Video Conferencing for Interviews

More and more, it seems like we’re living in the future. Technology continues to advance by leaps and bounds, providing opportunities to become more efficient and cost effective at work and at home. The advent of the Internet has changed everything, by connecting us to people not just across town, but across the world. In the past decade, it’s provided the platform for radical changes in the way we work and how businesses are run.

‍

Imagine companies ten or fifteen years ago, when having a website wasn’t the priority it is today. Can you imagine your company today without a website? The same sort of shift is happening in the way we approach work communication, including the interview process.

‍

Performing candidate interviews over the Internet, using video as well as audio, has become increasingly common, and for good reason.

• Geography: Let’s face it–—the world is shrinking, while the pool of talent is growing. Depending on your company’s model—fully staffed with just a few remote workers; a skeleton crew at the office and the majority of staff working remotely; or no physical office at all—you may be looking at candidates outside your geographic area for those remote positions. Video interviews are the easy way to interview far-flung candidates, no matter where they are located.
• Cost effectiveness: Along the same lines, video interviews can help curb travel costs as well as facilities costs, if you don’t have a conference room or other appropriate place to conduct interviews. While most video conferencing providers don’t offer their services for free (other than for a limited free trial), you should be able to find one that fits your budget. If your budget is close to $0, Skype might be the option for you – it’s free and simple to use.
• Tech support: While Skype is easiest on the budget, there are some benefits to choosing a video conferencing provider with an interview platform, namely the tech support that comes with paying a monthly fee. These providers know that the software and equipment needed for video conferencing can be complicated, so they take pride in offering tech support to make their clients’ operations run smoothly.
• Options, options, options: The growing need for video conferencing has spurred a surge in online providers that offer one-on-one to large group video conferencing, and more. Some popular providers include GreenJobInterview, HireVue, Montage Talent, and InterviewStream.
• Ease of use: Although video conferencing providers and services may vary, most of them are fairly simple to use. However, you should consider this when deciding which provider to go with: some cater to more tech-savvy users than others. It’s great if you’re up for the challenge of learning a more complicated software system, but remember that it may be difficult for some of your colleagues and candidates.
• Candidate litmus test: Even though you may not want to choose the most technologically-advanced service to avoid stumping colleagues and interviewees, you can still use this technology as a litmus test for candidates. Notice how willing (or hesitant) they are to do their interview via video conference. This might show you which candidates are more comfortable using technology and which are not, a factor you may need to consider when making your hiring decisions.
• Speedier hiring process: Conducting video interviews can also speed up your hiring process, since making time for a 30-minute interview from home might be easier for candidates than planning a trek to your office. Compound the time you could save scheduling interviews and allowing for travel if you conduct every interview—from initial pre-interview conversations to top-level manager interviews—using video conferencing, and you will see how much faster your new hire could come on board.

Although some may think that interviews done via video conferencing are less personal (interviewers are not meeting candidates face-to-face, after all) and less private (you may get an inadvertent glimpse into a candidate’s private life – spotting a pile of dirty dishes in the sink or hearing a crying child in the background) the use of this technology continues to grow and will probably become even more common as HR managers and recruiters look for more effective ways to find candidates and fill positions.