Using Video Interviewing Software for Great Candidate Selection – Guide

Many recruiters are adopting video interviewing software to provide an incredible candidate experience because of today’s challenging job market.

Today’s job market is strongly competitive and attracting the best talent keeps getting more and more challenging. Video interviews help you to identify the best candidates from the start as they provide you with more relevant information than a phone screening call. With video interviews, you can gauge and attain more fruitful insights into candidates. Not only that, but it also decreases the time to fill a position and reduces hiring costs, all while providing an excellent candidate experience. And down the line, all of this will have a positive impact on your employer's brand. But, there are several nuances to be aware of. We’ve outlined our top tips for preparing for and conducting successful video interviews.

Preparing To Use Video Interviewing Software

It’s important to thoroughly prepare for the unique challenges and nuances of using video interviewing software. A process that is not perfect will come across as unprofessional and even damage your employer’s brand. But, if you put the work upfront to document and test procedures will go a long way in maintaining a positive candidate experience. Remember, failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Use the following tips to implement a strong video interview process.

Outline A Process

First, put a formal plan in place together with your hiring team. How will the interview process change now that it is being done through video interviewing software? Are there any steps candidates need to complete ahead of time to prepare, like submitting additional work samples or completing a pre-employment test? What is your backup plan if the internet connection — from either side— becomes an issue? This is where you over communicate. When the majority of your team is remote, you can’t pop over to their desk to ask for clarification. Include obvious information and details in your procedural outline to minimize miscommunication.

Choose, Install And Test Your Equipment

Regardless of which video interviewing software, you select, it's important that you know the ins and outs of the equipment before conducting interviews. Find out if the candidate needs to have certain login credentials, a particular email address or download a platform in order to join the conversation. Also, hold some test interviews with your team to ensure everyone understands how to set up video and audio functions, mute themselves, share their screen and chat during the interview. Go the extra step and research pain points other software users have identified to practice solutions for common mishaps. Thankfully, video conferencing is not a new concept and there are many excellent applications available like EVA-SSESS.

Notify Candidates As Soon As Possible

A video interviewing software, when used correctly, can be just as effective as in-person interviews. The transition to remote interviews may also be to your benefit when working from home. Candidates don’t have the added stress of coordinating interviews with their in-office work schedule. But, it’s still a chance they need to prepare for. Provide them with clear directions on the equipment they’ll need to join the interview. Internet access, software or video conferencing applications, a quiet space, etc are all important things to mention. Additionally, communicate expectations as you would for an onsite interview so the candidate is well-prepared for and comfortable with any adjustments. Use the below video interview invitation template to get started. Candidate Notification Email Template Subject Line: [company name]: Video Interview Availability Hi [first name], Thank you for applying to the [job title] position at [company name]. After reviewing your application, we would like to invite you to interview with [interviewer], our [interviewer job title]. So we can get to know you better, the interview will be conducted over video using and last about [length of interview] in total. We want you to be able to plan accordingly, so we’ve provided a list of date and time options over the next week. Please take a look, and let us know which date is best for you. [day, date - time, time zone] [[day, date - time, time zone] [day, date - time, time zone] We’re looking forward to continuing the conversation. Best, [your name] [your email signature] Set Up A Good Interview Place Choose a quiet, well-lit space for conducting interviews. Video quality is a huge factor in interview quality. If the candidate has trouble hearing or seeing the interviewer, they’re going to have trouble connecting with your company. If your video interviewing software has a test option, provide candidates with instructions on how to test their audio and video, so they’re confident using the equipment and can focus their energy on preparing for the interview.

Highlight Your Company Culture

Candidates can’t experience your company culture firsthand through the video interviewing software, so make it a point to highlight your culture throughout the conversation. Emphasize your core values and company mission, share stories about team outings, and talk about how your office is structured and the intention behind it. Paint a clear picture of what it’s like to work at your company. Above all, infuse your culture into the interview by embodying your core values and treating the candidate as you would a colleague.

Set Up A Feedback Process

Take the opportunity to learn from each interview by asking candidates to complete a feedback survey afterwards. Keep the survey simple, and ask general questions about how candidates felt the conversation went, if the video interviewing software worked well and if there is anything that could be done to improve the video interview experience. Use the information from these surveys to enhance the process as you go.

Closing Thoughts

There’s no doubt video interview is the way to go when it comes to improving and upgrading your recruitment process. Take this guide into consideration on how you can digitalise your recruitment process. We also have the perfect software for you to use! Introducing EVA-SSESS. EVA-SSESS is the perfectly scalable video interviewing software for businesses of all sizes and shapes. It transforms the hiring and assessment process with inclusive one-way video interviews. Enabling decision-makers to attract and cultivate a more talented workforce, through a seamless video interviewing process that reduces hiring bias and makes interviews easily accessible to everyone. Request a free demo and see how our software can help you achieve hiring success!

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