Tired of monotonous interviews in your recruitment process?

While applying for coveted jobs, candidates encounter a one-way video interview after the initial screening. Though candidates attempt it with the drive to get the job, the experience is not easy, engaging, or interactive. Most candidates find it unfair and disrespectful as they are required to talk to a timed blank screen or to a person who would not respond to any questions they may have. As one Reddit user mentioned:

"Pre-recorded video interviews are a waste of time and show a lack of respect for the candidate."

The candidate experience affected by one-way interviews might cost companies talent without them even realizing it. The cost of losing relevant candidates might even lead to costly mis-hires. Bad hires can cost a company up to 30% of an individual’s earnings for the first year ¹. With the stakes so high, the reasonable solution for a recruiter would be to opt for an approach that provides prospective employees with a smooth and seamless experience. Predominantly utilized across the industry for screening candidates to the next stage, one-way or asynchronous interviews miss out on some features that appear to be of utmost value to candidates.

Diving into the one-way or asynchronous interview

In this format, candidates are expected to record their answers to a pre-fed set of questions, allowing recruiters to review the answers at their convenience. Through the recorded response, candidates are judged on their verbal communication, body language, and content.

Features of asynchronous interviews:

• Pre-recorded questions: Candidates are exposed to a series of pre-recorded questions. To which they record their answer in a timed setting.
• Time limit: Candidates are required to record their responses within a given time period.
• Questions asked: Candidates are asked questions from a bank of pre-fed questions that could be standardized or shuffled for all candidates.
• Flexibility: While interviews are timed, they can be attempted within a given time window. This allows candidates the flexibility to attempt the interview at their convenience, enabling them to perform to their fullest potential.
• Evaluations: One-way interviews could be evaluated by humans or AI-assisted modules.

Why not asynchronous interviews?

• Loss of human appeal: While asynchronous interviews are beneficial to both employers and prospective employees in terms of flexibility, the user experience for candidates often does not turn out to be great. Many candidates complain about these interviews being monotonous, robotic, and even humiliating.

Bottleneck: What makes one-way interviews problematic?

While one-way interviews, including pre-recorded and live formats, have been revolutionary in filtering good-fit candidates from a large and diverse pool of applicants, they do not allow candidates to ask questions. Candidates are unable to request clarifications if needed, which strictly limits them to assume whatever they perceive to be correct.

The solution:

Eliminating digital interviews entirely would be a short-sighted approach. As the years progress, digital and AI-based interviews will shape talent acquisition dynamics. Evolving the process to make it better for both candidates and employers is the ideal way forward. Two-way or conversational digital interviewing could be a viable solution to the problems posed by one-way interviewing.

What distinguishes two-way interviews?

AI-powered two-way interviews enable candidates to respond and converse simultaneously. Candidates can ask questions, with answers spontaneously generated and elaborated on if needed, just like a human interviewer. With increased digitization and AI integration in the near future, this intermediary digital interview can be made smarter, more efficient, and more intelligent. This ensures that talent acquisition problems are addressed while enhancing the candidate experience.

Not monotonous, not timed, and without pre-fed questions:

Two-way interviews allow candidates to respond, ask, and converse in real time within an untimed setting, as they would with a human interviewer. Adding a human element to a digital interview distinguishes two-way interviews from traditional one-way formats, offering more independence, flexibility, and convenience.

Why two-way interviews are better:

With two-way interviews, employers can reduce hiring costs while improving the quality of hires. Better engagement with applicants attracts the best candidates, those who align better with the company culture and work dynamics.

The future of AI-powered two-way interviewing:

The number of companies using video interviews has recently reached 67% ². Engaging with candidates in free-flowing video discussions in real-time, while staying ahead in innovation, is made possible through AI-powered two-way interviews. This solution not only addresses the shortcomings of one-way video interviews but also ensures exceptional candidate experience during the hiring process.

Footnotes

1. https://www.kornferry.com/insights/briefings-magazine/issue-66/a-balanced-approach-to-ai-recruitment#:~:text=In%20short%2C%20smart%20companies%20are,to%20excel%20in%20their%20roles. ↩

2. https://www.robertwalters.co.uk/insights/news/blog/video-interviews-spike.html ↩