Self-paced on-demand video interviewing is not a new technology, but it is ideal for recruiting teams struggling with hiring in the post-COVID business environment. Often called one-way interviews, these types of interviews can increase hiring speed and give recruiters an edge in engaging candidates in the talent pool of today.
What is a self-paced on-demand video interview?
On-demand or one-way video interviews allow candidates to record their responses to a shortlist of video questions with video, audio-only, or text using a virtual hiring platform. Candidates can complete one-way interviews with a smartphone, mobile device, or PC at any time that fits their schedule. On-demand video interviews are often self-paced: Candidates can answer questions and take advantage of the re-record option if they are not satisfied with their initial response. They can also start their video interview and save their responses later when they can complete it. In some cases, though, these interviews are not self-paced. For example, recruiting teams may not allow the re-record option or limit how much time candidates have to answer questions.
Self-paced on-demand video interviews are convenient for recruiters, too. With a single email or text, recruiters can invite a large volume of candidates to participate whenever it works with their schedule. Completed interviews are instantly returned to the recruiter’s inbox for review, evaluation, and sharing with the hiring team.
How self-paced on-demand video interviews meet today’s hiring needs
Though the U.S. unemployment rate is inching back down toward pre-March 2020 levels, candidate pools have changed. Self-paced on-demand video interviews can help recruiting teams adjust:
Women left the workforce in large numbers in 2020 for reasons ranging from disproportionate job loss to childcare closings and the switch to virtual school.
For women with children still in the transition back to childcare or onsite school, interviewing may only happen after the kids are in bed. Self-paced video interviews enable candidates to work interviews into their schedules at their convenience and complete them at home. For single-parent households, on-demand interviews could be critical in securing a position that allows that parent to return to work and pay for childcare. The option to offer on-demand interviews can help recruiters reach these segments of the talent pool.
A new YOLO (You Only Live Once) mindset has emerged among millennials questioning their career paths and looking to explore alternatives.
With self-paced on-demand interviews, recruiters can give these candidates a convenient and straightforward way to explore a new position, career, and employer without a significant commitment. One-way interviews can be configured down to the job level, so recruiters control the number of questions asked and the length of time it takes to complete. Typical one-way video interviews take five to 15 minutes for candidates to complete. They also save recruiters hours since there’s no phone tag involved, and they can quickly move on when candidates are not qualified or a good fit.
2020 saw older employees taking retirement earlier than they’d planned. Some may be open to part-time positions, but recruiters will have to make their case to draw these passive candidates back into the workforce.
The term “one-way” can be misleading. Self-paced on-demand video interviews give recruiters many options for sharing information about their organization with candidates to sell them on the opportunity, such as:
- Interview questions can be posed via video or audio by hiring managers or potential co-workers
- Candidates can be asked how they would respond to a certain work scenario, which gives them insight into the work experience
- Brief welcome videos by the recruiter, hiring manager or company leaders can be included at the interview start
- The visual look can reflect the organization’s brand
Many organizations reduced their workforce during the pandemic. As a result, internal mobility has become a top strategy for retaining employees who went the extra mile for their employers and customers in quickly changing circumstances.
Recruiters can give employees a convenient, simple way to explore a move within their company while at the same time explaining why they are the best talent for the position. One-way interviews provide many opportunities for candidates to introduce themselves, answer questions and present themselves in the best possible light so hiring managers can get to know them. The entire one-way interview is designed as a very positive experience for internal and external candidates. According to Modern Hire research, 97% of candidates surveyed after participating in a one-way interview felt more able to represent themselves as the right candidate with this interviewing method.
One-way interviews enhanced by an AI-powered virtual hiring platform
When self-paced video interviewing is integrated into a science-based virtual hiring platform that uses artificial intelligence (AI), recruiters have many more options for using the technology efficiently and creating personal hiring experiences:
- The Modern Hire platform combines one-way interviews with predictive pre-hire assessments. Candidates experience a simple, seamless interview and assessment process that speed the hiring cycle and enables recruiters to make data-driven candidate selection decisions.
- AI-enabled Automated Interview Scoring uses AI to evaluate candidate responses to on-demand video interviews. It helps ensure a fair, complete, and objective hiring experience.
- When text interviews are used as a pre-screening step, candidates can be automatically advanced to an on-demand video interview, creating hiring efficiency for recruiters and eliminating wait times for candidates.
To learn more about solving current hiring challenges using self-paced on-demand video interviews in a virtual hiring platform, download our latest white paper, Workforce Shortage: How to Staff During a Pandemic Recovery.