What is asynchronous video interview and how to use it in hiring

An asynchronous video interview is another name for one-way video interviews and on-demand video interviews, in which the interviewer and candidate are not simultaneously communicating on camera. Recruiters send pre-set questions to candidates via email and candidates respond on the video to questions from recruiters. The recruitment team can review their response at a later time before providing feedback or notifying candidates for the next phase of the selection process.

How do asynchronous video interviews work?

The key to one-way videos is flexibility. Candidates use audio or video to answer a series of questions and, through this interviewing method, candidates record interviews on their schedule. This is asynchronous video interviewing’s finest aspect. Accessibility is better than ever with the simplicity of a smartphone or computer. Because of this, candidates with busy schedules frequently favor the one-way video interview procedure over other alternatives. Employers also gain greatly from it, saving time, effort, and money on massive recruitment efforts with just a simple email or text. Here are some steps to effectively utilize asynchronous video interviewing:

Step 1: Designing questions beforehand

This is standard and expected practice for traditional-style interviewing, but asynchronous interviewing still requires a standard level of care and preparation. To fully evaluate applicants, recruiters should develop a list of questions that are specific to each role in advance. These questions can be altered based on the information that candidates provide in their resumes or CVs; ultimately, they should assess a candidate’s suitability.

Step 2: Set up a schedule and prepare your video recording platform

The right video interviewing platform must be selected for the screening process to go properly. Systems with bulk assessment capabilities and automatic, integrated scheduling functions are often required by employers.

Step 3: Invite candidates to the interview

You can extend invitations to candidates for interviews using your hiring tool. To allow candidates time to reschedule, employers should invite them ideally at least 1-2 days in advance.

Benefits of asynchronous video interviews

1. Replacing phone interviews.

Conducting job interviews takes time, and employers hope for a faster method of hiring. This is where asynchronous video interviewing comes into action. It provides a speedier approach to connecting with a potential employee and is simpler to obtain. They save you time and bypass drawn-out phone conversations with unsuitable candidates. Within the first few minutes, you might get a sense of their suitability, but you might not have the tools to respectfully end the encounter. Before going on to the next step of the hiring process, one-way video interviews help you swiftly weed out the “bad” candidates.

2. Shorten the interview length thus speeding the process

Once you’ve chosen the questions you want to ask the applicants, put them on the hiring tool and watch for responses. Theoretically, ten asynchronous video interviews may be completed in the same amount of time as one face-to-face interview. When they’re finished, you can study the interviews whenever you choose and however, you see fit.

3. Filter out the wrong candidates

You won’t need to approach a candidate for additional interviews if they don’t possess the necessary skills and attributes. As a result, you can interview fewer candidates in the future.

4. Increases ability to connect with remote employees

Not every employment requires the applicant to reside nearby. In this digital age, remote work is increasingly common, thus conducting remote live video interviews makes sense. For instance, virtual assistants may live halfway around the world from their employers. You may easily and readily communicate with applicants from anywhere using one-way video interviews.

5. Solves the scheduling problems

On weekdays, candidates might have to attend recruitment interviews during regular working hours. This suggests that an employee will need to come up with a justification for missing work to attend the interview. However, scheduling constraints are no longer an issue if you decide to do one-way video interviews. As a result, more candidates apply because they can complete the interview whenever it’s most convenient for them.

6. Easy candidate comparison

Candidates often have a certain length of time to respond to each question in one-way video interviews. Within that time, they must respond with their best effort. Simply compare the answers to each question and then decide which of the candidates you want to contact back, rating them according to how appropriate they were.

Also read: Top benefits of video interview software

Tips for conducting a successful asynchronous video interview

1. Perform a test run

Make sure to test the webcam and audio on your computer, check the stability of your internet connection, and make sure the equipment you’ll be using for the interview is fully charged.

2. Provide instructions for using the platform

Remember that the candidate might not be familiar with your platform of choice whether you use Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts, or any other asynchronous video interviewing tool like Ducknowl. Will the applicant have to download any programs? Make an account? Give detailed instructions on how to use the platform so that the applicant can smoothly navigate the video interview platform.

3. Ask specific and personalized questions

To provide candidates with a greater opportunity to highlight their experience, you can also include open-ended questions. Instead of asking, “Did you find this task tough?,” for instance, ask, “What did you find challenging about this task?” This enables candidates to elaborate on their comments without being constrained to yes/no responses. This allows employers to more accurately evaluate candidates based on deeper insights.

4. Follow up for the next steps

The best practice is to stay in touch with candidates following an interview, whether it is conducted in person or over video. Even if they are not hired, it’s imperative to eliminate any “ghosting” throughout the hiring process, be it at the early screening stages, or towards the end during onboarding.

Also read: Tips for video interviews