Benefits of Interviewing via Video Conferencing

Due to the unprecedented recent events that have taken place, corporations around the world have been forced to change their process for hiring candidates and even work settings for their current employees. Social Distancing has put a hold on many things, including the way corporations interview potential candidates. In many cases, corporations have put in place a hiring freeze. Thanks to modern technology though, those who are still looking to hire have platforms available to them to be able to continue the hiring process through video conferencing. 

Video conferencing has been crucial the past few weeks, but after all of this is over, how will corporate America change? Will this be the new norm? Even without social distancing there are still benefits to interviewing via video conferencing as opposed to a phone interview. Here are just a few benefits: 

Convenience for everyone involved: For years, recruitment agencies and corporate recruiters have needed to coordinate a good day and time for the Hiring Manager and candidate to meet for a face to face interview. Usually, there is an initial phone screen with a candidate to determine if it is necessary to schedule a face to face interview. That hasn’t changed much. What has changed though is the in-between stage which can be a video interview. This step allows the recruitment agency, corporate recruiter, or Hiring Manager to essentially have a face to face interview over video. And it allows candidates that are not located in the general area to have face time with the interviewer without having to travel (or spend money on travel expenses) or even miss work. The video interview can be accomplished on a mobile phone, tablet, or computer that has a web cam and a microphone (which most do) from their home, office or even car if necessary (although we don’t recommend the car). 

Saves money and resources: Since the video interview can basically take place at any time from any just about anywhere, this allows all people involved to be able to continue working on their day to day duties without putting anything off. This will save the hiring company money and resources that otherwise would have been compromised. The candidate does not have to take time off work, losing PTO or wages, and keeps them at less risk from their current employer finding out about the interview. Hiring Managers can also schedule multiple video interviews throughout the day without having to miss a beat on their normal day to day activities. In the end, if the video interview doesn’t go well enough to bring that candidate in for a face to face interview, then the only thing lost is a bit of time. 

Better than a phone interview: One of the downfalls of a phone interview is the fact that the interviewer cannot see how the candidate responds to questions. Sure, the most important part of questions are typically the answers, but body language and overall demeanor can say a lot of about someone as well. From the candidate’s perspective the same downfalls exist. They are just as interested in the interviewer’s body language and demeanor since this is an important career move and they will likely be reporting to them. The recruiter or staffing agency that is conducting the interview will also feel more confident when presenting a candidate to the Hiring Manager, or client, due to their ability to have already “met” the candidate. Also when working with a recruitment agency, the client can provide 4 to 5 “knock-out” questions that can be presented to the candidate through a pre-recorded video interview. This will allow the client to see the candidates, hear their communication style and get a better sense for their experience based on their answers compared to just looking at a resume on a piece of paper. No more “wondering” if the candidate has the necessary skills needed to be successful in the position. 

In the end, video interviews are the future until the future presents an even better option. While technology may take away some of the human elements we have grown accustomed to, it is also allowing us to be more efficient in many ways. If you are a recruitment firm or corporate recruiter, and have not yet used a video interview platform, I suggest you get familiar with it as soon as possible or you will find yourself lagging behind your competitors.

So, even after social distancing is over. We believe video interviewing should remain part of the interviewing process. ARC is here to help you with that process. We have helped many clients throughout the interviewing process, and more specifically through the video interviewing process. We have streamlined the process and have assisted many clients with tips on what to look for when interviewing through video conferencing. For years, we have been not only using live video conferencing as a method of interviewing, but we also offer a pre-recorded video interviewing platform that simulates and replaces live interviews, saving our client’s time, in addition to adding additional value to their hiring process.