Because it’s so much cheaper than flying a candidate in for an in-person interview, recruiters and hiring managers are increasingly turning to the video interview, Workforce reports.
Example: The talent manager for UCLA Development says she’s cut her costs per search from $10,000 to $500. With those kinds of numbers, it’s no surprise that video interviews are gaining popularity.
That said, there are different types of video interview. There’s the simplest, where two people set up a Skype or Google Hangout connection and chat. There’s the kind provided by services likeGreenJobInterview, which takes care of all the technical stuff—even sending you a webcam.
And then there are asynchronous interviews, where the applicant delivers video responses to pre-recorded questions.
Hiring managers prefer this format because it allows an entire team to watch videos or to play back the same answers from different candidates, one after another.
The Wall Street Journal recently tackled asynchronous interviews. One recruiter they got to quote said that only 1 percent of applicants find the one-way video format awkward. But many committed bozo mistakes like letting their cats walk across the keyboard. (In some one-way interview formats, you’re allowed to re-record your answers. But even if you weren’t, lock the door and put the cat outside!) (Other parenthetical note: Some interviewers admitted to being caught checking email or answering phones while on a two-way video interview. This is just as bad, if not worse. Come on, people!)
One other tip, from an unsuccessful applicant for a job at a PR firm: don’t read the answer from notes on your screen or in your hand. You’ve got all the time in the world, so practice!
