Digital Interviewing

Digital Interviews and other online hiring tools have digitized recruitment

What Is a Digital Interview?

As you’d suspect, digital interviews take place online, so you can conveniently participate in one anytime, anywhere.

The traditional recruitment process typically includes:

Reviewing resumes
Screening applicants through telephone interviews (and playing lots of phone tag)
Conducting in-person interviews

Digital interviews bring everything online, saving you time, money, and headspace.

Types of Digital Interviewing

By now, most of us have been on a video conference, either an online meeting for work or a video call with friends and family.

Video interviews are similar, but they’re used for professional hiring purposes.

You may meet for a live video interview (a real-time, face-to-face meeting, which may or may not be recorded) or a pre-recorded video interview (everyone participates in the interview on their own time).

So long as you have access to a desktop, laptop, or mobile device, you can participate. Just make sure you’ve got a decent internet connection and a way for people to see you (a webcam or built-in camera).

Going Beyond Video

While all video interviews are digital, not all digital recruitment is video-based. The online hiring process often also includes:

Or, it might make sense to invest in an all-in-one remote recruitment suite. So much depends on your unique hiring needs.

They help diversify your workforce.

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is at the heart of many HR efforts. Digital interviews can help amplify the push for greater DEI within your organization. Online interviews break down geographical barriers so recruiters can hire top talent worldwide. This increases your potential candidate pool, aids in diversifying teams, and allows you to welcome and accommodate more people.

They help minimize hiring bias.

Structured digital interviews reduce the dangers of hiring bias. They’re backed by science to help you make better hiring decisions. How? By applying more structure to the digital interview process. The digital interview incorporates consistent interview questions and rating systems that keep interviews focused and fair. The structured process also improves efficiency and collaboration within hiring teams.

They benefit candidates, too!

Digital interviewing doesn’t just benefit hiring teams. Candidates benefit from being able to interview from the comfort of their home, and they don’t have the extra nerves that can come from trying to navigate a new space. In the case of pre-recorded video interviews, candidates also get the convenience of being able to interview any time of day. VidCruiter makes it easy for job applicants to participate; they simply click on a secure, unique link to enter the virtual interviewing room.

They’re a real time-saver.

Digitizing your hiring efforts fast tracks your workday. Automation within digital interviewing steps accelerates the screening process, allowing recruiters to reduce their time-to-hire by up to 90%. It allows you to quickly identify a shortlist of candidates, digitally interview them, recruit feedback, and arrive at a hiring consensus so you can make job offers to the best candidates sooner.

After all, speed is important to candidates, who expect a quick turnaround on hiring decisions. 66% of candidates wait less than two weeks before moving on to other job opportunities.

Download VidCruiter’s Guide to Saving Time & Headspace

They save money on common hiring expenses.

Virtual interviews can save organizations and HR departments thousands of dollars a year. With so many money-saving benefits, many wish they’d switched to digital interviewing sooner. The average cost-per-hire is over $4,000 and turnover costs about a third of a worker’s annual earnings. It pays to hire the right people for the job—and the right HR tech makes all the difference.

Download Save Money on Hiring Expenses

They help employers better understand who they’re hiring.

Digital interviews are far more personable than a phone interview, helping employers and job seekers better understand each other. Since you’re not wasting time on people who aren’t qualified for the position, you can build stronger relationships with top candidates.

They’re popular.

Digital interviewing is more prevalent than ever before. Although the digital transformation has been coming for some time, when COVID-19 made most in-person meetings impossible, global adoption of remote recruiting accelerated. Now virtual interviews are commonplace. Many organizations count on them to completely and confidently replace in-person interviews.

They’re convenient.

When we meet online, we eliminate all travel considerations, making it much easier to connect and manage time commitments. It’s no wonder why so many hiring teams have transitioned to remote recruitment.

Pre-recorded video interviews in particular make timezones and busy schedules a worry of the past. Since applicants record answers to pre-determined questions solo, they can do it anytime. Hiring teams review applicant videos anytime of day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are digital interviews impersonal?

They don’t need to be! When bringing your recruitment online, you can keep the human in human resource by personalizing your approach. You might prioritize using candidates’ names to create rapport from a distance, or record yourself and embed video questions rather than plain-text questions. This helps create a more participatory experience. It’s also a chance to showcase a bit of your company culture.

Do they work on cell phones and tablets?

Yes, it’s best to find a digital interview platform that works on both Android and iOS mobile apps. This makes the process easier and more flexible for both interviewers and job applicants.

What will I need? How do I prepare?

Great question. In some ways, preparing for a virtual interview is a lot like preparing for a traditional in-person interview. Of course you’ll want to research the organization you’re applying for, dress appropriately, and act professionally. You’ll also need some basic hardware and software. We have a whole bunch of other tips in our Ultimate Guide to Video Interviewing.

How long does it take to complete?

It depends if you’re the candidate or a member of the hiring team, as well as how the digital interview is set up. With endless customization options, recruiters can choose how long candidates have to respond to questions, if they’re able to re-record their answer, and the numbers of attempts they’re allowed. It also depends on how many questions you choose to ask. All these factor into the length of the interview.

What happens after a digital interview?

Applicants typically receive information throughout the hiring process through email, although some choose to use text messaging. A digitized interview process helps keep everyone informed and reminded of important next steps. After the digital interview, it’s common for recruiters to arrange other interviews and/or conduct reference checks, which can also be done online.

Digital Interviews Are Here to Stay

Since digital interviews are socially distanced, they help keep everyone safe, and they’re also super efficient. They integrate with your existing hiring processes, supercharging what’s working and fixing what’s not.

VidCruiter’s team of recruitment specialists can help you make the transition to remote recruitment, simplifying all stages of hiring—digitally and seamlessly.