Video interviewing is often touted as one of the most effective modern recruitment techniques for improving quality of hire, and cost-per-hire. In many ways, this is true, as evidenced by the growing number of video interviewing platforms on the market. But, if if video interviewing is not done properly, or strategically, then it can also risk tanking your candidate experience.
In this article, we’re going to talk about five ways poor video interviewing can actually hurt your recruitment process. And, we’ll share some ways that you can avoid those issues.
1. Poor technology, connection issues, or bad video quality.
It makes sense that if you primary method for screening new candidates is video interviewing that you want to make sure your tools work properly, every time. Companies who skimp on the platform they use to conduct live video interviews, or collect recorded interviews, can face a whole slew of technical problems that can create a negative experience for your candidate.
Poor technology can cause good candidates to either drop out of the running, or fall through the cracks. And worse, this is simply a bad look for your company, which has the potential to hurt your employer brand.
The Solution: Understand what your video interviewing requirements are, and which platform will best meet those needs. If you need a reliable platform to hold live interviews, and something to track results, then a simple platform like Skype of Hangouts might not be your best option.
2. A lack of human connection can make you seem distant.
This issue applies mostly to companies who use pre-recorded interview questions and answers as part of their video recruitment strategy. Not all candidates will feel completely comfortable with talking to a machine, or into a webcam, in order to conduct an interview. Likewise, they may not like the prospect of being recorded.
As a result, this type of video recruitment might make you seem less personable or friendly, and may affect the overall interview performance of otherwise qualified candidates.
The Solution: Unfortunately, your interviewing style isn’t going to please everyone, all of the time. But, there are ways to tweak your video interviewing program to make sure you’re coming across as a friendly, approachable place to work.
You can record all of your interview questions using friendly language, and encourage candidates to reach out at any time if they have questions or concerns. Likewise, you should also reach out to all candidates who have completed a video interview to let them know that a real person has seen their answers.
3. You may focus on a one-dimensional view of a candidate.
Relying too heavily on video interviews can lead to recruiters developing biased or incomplete views of candidates during screening. This is especially true if video interviewing is positioned as the core technique for judging candidate qualifications, or if recruiters use questions that don’t allow a candidate’s personality to shine through.
Unlike live interviews, where natural conversation helps to create a fuller impression of a candidate, recorded interviews only address the questions that are asked. As a result, candidates may not be able to showcase their full abilities. In the end, recruiters may only be assessing candidates based on a narrow set of criteria that don’t take into account the full picture.
The Solution: It’s important to treat video interviewing as a tactic, rather than your core recruitment strategy. Video interviews, whether live or recorded, should feed into an ATS platform that pairs the results with the candidate’s resume, cover letter, and any other assessment or information that is relevant. This helps to create a full overview of a candidate’s personality and skills.
4. You can miss out on creating real relationships with candidates.
If not done using a fine balance of personality and real outreach to the candidate, video interviewing can often dehumanize the entire candidate experience. This is particularly true if the only contact that candidates have with your brand, including during the early phases of interviewing, is through a machine.
While pre-recording questions and collecting answers on your own time can improve your work experience, it may not be the best way to make candidates feel welcome and motivated to join your team. Live, in-person interviews are often the best way to create these relationships, whereas video interviewing can sometimes fall short.
The Solution: Always experiment with your video interview strategy. If you find that too many pre-recorded or text questions don’t create a personal experience for candidates, then consider integrating more live interactions. Or, experiment with ways to make your video interviewing experience a more friendly one.
Regardless of your approach, you should always call, email, or provide feedback to candidates who complete your video interviews. This ensures that you maintain an open and friendly dialogue at all times, helping you keep long term connections and improve your employer brand.
5. Poor integrations can cause lost opportunities.
As mentioned, video interviewing should always be used as part of a larger recruitment strategy. That means that each candidate touch point is collected and monitored using a central platform. This system ensures that candidates move smoothly through the funnel, and are given an efficient and fair evaluation process.
Often, if recruiters are using video interviewing platforms that don’t fully integrate with the rest of their tech stack, information can fall through the cracks. This can be anything from important details mentioned during a video interview, to agreed upon communications and touch points. Missing these key pieces of information due to poor integrations can create a frustrating candidates experience and, ultimately, cause you to miss out on top talent.
The Solution
Don’t skimp on your video interviewing technology. Ensure that whatever platform you’re using has all of the tools you need to do the job properly, and that it integrates seamlessly with your ATS. If your ATS happens to also have video interviewing capabilities, like Recruitee, then that’s even better.
To ensure that you’re choosing the right video interviewing technology, it’s important that you go through an open and honest selection process with your team. Bring all stakeholders into the conversation, obtain a clear view of what your requirements are, and then base your research on those needs. Once you’ve selected and implemented a video interviewing technology, regularly monitor and assess the results to determine its ongoing viability.
