Acing Your Asynchronous Interview
Practice makes perfect. But its hard to practice and prepare for a one-way video interview. Fortunately, youve got options.
A FlexJobs career coach can help you practice and prep for any style of interview with a mock interview. Members get discounted access to our coaches and mock interviews. Take the tour and learn more about how a FlexJobs membership can help power your job search.
Understanding The Video Interview
Its good to know what youre getting into. Lets look at what you can expect from the Alcami one-way interview process.
You can practice. Youll be able to watch and record an answer to a practice question. You can repeat this question as many times as youd like before you start answering the real interview questions.
Be prepared. Just like with a normal phone or in-person interview, you should take the time to prepare prior to your one-way interview. Read through the job description, do some research on the companys mission, and review your own resume before getting started.
Each question has a set time limit the first one to prepare and gather your thoughts, and then a second time frame to record your answer. The time limit will be indicated at the beginning of each question.
If you have any problems during your interview, you can use the chat box to connect to a live support specialist to assist you. If youre having technical issues and you havent started your interview, contact support via email at .
Look At The Camera Like You Would An Interviewer
Making eye contact with a person youre speaking with isnt all that difficult. But when youre staring into the eye of a camera, you might find that youre subconsciously camera-shy. Although camera-shyness isnt a necessarily a deal-breaker for the position, you may come off as unsure or wavering in your answers. So make sure to practice eye contact to boot. If youre struggling, record your answers to see how you do. Then, make the necessary adjustments.
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Create An Ideal Candidate Profile
You can save a lot of time by creating an ideal candidate profile. This tool helps you fine-tune the qualifications you’re looking for in a candidate.
Many companies rely on outdated selection criteria or biased assessments to vet candidates. The unfortunate result is many great candidates are excluded while too many unqualified applicants make it to the next round of interviews.
An ideal candidate profile can fix this by homing in on the qualifications successful candidates actually need. The process includes eliminating unnecessary qualifications and validating the criteria to make sure the model is accurate.
One client had a critical position open for months and struggled to find the right person. After creating an ideal candidate profile, they found an amazing hire in just a few days!
Why Is This Important For Job Seekers
With statistics showing that 5.1% of people in the UK and 6.2% in the USA are currently facing unemployment, finding a job in 2021 has become more challenging for all job seekers with graduate job market being particularly badly affected. The Covid-19 pandemic has undoubtedly had a tremendous impact on the recruitment industry. It seems fair to argue that graduates should expect some form of video interviewing during their job search. This current change amongst recruiters may become the new normal amongst recruiters, and with the volume of graduates who apply for each role increasing novel approaches to interviewing increases efficiency and reducing costs will be here to stay.
One type of video interviewing thats increasingly popular is asynchronous interviews, also known as one-way video interviews.
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Develop Consistent Interview Questions
Inconsistent, irrelevant, or inappropriate interview questions can hurt your selection process whether you’re using a live recruiter or one-way video.
Some recruiters doggedly believe they can assess an applicantâs fit by having an informal conversation. The opposite is true. Research shows companies would make better hires if they skipped the interview altogether rather than rely on informal conversations.
Interviews can still play an important role in the selection process, but you must ask a consistent set of carefully-designed questions. The good news is you can quickly develop better interview questions with a few simple steps.
Pay Attention To Your Body Language
Unlike with a phone interview, you will be visible in a recorded video interview, which means body language matters. Make eye contact with the camera, smile and avoid nervous ticks like fingernail-biting or playing with your hair. It can be difficult to talk into a camera rather than converse with a person since you cant see her reaction, so in addition to practicing your responses to questions, you should also practice making eye contact and speaking in front of a camera to help you gain comfort in that environment.
Also Check: What To Say During A Phone Interview
Remember Biases Are Everywhere
Dear George, as you understand, one-way video interviews will help you improve your companys diversity, but you have to utilize them carefully and combine them with other features and practices. Tech and tools are not going to be the single factor in this effort there needs to be a strong diversity strategy in place, in every step of the recruiting funnel and one-way video interviews can only help you get closer to making your D& I vision a reality.
Screen consciously
If youre in Georges shoes and want to blend one-way video interviews into your hiring, Workable Video Interviews will be game-changing for your team.
One Way Video Interview Software
One way video interview software is transforming the way companies hire. You can gain a significant advantage financially and in employee productivity and company performance by hiring the best candidate fit from the start.
One way video interview software removes common time-wasting inconveniences that are normal with traditional recruiting. Say goodbye to scheduling issues, missed interviews and more importantly misleading CVs.
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Have Your Interview Answers Ready
If you receive the questions in advance, you have received a fabulous opportunity to be well-prepared. Its like being handed the keys to the kingdom. Script out your answers in advance, remembering to tell clear and concise stories that are examples of your accomplishments.
If you dont receive the questions in advance, which is unfortunately more likely, be prepared to answer the standard job interview questions.
Focus on the challenges you faced, the actions you took, and the results you attained.
During the interview, have a copy of the job description and your resume or application available to reference if necessary.
Practice These 8 Video Interview Questions And Get Hired Faster
If you get confident with the 8 video interview questions and answers above, youll give yourself a great shot at acing your interview.
A video interview really isnt that different from any interview, but you need to be comfortable explaining to an employer why youre job hunting, what youre looking for, and why you want their specific job.
Also be ready to share past accomplishments, with real examples of what youve done for other employers.
Finally, make sure youre comfortable with the video format and your technology at home in general. For further help with this, we recommend our list of video interview tips.
