What is a Virtual Interview? Definition and Purpose
A virtual interview is an automated interview process using video conferencing technologies on online communication platforms to enable remote hiring. The process leverages technology as a means of communicating between employers and prospects during recruitment. A virtual interview is an interview that takes place remotely, sometimes over the phone, but often using technology like video conferencing and other online communication platforms.
Virtual interviews, also called video interviews, are remote job interviews that take place over the internet. Some companies use specialized online interview platforms, while others take place via video call software like Zoom, Skype, or Microsoft Teams. They’re often used toward the beginning of the hiring process to screen candidates, share more about the company and role, and assess skills and competencies.
Purpose of Virtual Interviews
Overall, virtual interviews are a convenient and cost-effective way to assess a candidate’s suitability for a job. They can be conducted remotely and asynchronously, save time and money, are convenient for recruiters and candidates, improve candidate experience, and reduce unconscious bias in hiring.
Conducting virtual interviews can save time and money, while also allowing for a wider pool of candidates to be considered. Organizations can exponentially reach an extensive potential candidate pool by leveraging digital communication platforms. With the virtual alternative, geographical limitations have ceased to be restraints.
Employers can easily connect with candidates from all around the world while saving on travel expenses and time. One of the advantages of virtual interviews is that you can control your environment. Wherever you choose to do your interview — at home, in a quiet office, etc. — can enhance your performance.
Advantages of Virtual Interviews
- Convenience: Virtual interviews can be conducted from anywhere with an internet connection, making them more convenient for both the interviewer and interviewee.
- Cost-effectiveness: Virtual interviews eliminate the need for travel, which can be expensive for both parties.
- Time-saving: Virtual interviews can be scheduled more quickly than in-person interviews, as there is no need to coordinate travel arrangements.
- Flexibility: Virtual interviews can be conducted outside of normal business hours, making them more accessible to candidates who are currently employed.
Workflow of Virtual Interviews
The virtual interview workflow is generally the same, no matter the kind of interview taking place. Once a candidate applies for a job, they will receive an invitation to the virtual interview via email. Next, they complete the virtual interview assessment or meet with a recruiter remotely.
Depending on the platform being used, virtual interviews can take different forms. Live video interviews on platforms like Zoom and Teams are usually a digital copy of a regular in-person interview. The recruiter can ask the candidate about their previous work experience and gain a sense of their personality.
Important Considerations
Here are some important considerations when conducting virtual interviews: Virtual interview questions. An important aspect of conducting virtual interviews is the interview questions themselves.
Structured Interviewing Purpose
The main purpose of structured interviewing is to pinpoint job skills that are essential to the position. The interviewer asks a specific set of questions of all applicants for the particular position. This straightforward approach makes it easier for the interviewer to evaluate and compare applicants fairly.
Benefits of Virtual Interviews for Employers and Candidates
Benefits of Virtual Interviews for Employers:
- Conducting virtual interviews comes with the added benefits of lower costs, increased diversity pools, and no travel times.
- Interviewing costs including taking the candidate out to lunch or flying in interviewees and interviewers can be significantly reduced.
- Hiring managers can conduct more interviews in less time virtually than in person.
- The scheduling flexibility of virtual interviews allows quicker hiring decisions, leading to faster onboarding and reducing the time-to-fill metric.
- With virtual interviewing, more of the employer’s stakeholders can sit in on the interview from various locations worldwide.
- Virtual interviews often accelerate the hiring process, making it easier for organizations to reach out to long-distance candidates.
- Recorded interviews can be reviewed by more team members on their own schedule or be used for training purposes.
- The transition to virtual interviews has allowed for the organization to run 30 to 35 events per month, saving money on travel costs.
Benefits of Virtual Interviews for Candidates:
- Virtual interviewing eliminates unnecessary stress, such as choosing appropriate attire, dealing with traffic, or searching for parking.
- Candidates can interview from a comfortable space, allowing them to present their best selves.
- Virtual interviewing expands the talent pool by including people from different geographical locations, allowing candidates to interview without incurring travel expenses.
- Many candidates are hesitant to travel for interviews, making virtual options more appealing.
- Flexibility in scheduling is emphasized through one-way video interviews, as candidates can record responses when it suits them best.
- Video interviews allow applicants to demonstrate their proficiency in real time, providing immediate feedback which can be invaluable.
Future of Virtual Interviews:
- Virtual interviews are expected to remain an option for talent acquisition depending on the situation.
- They are clearly beneficial for high-volume recruiting or roles that are completely remote.
How to Prepare for a Successful Virtual Interview
How to Prepare for a Successful Virtual Interview
1. Set Up Your Space
- Have a clean, uncluttered background.
- Check your lighting so it’s falling on you, not behind you.
- Make sure to do a speed test so technical lags don’t break the flow of your conversation.
