Even when candidates apply for your role, it doesn’t mean they’re 100% invested in your organization or the position. Are you using video interviews as a boring Q&A? Or are you taking full advantage of the opportunity to get your candidates excited about your organization and the role?

Video interviews are a critical moment to connect with candidates and make them feel excited about both the position and your organization.

Why use video interviews?

What do candidates like most about video interviews? They’re convenient. Offering interviews that are more flexible allows them to save time and costs associated with traditional interview methods. They eliminate the need to plan around multiple schedules and allow candidates to interview anytime, anywhere, on any device.

Many candidates, particularly the newest generation of jobseekers, are comfortable interacting digitally. Even for those who are less technologically skilled, providing clear instructions makes video interviews very user-friendly.

The benefits go both ways for you as a recruiter too. For example, they allow you to streamline high-volume positions. They also allow you to connect with long-distance candidates you may not have the opportunity to meet in person, and provide more visual cues and a personal experience than phone interviews.

Video interviewing reflects well on your employer brand, as it demonstrates your organization is innovative, modern and tech-savvy.

Here are six steps you can take to win and wow top talent through video interviews.

1. Reduce stress levels

Interviews can often be stressful for candidates because of the many “unknowns”. They may be wondering what their interviewer will be like and what kind of questions they’ll be asked. Overly stressed candidates won’t perform well, and this may not be a true reflection of their on-the-job capabilities.

Before you begin interviewing, take the time to make your candidates feel at ease. Provide clear instructions about how they will need to access your video interviewing platform. Share as much information as you can with your candidates in advance, including video interview tips, information about dress code and the topics you’d like to cover so they can adequately prepare. Taking this step will ensure you have a professional, productive conversation.

When you begin your video interview, ensure your candidate can hear and see you and vice versa. Many hiring managers choose to record video interviews to share with other stakeholders. Before you hit that red button, confirm your candidates feel comfortable with you recording the conversation.

2. Understand their motivation and career goals

Begin your conversation by understanding your candidates’ motivation for applying for the role and their career goals. Their response may influence your conversation and encourage you to dig deeper into certain areas. Not to mention, your top candidates should be able to demonstrate some knowledge about the role and your organization.

You may also like to ask them about the responsibilities in their current or previous role that they enjoy. This will give you insights into their motivations and where their passions lie.

3. Communicate your organization’s values and benefits

Many hiring managers don’t use interviews to communicate their organization’s values because they’re not sure how to do it in a way that feels natural and authentic.

A great way to do this is by asking behavioural-based interview questions that relate to your values. For example, “One of our values is ownership. How have you demonstrated ownership in one of your previous roles?”

You may also like to take the opportunity to discuss benefits. However, there’s a fine line between discussing benefits and pushing a sales pitch. While creating a positive impression is important, you’ll still need to paint an accurate picture of how your organization functions and the key challenges and responsibilities of the role.

4. Let your employer brand shine through authentically

You may have invested a lot into your employer brand through your careers site, job ads and social media platforms. But don’t forget, video interviews are another important touchpoint for candidates to interact with your employer brand – they may even be one of the most important touchpoints, as they’re an even more personal and interactive experience than the way people interact with your content across other channels.

If your organization values things such as flexibility, candidate care and technological innovation, video interviews inherently represent this.

To “win and wow” candidates during video interviews, ensure your hiring managers are familiar with and feel connected to your Employee Value Proposition. Consider asking behavioural-based interview questions that allow these pillars to shine through.

5. Ensure it’s a two-way conversation

Structured video interviews with set questions are a great way to create a fair and consistent experience for candidates. While it’s great to have structure, it’s also important for your video interviews to feel like two-way conversations. Reserve time at the end of your interview to allow candidates to ask any questions, listen well and provide answers that are honest and transparent.

6. Reduce double-ups

In the same way, candidates dislike inputting duplicate job application data, they also dislike being asked the same questions over and over again by different interviewers.

Recorded video interviews allow you to share your interview with other hiring managers and internal stakeholders. This gives your hiring team has a clear understanding of your candidates’ experience and the questions asked, you’ll be able to have better conversations during subsequent interviews. That means avoiding double-up questions and being able to delve deeper into certain areas of interest.

Video interviews can be one of the most undervalued and underutilized parts of your screening process. Instead of using them as dull Q&As, harness them as a powerful tool to win and wow your top candidates. They’re a great opportunity to make them feel truly invested in and passionate about your role and organization.

Looking to create a positive, efficient video interviewing experience for your candidates? Book a free consultation with a Scout Talent Shortlisting & Selection Specialist here.  

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