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But Dont Ignore Yourself
At the same time, though, dont be completely unaware of what youre doing while you record your answers. Just like any other interview, sit up straight, dont swivel in your chair, and dont anxiously tap your feet. It doesnt matter that this is a one-way interview. Eventually, the interviewer will see your recording and could interpret your nervousness as boredom, anxiety, or even disinterest.
Take advantage of the practice question and make sure you arent engaging in any distracting behaviors. If you catch yourself doing that, practice again until its gone. And, if youre having trouble with a behavior, say, swiveling in your chair, place a note somewhere on your screen to remind you to sit still.
Where Should I Do My Interview
Ideally, you should record your one-way interview in a quiet area with no other people around. A recruiter or hiring manager will not appreciate being distracted by people coming in and out of the room you recorded in. The company wants to know more about you, therefore, you need to be the sole focus of the video interview. Its also important to make sure that the space you are recording in looks clean and professional.
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How Does A One
In general, youll record your one-way video interview as part of your initial application. If completing one is not specifically mentioned in the job posting, its usually mentioned somewhere on the website when you apply.
Most applications let you complete the one-way video portion at a later date . However, there is usually a limited amount of time to come back and complete it .
What Attracted You In This Job Position
You always want to give the candidates a chance to show you that they took the time to get to know your company and also to show you that they are prepared to perform the tasks that job you are hiring for requires, and this is the perfect question to do that. This question will also be a good way to assess their enthusiasm about your company and the job itself.
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Traditional Interviews And One
Traditional interviews continue to be the top choice of many individuals, but many employers are moving to video interview platforms. As the prevalence of ‘work from home‘ positions, technology, and telecommuting continue to increase/improve, virtual interviews become a more acceptable method for identifying ideal hires. As digital profiles and websites such as , play a larger role in hiring, digital interviewing becomes more aligned with the existing relationships between employment candidates and employers. Candidates can attend or record the digital interview wherever suits them from an internet cafe to a room in their home or current office to complete the interview. However, research suggests that signal distortion all can affect the outcome of a one-way interview.
One Way Video Interview Guide: How To Conduct One Way Video Interviews
When used in the right way at the correct time, one-way video interviews can be a very valuable part of the hiring process and one of the growing HR technology trends.
As each company will have different hiring needs, the way they plan, structure and execute one-way interviews could vary slightly. However, there are some things they can do to get the most out of these interviews.
Read below to find out more about how to use one-way video interviews to boost your hiring process with the right plan, structure and execution.
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New To The Concept Of A One
A one-way interview consists of you answering a series of pre-recorded questions in your own time and in your own space. Unlike a traditional phone or video interview, one-way interviewing lacks the conventional conversation that you may be used to. Instead, you and every other candidate are given the same opportunity to answer identical questions, leveling the playing field for you to prove yourself to the hiring manager.
One-way interviewing is a great opportunity for you to separate yourself from the other candidates applying to a new job. Its a chance for you to put your best foot forward and show what makes you right for the job. Plus, its super convenient! You get to determine the best time and place to conduct the interview, making it easier for you to interview on your terms, time and location.
Why Did You Leave Your Last Job
How to answer if you willingly left your last job:
Never bad-mouth your former company. Itll immediately make the interviewer wonder if you were the reason the problem occurred.
So I like to use a strategy I call More Of Its a trick I use to turn negatives into positives. You do this by saying you changed jobs or left your past job to get more of something. Instead of saying my last job didnt give me enough chance to lead , youd say, I wanted more of a chance to lead.
Another phrase you can use that I like I felt ready for ____
Just fill in the blank with what you want more of in your next position. Leadership. Technical challenges. Teamwork and cooperation. Opportunity to learn a new area. Project management. More interaction with clients. Etc.
And this is crucial: make sure whatever you say you want more of is something this company offers! Dont say you want more project management if you wont be managing any projects in this new job. Why would they hire you? Theyll think you wont enjoy it and wont stay for long enough to be worth hiring!
How to answer if you were fired or laid off:
If you were laid off, just be straight forward and explain why. My department had a 50% reduction and I was a part of the layoff.
If you were fired, follow these steps:
1. Be up-front and take responsibility
2. Show that youve learned/changed so it wont happen again
3. Practice your answer so you do not hesitate. Delivery is key!
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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,
Keep An Eye On The Clock
Most one-way video interviews only give you 60 or 90 seconds to answer the question. As such, you shouldnt deliver long-winded answers. Instead, focus on the clock in your practice and during the interview. Give succinct, to-the-point answers, and youll look like a much stronger candidate, even if youre introverted or camera-shy.
One-way interviews certainly have their advantages and disadvantages for employers. And while candidates may prefer more traditional interviewing methods, the one-way video appears poised to stick around. But by prepping for the interview and delivering well-thought-out answers, you can reach your overarching goal: a great job.
Do you have any tips for one-way video interviews? Connect with Virtual Vocations on , , and to share your advice. Wed love to hear from you!
iStock Image: fizkes
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When Do Employers Use A One
Employers most often use a one-way video interview for their initial screening process. Rather than having to call candidates on the phone or schedule a live video chat, they can simply ask candidates to send in a brief video. Many employers use this interview format as a way for candidates to introduce themselves. They typically have you answer a series of basic questions that help them learn more about your personality and interest in the role. They may prefer this screening format since they can watch it at their own leisure and rewatch your video.
Related:How To Answer Common Video Interview Questions
Important Tips For Candidates:
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