Tips on Conducting a Video Interview
Conducting a video interview is an essential skill in modern recruitment practices, offering flexibility and efficiency in assessing candidates remotely. This method not only saves time and resources but also allows recruiters to delve deeper into candidates’ qualifications and suitability for the role. Here are 5 valuable tips to optimize your video interviews and ensure a smooth and effective evaluation process.
1. Be early
Interviews (no matter what the format is) can be stressful for candidates. To alleviate anxiety and avoid confusion about meeting participation, log in a few minutes early. This preparation ensures candidates are ready and in the correct session on time.
2. Pay attention to your body language
In a video interview, nonverbal communication and tone of voice together convey 93% of your message. Therefore, presenting yourself effectively is crucial, similar to an in-person interview. Maintain eye contact by looking at the camera, sit upright, and demonstrate genuine interest in what the candidate discusses.
3. Think about your company culture
A drawback of video interviews is that candidates miss experiencing the workplace environment firsthand. However, you can address this by vividly describing your company’s work atmosphere. Most importantly, integrate your culture into the interview process, embody your core values, and treat the candidate with the same respect as you would a colleague.
4. Use the same questions consistently
Avoid adding extra tasks. If you already have a set of interview questions for in-person interviews, stick with them for video interviews as well. This consistency allows you to effectively assess and compare candidates based on the quality of their responses, even if interruptions occur.
5. Have a backup plan
Technical issues such as software glitches, visual or audio malfunctions, or connectivity problems can occur unexpectedly. Always have a backup plan, including access to your candidate’s telephone number.
Also read: Strengths And Weaknesses Of Video Interviews
Common video interview questions
The questions used in video interviews may mirror those asked in face-to-face interviews. Generally, one-way screening questions are broader to gauge overall job suitability, whereas two-way interview questions focus more specifically on the role.
1. Common Video Interview Questions
The purpose of video interview questions is to understand candidates better and evaluate their interest in the position. This initial interview determines if there is a fundamental alignment between candidates and the roles they are applying for. If there is, candidates may proceed to subsequent interview rounds.
- Why are you interested in joining our company?
This question serves as an introduction to gauge candidates’ motivations and how well they have researched the company.
- What attracts you to this position?
Similarly, this question aims to clarify candidates’ reasons for applying and their career aspirations.
- What are your long-term career objectives?
Understanding candidates’ career goals helps assess their potential commitment to the role and company.
- Why did you leave your previous job?
This question reveals insights into candidates’ past employment experiences and their professional demeanor.
- Describe your preferred management style or your ideal manager
Knowing candidates’ preferences in management style provides insights into potential compatibility with the team and role.
- Describe your ideal work environment
This question explores candidates’ preferences regarding teamwork, office setting, and remote work, aiding in evaluating their fit for the position.
2. Second-Round Interview Questions
The questions in the second round of interviews are tailored to assess the candidate’s qualifications for the specific job opening.
- What is your experience with _____?
For a sales position, understanding the candidate’s sales experience and skills is crucial. Similarly, for a computer programming role, the hiring team needs insights into the candidate’s programming skills and relevant work experience.
- If offered this position, what challenges do you foresee, and how would you tackle them?
This question evaluates the candidate’s preparedness and resilience in anticipating and overcoming challenges associated with the new role.
- How do you plan to contribute to our company’s success?
Candidates demonstrating specific ideas and research about how they can enhance company performance indicate proactive and high-performing qualities.
- What has been the most significant professional hurdle you’ve encountered?
This inquiry uncovers challenges candidates have navigated in their careers, highlighting their resilience and problem-solving abilities.
- What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career?
This question allows candidates to showcase their accomplishments while providing insights into their priorities and achievements.
- Based on your understanding of the position, describe a typical workday in this role.
Clarifying expectations about job responsibilities ensures alignment between the candidate’s understanding and the actual demands of the position.
