Should We Interview Via Video Call?

Should we adapt the digital world of mobile phones and video calling into the professional world? It’s becoming more popular that employers are using digital technology to initially meet their candidates and adapt to their interview process. As a Recruitment Consultancy, video calling is a common method of screening candidates because technology today allows us to Facetime, WhatsApp Call and Skype. But is it the best method to use? A lot of employers and recruiters still prefer the traditional methods of interviewing and meeting their candidates face-to-face in order to attain that personable touch.

Furthermore, there may be some circumstances where this may not be feasible, whether it is distance, time constraints or availability of the interviewer and candidate. However, does video calling make the interview process more informal? It’s possible that it could make the candidate feel more relaxed as they’re in their own environment, but it can be harder to read their expressions and personality in comparison to a face-to-face interview. We can’t always rely on technology as there may be connection or quality issues which can also make interviewing this way difficult.

As a Recruitment Consultancy we interview in various ways and find different interview techniques work better for different people. As we screen every single one of our candidates before sending them to a client, we have to adapt to people’s circumstances and video calling has become a common method to be able to fit into people’s lifestyles and fit around their current job role. This has numerous benefits and helps put a personal fit to the job as well as their skills and experience and although it doesn’t compare to meeting them in person, it still gives the employer/consultant an initial point of contact and allow to put a name to the face, especially for a first stage interview.

On behalf of the employer, this could also cut down on time restraints and be the more efficient way to interview as the technology is extremely accessible and doesn’t cost anything! Over the phone interviews are becoming less frequent and the digital movement is allowing us to have more opportunities to communicate face-to-face but through the forms of mobile devices.

For us at Westray, the transformation has been that video technology has aided us to improve the pre-screening process as the initial contact has been replaced by video. This allows us to further develop the relationship of interaction between both parties. However, video interviews will never replace meeting candidates in person but it can add value to the process.

How do you feel about video call interviews? We would love to hear your views on the future of interviews and whether or not we should use technology professionally or if it should be kept for personal use only. Get in touch!