2. Test Your Technology
- Ensure you’re set up for success by checking your internet connectivity.
- Confirm your camera and microphone are working.
- If the picture is grainy or you’re experiencing an echo, consider buying a mini webcam with a built-in microphone.
- Determine where to take the interview. Find a room with optimal lighting, preferably near a window, or a blank wall.
- Tidy up your surroundings; it’s hard to convince employers you’re organized if there’s visible clutter.
3. Prepare for the Unexpected
- Master the platform you’ll be using for your interview, and keep notes handy.
- Be ready for any surprises; consider wearing formal clothes on top and casual clothes on the bottom, while being prepared for unexpected moments.
4. Rehearse Before You Go Live
- Practice rounds with a friend or family member to answer a variety of questions.
- Monitor your pace so it’s easy for everyone to follow.
- Use hand gestures and keep an open posture.
- Keep things simple and be clear and concise in your answers.
5. Spark Conversations
- Go beyond the usual small talk by asking questions about the team and the culture.
- Undertake pre-work to find common interests with your recruiter.
6. Communicate Confidence
- To communicate confidence, sit up straight, smile, and keep the camera at eye level.
- Research shows that employers are more likely to remember what you said if you maintain eye contact, so focus on the camera when talking.
7. Dress Professionally
- Dress professionally to appear poised and authentic.
- Follow up after the interview to build rapport.
Important Statistics
- Nearly 75 percent of executives surveyed by Korn Ferry use real-time video to interview leading candidates.
- 50 percent leverage it to narrow down their applicants, enabling employers to open up their talent pool while cutting down on travel expenses.
Common Platforms for Virtual Interviews: A Comprehensive Guide
Video interview software platforms are booming — and for good reason. Over the last several years, the hybrid workplace became more commonly accepted by employers and a lot more mainstream. Remote work and remote interviews are routine for many companies now as opposed to being the anomalies they once were. The ability for hiring managers, recruiters, and CEOs to effectively reach job seekers anywhere on the planet with a few clicks is appealing. Video interviewing software platforms have made the recruiting pool global instead of regional in many cases.
Based on several key criteria, including reviews, the opinions of our trusted friends in HR, and overall value, we’ve narrowed down our picks for the top 7 video interview software platforms for conducting virtual interviews.
Video interviewing software is a tool that helps businesses conduct interviews remotely. This type of software typically includes features like recording and playback, live streaming, video conferencing, and candidate screening. Video interviewing software can be used for a variety of purposes, including conducting initial job interviews, following up with candidates after an initial meeting, and assessing candidates during the hiring process.
The most popular virtual interview platforms include:
- Zoom
- Skype
- Google Meet
- Microsoft Teams
- Webex
Each platform offers unique features and capabilities, so it’s essential to familiarize yourself with the one being used for your interview.
General video platforms include four primary virtual interview software platforms: Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meets. While these platforms aren’t explicitly designed for interviews, they can be used alongside other tools, such as questionnaires or tests. Zoom is particularly noted for its user-friendliness, high-definition video quality, and security features. On the other hand, Skype has multimodal communication options and file sharing capabilities. Microsoft Teams is beneficial for organizations already using Office 365 due to its seamless integration. Lastly, Google Meet is appreciated for its simplicity and efficiency.
Furthermore, HireVue is a talent experience platform designed to automate workflows and make scaling hiring efforts easy. It improves how organizations engage, screen, and hire talent with text recruiting, assessments, and video interviewing software. With HireVue, organizations can identify top talent faster and more accurately, improve quality of hire, time to fill, and diversity hiring outcomes — all while reducing recruiting costs by up to 50%.
Additionally, HireVue primarily focuses on video interviews and skills assessments. It allows for on-demand interviews where candidates can record their answers to preset questions. Moreover, it offers a diverse library of interview templates and questions, making it easy for recruiters to tailor interviews to specific job roles.
Codility is specifically designed for hiring developers. It enables recruiters to set up coding challenges and tests that candidates can solve in real time, with tools for collaboration and feedback. CoderPad also offers an interactive coding environment where candidates can write, execute, and test code in real-world scenarios, supporting over 40 programming languages. It allows interviewers to code along with candidates, making the interview process collaborative. The playback feature provides insights into the candidate’s coding style and problem-solving abilities, while its easy integration with applicant tracking systems simplifies tracking interviews.
Here’s my pick of the 10 best software from the 30 tools reviewed:
- Jobma — Best for flexible video interviewing formats.
- Willo — Best for high-volume candidate screening.
Lastly, the live video interview capability fosters real-time interaction, establishing a genuine and personal connection between interviewers and candidates. Furthermore, Zoho Recruit’s one-way video interviews provide a time-efficient method for assessing multiple candidates. Thus, Zoho Recruit revolutionizes traditional hiring practices, making them more adaptable to the demands of the current remote working environment.
