6 Tips for Conducting Video Interviews (for Recruiters)

Video interviewing isn’t a trend that is disappearing anytime soon. Many companies use video interviews, but if they’re not done well, they can be off-putting for your candidates. In the wake of the Great Resignation, candidate experience is more important than ever – so make sure you’re not driving away potential star employees with clunky technology or cold body language.

There is a reason that 81% of candidates have an increased interest in companies that use video interviews – they find them innovative. But candidates aren’t going to be impressed by a run-of-the-mill video provider and an unprepared interviewer. With that in mind, we’ve come up with 6 tips for recruiters conducting video interviews. 

1. Know The Technology

Recruiters became recruiters because they are good with people, not for their love for learning new technology. But don’t worry – interviewstream’s video interviewing technology doesn’t require insane technical knowledge, just training and practice. 

Practice conducting interviews internally with your team to ensure that you are familiar with the platform. Figure out what is needed from the candidate in order to successfully connect or record their video interview, and make sure they know they’re able to reach out to you in case of any technical issue on their end.

Some things to note:

• Get familiar with technical requirements and make sure you have what you need for the interview to be a success (these are great details to pass along to your candidates as well).
• Make sure you have all the necessary plug-ins to share your screens and you can easily access all the features in the platform to conduct your interview seamlessly.
• Be aware of the private (only for observers and other interviewers) and public chat boxes within the software.
  

2. Make use of automated reminders

It’s easy for all of your interviews to mesh together, the details gradually blurring as you complete your 50th interview. Automated messaging is important for you and for your candidate. It serves to remind you exactly who is interviewing (and view their attached resume before you speak with them). And, for your candidate, it lets them know you haven’t forgotten about the interview (seems silly but it is an honest worry for candidates!) and reminds them of the interview time. 

3. Be Professional & Relaxed

Although it’s a video interview, you should still dress professionally. Or at least, dress how you would in your company’s office setting. As well as dressing professionally, make sure your body language is open and inviting.

55% of communication is non-verbal, so position your video interviewing window at the top of your screen and look at the candidate when they are speaking to show you are paying attention. A big mistake we hear about is recruiters looking at their notes off to the side or looking down while conducting video interviews – this signals to the candidate that you do not have their undivided attention. The best posture for a video interview is sitting in a relaxed position and looking forward at the camera. 

4. Don’t Crowd Your Candidate

Depending on the position you are filling, you might need the go-ahead from multiple stakeholders to get your new hire through the door. Video interviews give you the ability to invite multiple people into the meeting, whether they are just observing or they are part of the interview. However, the unnecessary panel interview can overwhelm your candidate. 

Many live video interviewing platforms allow you to record and share interviews with other people at your company, so take advantage of this capability. As a bonus, after you have sent the interview to the key people, they can all rate the interviewee and the platform will automatically agglomerate the candidate’s score.

5. Turn Off Notifications

It is your job to make sure the interviewee is comfortable in the meeting, not the other way around. So make sure your candidates know they are your top priority by turning off your notifications and making sure the background noise is at a minimum. 

6. Highlight your Company Culture

This is a pain point for virtual recruiting. You can’t show your prospective employee around the office and introduce them to people as you would normally in an in-person interview. Instead, you need to find more creative ways to communicate your company culture. 

Add a welcome video showcasing your company culture, ask them culture-related questions, or share stories about your team. Culture is incredibly important because if your candidate is not a fit, they probably won’t last very long at your company.

Recruit Your Ideal Candidate with interviewstream’s video interviewing tools

It is no secret that we are currently in a candidate’s job market. When top talent is deciding between two companies with similar pay, benefits, and culture, their decision may ultimately come down to their interview experience and their impression of their interviewer. 

Don’t lose your top candidates with clumsy mistakes during your video interview. Leverage interviewstream technology and utilize support tools, to give your candidates the experience they are looking for.

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.