A study by viasto sheds light on the development of job interviews during the Corona pandemic. The bottom line: Remote recruiting is the "new normal". What really picked up speed with the pandemic is here to stay. There is hardly a company that does not use video interviews, whereby a personal relationship with the applicants is essential despite digitized processes.
From video applications to time-shifted video interviews
In the past year, the number of video interviews in recruiting has tripled. This is shown by a representative applicant survey conducted by viasto and respondi. If you have not yet changed your recruiting processes wisely and sustainably and have not yet used video recruiting, you should take this step into digitization. The survey shows that candidates are open to online components of the candidate experience. Conversely, they often expect completely remote or hybrid job offers. If you have already set the course for video interviews, you have to stay tuned and use the lessons learned in a targeted manner in order to be able to exploit the full optimization potential.
Applicant Survey Reveals Surprising Findings in Changed Recruiting Practice
Due to the pandemic, job interviews have recently taken place primarily at a distance - and still do today, at least in many places the first interview. It is interesting to note that the perceived personal proximity and quality of the interviews does not suffer from the new conditions. More digital recruiting is therefore not automatically perceived as less personal.
Overall, the participants in the survey give employers a very positive testimonial: 84% subsequently rate their video interview as very good or at least mostly good. All in all, company representatives deliver a convincing digital presence. However, candidates are also clearly dissatisfied with some aspects that fundamentally affect the selection process.
Applicants critical: Lack of transparency and slower processes
Almost one in three applicants still feels that the recruiting process is far too long (31%). And this despite the fact that the elimination of the (first) on-site job interview would actually make it possible to speed things up. There is still potential here for companies. Another aspect that is criticised is the transparency of the decision-making process. There is still too little or not enough communication at the relevant points in a way that is appropriate for the target audience. This is criticized by as many as 42% of respondents.
Professionalization would be possible with the use of special video recruiting software. This can contribute to a significant acceleration of the recruiting process, for example through automated appointment management or time-shifted modules. Experience shows that the faster the recruiting process, the fewer (good) candidates drop out.
Tips for successful video interviews
With a clear plan for implementation and a harmonized recruiting process, companies can score points with candidates in the long term: More transparency and higher speed remain homework that needs to be solved. In order for you to benefit from the digital impulse of the past few years, structure and systematize your experiences now.
Ask yourself the following questions about your "lessons learned":
- What are the positive effects of the video interview and how can your company become even better?
- Where can you make the process (even) more transparent for candidates?
- Where do you lose the most time in the process? For example, can interfaces be better harmonized through software integration?
Video applications for application receipt
Video applications are particularly suitable for training or internship programmes, unsolicited applications and career changers. It is a welcome alternative or supplement to the CV, which is often less meaningful in this target group. With an application video, you can discover new and different candidates and make reliable decisions.
Time-shifted video interviews for the pre-selection
Time-shifted video interviews are particularly suitable for qualifying candidates for face-to-face interviews. The artificial intelligence of the viasto interview suite generates competency-based interview questions for you. Candidates experience a unique, innovative and supportive interview process. With various functionalities, you can ensure goal-oriented decision-making in cooperation with your department.
Live video interview – more than just another video tool
Of course, you can also video call candidates using other tools such as Skype, Teams, WebEx or Zoom. Apart from the fact that each of these solutions entails serious problems in terms of data protection, they were not created for job interviews – and it shows. Solutions designed and developed specifically for the selection of candidates provide competency-based decision-making and structured comparison of candidates. Support in organizing your interviews is provided by the smart scheduling function.
Now is the time for change
Behind all of us lies a strenuous time and in many places a certain exhaustion and resignation is spreading. We should do something about this and DO SOMETHING! For example, sorting out your priorities and then tackling the issues that you may have been putting off for a while and that are easy to implement: the time is now.
Sara Lindemann
Sara Lindemann is a psychologist, co-founder and one of the leading minds of viasto GmbH. The Berlin-based software company is Germany's leading provider of video recruiting solutions and digital recruiting. With the help of the interview suite, companies generate additional applicants via modern video applications, digitize their selection processes with time-shifted video interviews and video assessments, intelligent AI in recruiting, and enable live video conferences and interviews across locations.
