me in front of a piece of software and ask me to talk into my microphone. If they don’t have time to talk with me live, they can hire somebody else.
What is your take on one-way video interviews?
Thanks,
Shutterstock
Dear Richard,
You said it perfectly. Video interviews don’t save a company any time compared to telephone interviews or live interviews, except for transportation time in the case of live interviews. If they want to hear your answers to the one-way video interview questions, they still have to watch your interview video.
So a one-way video interview is not a way for a company to save time. It’s just that the more steps in the recruiting process they can keep at arm’s length, the easier the process becomes.
If they screen people out using one-way video interviews, they don’t have to meet as many people face to face. They don’t have to forge a relationship or waste time with pleasantries. To put it bluntly, they don’t have to know you.
I’m delighted to hear that you made the decision to do just that.
They need to rethink their entire recruiting strategy and mindset.
Yours,
Have The Login Information Handy
As part of the invitation, you should receive a URL where you will need to login to participate in the interview. Other login information, like the employers or the interviewers name, an identifier for the interview, and possibly a password, may be sent to you as part of the invitation process. Be sure to have that ready.
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What Is Implicit Bias
Implicit bias is subtle, unconscious bias. These biases often revolve around sexuality, race and gender. Our upbringing, culture and media can all affect how we perceive people. Itâs challenging to eliminate implicit biases because we usually donât realize we have them. Most people think of deliberate bias, but not the discrimination that is hidden within our subconscious. But how is implicit bias harmful?
When To Use Video Interview Software
Video interview software has the potential to shorten time to hire while providing a great candidate experience, but only when used strategically. By one estimate, a recruiter can complete 10 one-way video interviews in the same amount of time it takes to conduct one phone interview. However, the timing is key video interviews are best used at the beginning of the process.
The reason for this is twofold: first, video interviews allow a recruiter to broaden their pool of potential candidates. Video interview software makes it possible for a hiring manager to get to know a candidate regardless of their geographic location or financial resources.
Some qualified candidates may be disqualified altogether from participating in the interview process due to travel and time costs. Its one great way to remove bias from recruitment, as hiring managers are able to reach candidates of different backgrounds, cultures, and economic circumstances.
Video interviews, by some estimates, can save an organization 30% of their travel budget. Overall, video interviews should be used early on to screen candidates in, rather than exclude quality applicants.
Secondly, video interviews used early on can help recruiters manage the process more efficiently. More than 50% of recruiters report that lengthy hiring practices hold back managers from filling positions.
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List Of Video Interview Software
There are many tools out there for recruiting managers interested in conducting video interviews. Some, like Google Hangouts, are free. Paid tools can provide more than simply recording a candidate. Many platforms offer templates, scheduling capabilities, and messaging to streamline the entire communication process.
Below are a few options, depending on if your team prefers live video interviewing or the pre-recorded option.
Read And Follow The Instructions Very Carefully
You will be more successful in the interview and you will demonstrate your ability to work carefully and thoroughly by following the directions for the interview very carefully.
Skipping this step or just quickly glancing at the instructions can automatically disqualify you before the interview even begins. Avoid making assumptions about the process that could be wrong.
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The Truth About Video Interviewing & Discrimination
Is it true that video interviewing will open the door for discrimination? Companies looking to incorporate it into their hiring process will often pose this question. The topic of virtual interviews and discrimination is nothing new, yet in recent times it has reemerged as businesses look for better recruitment strategies. For those compliant to EEO-1 and OFCCP laws, its important to understand how video fits into the hiring equation without risking legal trouble.
In the 1960s and 70s, two federal agencies and were founded to enforce employment discrimination laws and ensure workers were never denied opportunity to work based on things like race, religion, disability and gender. In 2015, a study found that 11.7% of businesses based in certain states faced higher risk of lawsuit due to workplace discrimination. New Mexico had the highest rate with a 66% chance compared to the national average and Washington D.C. was close behind with 65%. The reason for these particular states having an increased risk is due to local state laws that build upon federal discrimination law.
Many of the higher-risk states observed in the study have laws that go beyond U.S. federal guidelines, creating additional obligations and risks for employers. It is important for companies, especially those operating in these high-risk markets, to be keenly attuned to any legal developments that may affect their exposures. Bertrand Spunberg, practice leader for Executive Risks Hiscox, USA.
Other States Should Adopt The Positive Attributes Of Illinois Statute
Illinoiss Artificial Intelligence Video Interview Act has outlined for employers how to address key issues that may arise from the use of AI video interviews.160 Three main issues that the statute addresses are: transparency, consent, and privacy protection. Each of these parts of the statute have good points that should be used in other states legislation.
Transparency of AI Use and Functionality in Interview
The transparency requirements of the statute serve an important function of putting the applicants on closer-to-equal footing with the employer. The Artificial Intelligence Video Interview Act ensures transparency through two prongs: initial notice and explaining the technology.161 The employer must otify each applicant before the interview that . . . analyze the . . . video interview and consider the applicants fitness for the position.162 Employers use of AI in video interviews is a recent development,163 and jobseekers may not be aware of the technology. By informing the applicants, it keeps the field fair between applicants and allows them to feel more comfortable with the technology. Notifying the applicants of the AI, allows the applicant to know that the video recordings they make will be analyzed by AI and not simply watched at a later time by the employer as an applicant may otherwise assume.164
Job Applicants Consent to the AI Video Interview
Privacy Protection of the Job Applicants Video
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Dont Worry Youve Got This
Now that you understand what one-way video interviews are, how participating in one helps your prospective employer keep the hiring process moving along and the three largest ways these interviews help job seekers, you should be a little more comfortable with this process.
Truthfully, the adoption of digital technologies has helped companies around the world match great people with their dream positions.
And, as technology continues to improve and professionals worldwide look to fill their resumes with new experiences, the use-case for these systems will only increase.
That said, the thought of this change doesnt need to make your stomach churn or fill you with unease.
No, virtual interview and recruiting practices have been, and will continue to be, developed with your best interest in mind as companies large and small strive to fill their positions in a timely, mutually-beneficial manner.
Here at ATS, one-way virtual interviews are becoming increasingly common within our recruitment processes as we look to fill our locations and open positions with great people, like you.
If youre interested in learning more about what a career in the transportation industry looks like, or about how ATS can help you further your skillset and meet your goals, check out our open positions here. Please dont hesitate to reach out to us with any questions you may have.
