27 Nov Effective digital screening with video interviews

Over the last decade, companies have been making the shift to digital hiring solutions as more have been developed, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, one of these key tools in video interview platforms. At the forefront of this evolution is video interviewing 一 emerging as a practical solution for hiring professionals who usually face a high volume of interviews to assess or for employers who are currently working remotely due to the pandemic. Earlier this year a Robert Walters survey found an 67% increase of companies preferring virtual over in-person interviews.

Video interviewing is an asynchronous video-enriched method of engaging with potential hires. This is often used in the early phase of candidate screening, in which questions are presented either in text or in a pre-recorded video. Candidates then record their answers at their convenience to submit for the recruiter’s review.

Video interviewing as the first step in hiring

While many organisations use resume/CV evaluation as the first step for screening candidates before in person interviews, a 2016 study shows that this method fails to accurately predict job performance.

Pre-hire assessments and interviewing however are strong predictors of potential job performance. However, interviews and assessments are often conducted in the latter stages of recruitment. Pairing video interviews and assessments at the beginning of the recruitment process provides a more efficient method of screening top candidates, while minimising bias right at the beginning of the process.

There are two key approaches your company may consider when putting video interview screening at the front of your hiring process: the pre-screening method and the ‘interview first, apply later’ method.

In the pre-screening method, your company can start filtering applicants using an applicant tracking platform based on their specific certifications, abilities, and experiences the organisation needs. Candidates that pass are automatically invited to a video interview screening.

During the interview, you may use deeper, more personalised questions to gain insights on candidates. You can also pair other assessments with the video interview, such as skills or personality assessments.

The ‘interview first, apply later’ method allows applicants to showcase their skills, abilities, and experiences with a short video introduction in the first step of the application process. To further gain insight into the applicants, you can also ask them to answer one or two general questions about their objectives for their application.

This method allows your company to match candidates with open roles. You can also keep the videos file for future consideration for applicants with skills fit for roles that are currently unavailable.

Benefits of video interview screening

Many organisations attest video interview screening for significantly streamlining their recruitment processes.  Companies using this method see a significant decrease in recruitment cycles and costs per hire.

Your company may also find these key benefits as you integrate video interview screening with your talent acquisition process:

1. Hire faster. Using video interview screening at the beginning of your hiring funnel allows your applicants to get into the system quickly and enables you to narrow down the pool of applicants more efficiently.
2. Increase the quality of hire. Recorded video interviews help you gain insights on candidates. Further, you can observe the attitude and personality of candidates more in video presentations than during phone interviews.
3. Promote diversity. Kurt Lewis Institute, a Netherlands-based research organisation, found that minority applicants preferred video interviews. The study shows that candidates find that the automated interviewing process does not have the same levels of discrimination as traditional processes, and candidates can provide more personal and frank responses.

Companies are now leveraging technology to become more efficient and improve current recruiting practices. Video interviewing is one of the emerging practical solutions of employers to streamline its process while improving the candidate experience.

Learn more about Talegent’s video interview tool or request a demo.