3. Finalist Interview Questions
Whether companies decide to conduct more than two interviews can vary based on the role and applicant pool. However, here are some beneficial questions to ask towards the end of the interview process:
- Why do you believe you are the best fit for this role?
This allows candidates to make a final case for themselves.
- How would your previous manager describe your work ethic and performance?
This question encourages candidates to provide an honest response in anticipation of potential reference calls.
- What important aspects about yourself do you think we haven’t covered yet?
This question often prompts insightful responses as it catches candidates off guard, leading to more genuine answers.
- From your understanding of the role, what concerns or questions do you have?
This gives candidates an opportunity to discuss any uncertainties about the job and ensures alignment of expectations.
Tips for video interviews: a concise guide to interpreting body language
Video interviews have revolutionized recruitment by allowing agencies to interview candidates globally, but they also pose unique challenges for hiring managers and recruiters. Deciphering body language in virtual interviews, a crucial aspect of assessing candidates, is particularly difficult due to the physical distance and technological barriers. Observing cues such as posture, gestures, and eye movement helps gauge a candidate’s feelings and demeanor, providing valuable insights despite the limitations of virtual interactions.
Challenges hindering the interpretation of body language in video interviews
Human communication relies heavily on body language, with 60% to 90% of information about others conveyed through non-verbal cues. This means that in optimal conditions, words alone provide only about 40% of the necessary information to fully comprehend someone else. During phone calls and virtual interviews, however, we either lose completely or significantly reduce our ability to interpret the body language of the person we are interacting with. This shift poses several challenges for interviewers and hiring managers who are accustomed to conducting face-to-face interviews with candidates.
1. Lack of verbal cues
In video interviews, much of a candidate’s body language remains concealed, restricting interviewers to assess mainly based on verbal communication rather than understanding their thoughts or emotions through non-verbal cues.
2. Technical issues as barriers
Issues such as poor audio quality, choppy sound, delays, or interrupted speech may arise depending on the platform or participants’ internet connections during the interview. These factors can hinder candidates from presenting their best case effectively.
3. Difficulties in building rapport
To evaluate a candidate’s personality, team compatibility, and cultural alignment, recruiters and hiring managers typically rely on establishing rapport. This task is notably easier to achieve when meeting candidates in person. While establishing rapport during video interviews is possible, it requires a different approach compared to face-to-face interactions.
4. Perceived disinterest
Appearing fully engaged during a video conference demands effort, often involving maintaining consistent “digital eye contact” with the interviewer throughout the entire interaction. However, the candidate’s computer setup or settings may inadvertently create the impression of distraction, potentially leading the interviewer to misinterpret the candidate’s attentiveness solely due to technical nuances in the interview process.
5. Non-verbal signals
The key advice for interpreting interview body language is to observe attentively without rushing to judgments or premature conclusions. Nonetheless, certain body language cues during interviews warrant careful consideration.
6. Candidate’s complete focus
It’s common for interviews to experience brief interruptions at the beginning or end. Initially, candidates may exhibit signs of stress, but they often become more engaged after a few minutes. However, as the interview progresses, candidates might lose interest in the position or simply grow fatigued from the duration of the interview. Signs of distraction can include fidgeting, arm folding and unfolding, crossing and uncrossing legs, as well as tapping or rocking. Individually, these body language cues may not indicate much, but persistent distraction throughout the interview could be a potential concern, although it could also be a natural response to unseen factors. There are typically two reasons for this:
- One reason a candidate may deviate from the interview path is the potential submission of a fabricated resume. Many applicants aim to secure job offers to leverage higher pay from their current employers. As a recruiter, it’s essential to proactively alert and monitor for such issues from the outset.
- Another factor that can derail a candidate during an interview is emotional distress triggered by the interview itself or external personal challenges. In such cases, it may be beneficial to pause the interview, seek their consent to discuss the distraction, allow them time to compose themselves, or consider rescheduling the interview as needed.
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