By: Glen Shepherd, Director of Glen Callum Associates
The past six months has seen the increase of all things digital, and the recruitment process is no exception. Video interviews, like webinars and zoom meetings, are fast becoming the norm and come with a number of benefits for both employers and candidates.
Video Interviewing should not be looked at in isolation but instead as part of a wider recruitment process. They will never fully replace the personal interaction of meeting face-to-face but will vastly aid the vetting process and may improve candidate screening if approached correctly.
What is a video interview?
Definitions vary on what constitutes a video interview. We’re aware of the practice of automated interviews, where computers ask questions, however this is not a practice we endorse.
As part of our video interview process, candidates are asked five key questions from a potential employer – relevant to the role – enabling them to build up a more in-depth picture of the applicant early on in the recruitment process. Video interviews are carried out by a member of the GCA team and candidates receive support on how to conduct themselves during video interviews.
At the final interview stage, GCA will offer employers a free professional psychometric profiling & testing service for up to two final interview stage candidates.
In the future, we expect IT platforms to get stronger and video interview technology will inevitably improve even further.
How can you prepare?
We encourage candidates to approach the interview as if it were a face-to-face meeting or interview, so preparation and planning are still key to candidate success. The top three instinctive thoughts people have when they meet other people are appearance, communication as well as presentation and content. This can be boiled down to people thinking: ‘do I like what I see?’, ‘do I like what I hear?’ and ‘Is what is being said engaging and interesting to me?’.
Other points to consider, particularly for candidates, are ensuring a stable internet connection and avoiding a cluttered backdrop.
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The video interviewing process can still be daunting, as can face-to-face interviews, and so it is important you make good eye contact and listen to what is being said. Candidates should speak clearly and not be afraid to take a pause before delivering an answer.
Why are video interviews becoming so popular?
It could well be argued that the automotive recruitment market was moving towards video interviews before the coronavirus pandemic, but it just speeded up its inevitability.
Quite simply, video interviews are Covid-19 compliant. At the early stages of the recruitment process, where you are likely to meet more candidates, video interviews are a very effective and safe tool at your disposal.
Video interviews are also totally flexible to meet employer needs and also a candidate’s availability such as out-of-hours meeting etc.
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Also, if you operate internationally, as GCA does, it’s a vital tool to speed up the process and meet more people without travel time and costs.
Add to this the ease of video interviewing in reducing stress for both sides, and the fact that you can revisit the content over and over again, it’s clear video interviews are crucial to a modern recruitment process.
What does the future hold for video interviews?
While the threat of redundancies looms large in our sector, the right people are essential in ensuring a business makes significant strides forward. It is imperative that, while those around you are de-skilling and possibly reducing headcount, businesses properly evaluate their people requirements – as part of a recruitment strategy – for both short-term and long-term prosperity.
Without doubt, an effective recruitment process of “search, interview, test, select” is necessary and video interviews are playing a growing role in the appointment of new employees.
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