Discrediting the Common Video Interviewing Myths

Video interviewing has been around for some time now, and it continues to grow in popularity. As more and more organisations are looking to use video interviewing in their recruitment process, we thought we’d help out by getting rid of any of the worries you might have moving forward. Even with its growing popularity, a lot of people are still sceptical that it will work for their process. So, we’ve outlined the most common concerns and why they’re nothing to worry about:

1. It fosters discrimination:

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) laws do not prohibit the use of video for talent acquisition, but it relates more to how the tools are used. There will still be restrictions on asking applicants about aspects like disabilities, but they ruled that it is does not foster discrimination if the original EEO laws are abided.

Here at Shine, we have additional features that can help you reduce discrimination if needed, such as blind interviewing. This means that the video is audio only, helping reduce things like beauty bias.

2. Candidates don’t like them:

It’s understandable to say that the thought of a video interview can be a bit daunting, especially when a candidate hasn’t taken part in one before. But that doesn’t mean it’s fair to say that candidates don’t like video interviewing. All interviews are daunting – but that doesn’t mean we don’t take part in them.

In our candidate surveys, 42% of candidates stated that they had a “very positive” opinion of the company they applied for before completing their interview. After completing, this then went up to an amazing 70%. 97% of those candidates also said they’d be happy to complete another video interview in the future.

3. It’s only for non-locals:

While using video interviewing to engage non-local talent is one of the many benefits, that doesn’t mean it’s only suitable for this. You can just as effectively engage local talent with video interviewing platforms too.

We’re sure all recruiters have been there when, when recruiting locally, the candidate has arrived for an interview and you can immediately tell they aren’t the best suited for the role. Of course, in this situation, you still must continue with the interview process for at least 30 minutes. With video interviewing, you know that even the local candidates you’re recruiting have a better suitability for the role, as it’s much more transparent than a CV!

4. It’s not good for the roles I recruit for:

Here at Shine we have clients across all sectors hiring for all roles. There really are no restrictions in what our clients successfully use our platform for. While many might think that video interviewing won’t work for their roles, we’re yet to find something where it hasn’t worked.

This is probably because video interviewing is most popular for high-volume and graduate roles, as these types of roles will often have a significant number of unsuitable candidates applying. While this was initially the main driver behind the popularity of video interviewing, it’s moved beyond this now. The time savings and reduced costs are applicable to all roles and industries.

5. We’ll just use Skype if we need it, it’s basically the same:

We’re not trying to say that Skype wouldn’t come in useful, but video interviewing platforms are designed for exactly that – interviewing. They come rich in features which are built to support recruiters, something which Skype doesn’t have.

Skype doesn’t allow you to conduct asynchronous video interviews, so both the candidate and the interviewer would have to be present at the same time – removing the flexibility that video interviewing offers. Or, if you did want to conduct a live interview, this can be done with features such as recording, reviewing, and sharing when done through a video interviewing provider.

6. It costs too much:

Subscriptions with video interviewing providers should be scalable to your needs and budget. Sure, some providers are more tailored towards large enterprise clients with much larger budgets than most, but when comparing providers, they’ll be able to tell you exactly what you can get for your budget. They should work with you to figure out a plan that fits your needs.

7. It’s impersonal:

One of the most commonly thought myths about video interviewing is that the process is impersonal for the candidate – although that couldn’t be further from the truth. As video interviewing is mostly used as an earlier stage screening tool, candidates are still likely to experience an in-person interview.

Not only that, the branding capabilities mean that the candidate can have positive interactions with your brand. From full white labelling, to company videos and video questions, your candidates will have interactions with your brand that makes the entire process more personal than most people expect.

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There are two main types of video interviewing: one-way and live. Both can be used at different stages in the process and can be used in the way that’s most suited to your recruitment process. There’s no ‘one size fits all’ approach when it comes to video interviewing, but that doesn’t mean it won’t work for you.

Here at Shine we’ll work with you to create a bespoke package that suits your team and your recruitment needs, and we’ll work with you every step of the way to make sure things run smoothly – so you’ve got nothing to worry about!