The Ultimate Guide to One Way Video Interviewing

Almost every recruiter has experience with video interviews. But do all recruiters use one way video interviews efficiently? To create the best candidate experience, speed up screening, find more candidates, and make sure your candidates are completing their video interviews, you need to be using video interviewing.

This comprehensive guide will delve into the world of one way video interviews (also called on demand interviews, pre-recorded interviews, or asynchronous video interviews), exploring what they are and highlighting their benefits for both recruiters and candidates, as well as teaching you the best ways to use them in various situations.

What Is a One Way Video Interview?

A one way video interview is a pre-recorded interview where candidates respond to a set of specific interview questions. Unlike live video interviews, one way interviews allow candidates to record their responses on their own time. Recruiters can then review and evaluate the recordings at their own pace, facilitating a more efficient screening process.

Benefits of One Way Video Interviews for Recruiters

By leveraging one way video interviews, organizations can benefit from consistent processes, make higher quality hires, save time and resources, improve candidate connections, and enhance decision making throughout the hiring process. These advantages contribute to a more efficient and effective hiring strategy. Here’s a breakdown on how video interviews benefit your hiring process.

• Enhanced Efficiency: One way video interviews enable recruiters to review a larger pool of candidates in less time. Screening with video interviews can save you anywhere from 66-80% of time in your interviewing process.
• Time and Cost Savings: Traditional interviews often involve significant time and financial investments for both recruiters and candidates. By replacing phone interviews with video interviews, recruiters can efficiently evaluate and discuss candidates. Remote interviewing software also eliminates the need for travel and accommodation expenses, making the hiring process more cost-effective and efficient. 
• Consistent Evaluation: With pre-recorded interviews, recruiters can ensure that every candidate responds to the same set of structured interview questions, eliminating potential biases and providing a fair evaluation framework. This standardized approach enhances the objectivity and reliability of the hiring process.
• Higher Quality Hires: Video interviewing software serves as a centralized hub for hiring professionals, providing a comprehensive profile for each candidate. This profile includes resumes, interview recordings, recruiter feedback, progress updates, and more. With access to this holistic view, every internal touchpoint can make informed decisions and ensure the right fit from day one. This results in reduced costs associated with bad hires and strengthens connections with candidates through an efficient internal communication system.
• Improved Candidate Evaluation: Video interviews provide an opportunity for recruiters to better assess candidates’ communication skills, body language, and overall fit with the company culture. 

Benefits of One Way Video Interviews for Candidates

Incorporating one way video interviews into the hiring process can help organizations find the right talent, with efficiency, while providing candidates with a convenient and equitable experience. Here are what candidates using interviewstream have said about their favorite parts of the platform:

• Increased Flexibility: Pre-recorded interviews offer candidates the freedom to complete their responses at a time and place that suits them best. 
• Reduced Interview Anxiety: For many candidates, the pressure of a live interview can be overwhelming. One way video interviews alleviate this stress by providing an opportunity to rehearse and record responses in a comfortable environment. 
• Expanded Reach: One way video interviews open up opportunities for candidates located in different geographical areas. Regardless of their location, candidates can participate in the interview process, leveling the playing field and increasing access to job opportunities.
• Increased Branding Opportunities. Using built in branding options, video interviews give candidates a sense of your company culture. You can also ask your interview questions by audio or video to give a more personalized touch to your video interviews.

When To Use One Way Interviews 

Pre-recorded video interviews are best used for screening interviews, situational interview questions, and oral exams. They serve to give you an idea of how your candidate will fit into company culture. They also showcase soft and hard skills. Here are some effective ways to leverage one way video interviewing to enhance your hiring process:

Using One Way Interviews to Replace Phone Screens

We have a whole article on the benefits of video interviews as a phone screen alternative but the gist is that you can screen faster and enable your candidates to take control of their hiring process. Phone screens, on average, take around 30 – 60 minutes, while a video interview takes ~15 minutes to review. interviewstream even has an adjustable playback feature so if you want to watch video interviews even faster, you can.

And, if you add a knockout question as your first interview question, it can take even less time.

Ask Situational Interview Questions With One Way Video Interviews

Using a video interview to ask situational questions instead of screening questions is another common use case. Especially for internal hires, having a recording of each candidates’ responses is helpful when deciding which candidates move on to the next round. When creating situational questions, make sure you leave enough time for the candidate to respond. 

One of our clients uses situational interview questions for their teacher candidates. They ask candidates to give an example of their teaching style by asking them to act as if they are teaching in a classroom, while they are completing a video interview. This style of real-world example interview can be translated to other professions as well.

Using Video Interviews As Oral Exams, Tests, and Written Exams

For companies that need to test specific skills, video interviews are a great way to maintain compliance and test candidates. These tests can be anything from hard skills, information necessary to the role, or language skills.

Build a set of questions around the areas you would like to test and give the candidate 30 seconds of preparation time and one attempt to take the video interviews to ensure they are not seeking outside help. You can also create a multiple choice or written test using video interviewing platforms – but without the video.

Client Benefits From Using One Way Video Interviewing

15 minute screening interviews

90% hiring manager approval

80% less time

 

Why You Should Use interviewstream For One Way Video Interviews

interviewstream was the first video interviewing platform, we have over 65,000 users, and 20+ years of expertise providing interviewing software. Companies use our one way video interviews in different ways and we’re constantly evolving our product to better suit your needs. Chat with us about how we can fit into your interviewing process.

About The Author

Caroline Chessia is the Marketing Operations Specialist at interviewstream. She loves color-coordinated graphs, hiking in the mountains, and every dog she meets—especially the Golden Retrievers.