Five Tips for Structuring Video Interviews

To get the most out of your video interviewing platform and ultimately select the right candidate, it’s important to optimize your process before, during and after the interview. Here are a few quick tips for structuring video interviews.

1 | CREATE A STANDARD SET OF QUESTIONS

Generating a standard set of questions beforehand will not only save you and your hiring managers time, it will ensure that each candidate you interview is evaluated using the same criteria.

2 | IDENTIFY REQUIRED SKILLS BEFOREHAND

To get your team to look at candidates objectively, lay out a set of required skills and qualifications beforehand. Which tools should candidates know how to use? How many years of industry experience are you looking for? Documenting these qualifications before interacting with candidates will keep you on track.

3 | REFERENCE SKILLS LIST DURING THE INTERVIEW

When it comes time to conduct or review a video interview, have the aforementioned list of required qualifications right in front of you. This will remind you to focus on the skills themselves rather than personality or other traits that might sway your decision.

4 | ASK OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS

Leave yes/no questions for written assessments and use the video interview to get long-form answers. This is a great opportunity to ask for examples or run through hypothetical workplace scenarios.

5 | HAVE MORE THAN ONE PERSON REVIEW THE INTERVIEWS

One advantage of video interviews is that with a recorded version, you can have multiple members of your team review responses, regardless of time or location. Consider having several members of your team watch or participate in the interview in order to get an objective opinion and avoid personal biases.

About The Author

Esteban Gomez is a marketing consultant with interviewstream. He loves learning and has a passion for traveling, having visited many countries including China, Colombia, Italy, and Peru.