The pandemic may have forced us to rapidly change our operational structures, but some of our new systems have proved to be more efficient than the ones we used previously. One such example is video interviewing.

Thanks to the clear advantages that video interviews offer, they continue to remain an integral part of the recruitment process. Video interviews make it possible to: 

• Recruit remotely.

• Speed up the hiring process.

• Reduce cost per hire by reducing travel and organizational costs.

• Attend interviews without the hassle of commuting. 

• Record and review the video multiple times.

Challenges that accompany video interviewing 

There might be interruptions

Attending interviews from home means that candidates might run into distractions, despite their best efforts to eliminate them. For instance, they may have to get the door, or a family member could accidentally walk in on them. As recruiters, it is important to understand this and be accommodating when those hiccups occur.

There is also a higher chance of tech interruptions during video calls, especially if candidates are experiencing internet connection issues. It is important that you are prepared for this. Get the candidate's contact details beforehand to connect with them outside of the video call in case of mishaps, and be sure to choose an interview tool that will work well for all parties.

It is hard to assess soft skills

Talking to someone over a video call gives us few insights into their soft skills, as it can be hard to accurately assess their demeanor or body language. It is vital to include questions that can tell you more about their interpersonal skills.

Candidates don't get a feel for the culture

Since the candidates are not going to be walking around your office or meeting current employees, they might have little to no idea about your company's culture. Make sure you take the time to talk about the work environment, your employees, the benefits and perks, and anything that's relevant to what their day will be like as your employee.

While it might be helpful to give a verbal tour of your workplace, be sure that you don't oversell it.

Another way to help your candidates understand your organization better is by giving them ample time to ask you questions.

Here are some tips to help you give candidates the best video interview experience:  

• Collate all the details you need about the candidate. 

• Create transparency around the process, explain the steps of the interview and how you will assess them, and keep them informed about the interview panel.

• Introduce yourself and your organization before beginning the interview; stay interactive with the candidate, and make them feel comfortable.

• Create a structured interview process, and standardize the questions to avoid implicit bias; check out our blog post to understand how you can reduce interview bias.

• Choose the right software, preferably one that easily integrates with your ATS.

• Make sure that your surroundings are clean and well lit, and find a secluded place where there is less background noise.

• Do a test run to ensure that everything is running smoothly before the actual interview.

• Help candidates navigate through the experience by sending them all the information they need about the interview, including the software you will be using so that they have the time to experiment with it.

• Always get consent from the candidate before recording the interview.

• Have a scorecard to reduce time to hire and create more objectivity in the interview process.

• If you have multiple interviews, schedule them with a buffer so that there is no overlap.

• Consider one-way video interviews as an additional screening step before the main interview; learn more about Zoho Recruit's one-way video interview feature.

Zoho Recruit's video interview feature 

Our video interview feature allows you to conduct both one-way and live video interviews right from the app. You can automatically schedule interviews by allowing candidates to select from the available interview slots. With our scorecard, you can instantly rank candidates and make a group decision by sharing the recorded video with all stakeholders and discussing your thoughts on screen.

Learn more about Zoho Recruit's video interviews here