The most important thing comes right at the beginning: Time-shifted video interviews do NOT replace the personal interview. Now you might be wondering, why you should use them …

Therefore, we want to clarify when and for which purposes you should use each of these methods – live or time-shifted video interviews.

In contrast to what you might think at first glance, live and asynchronous video interviews are NOT in direct competition. Recruiters use them in different steps of the personnel selection process. Let’s take a closer look…

Asynchronous Video Interview

  • Preselection “Negative Selection”

The most important difference between the two methods is the following: asynchronous video interview help companies answer the question “Which candidate is not a fit for our company?”

Many of our clients use asynchronous video interviews to identify those candidates that do not meet the job requirements. Technical departments can check candidates’ technical knowledge and hiring managers can reliably identify those who have excellent communications skills or speak a foreign language fluently, for example.

  • Process standardisation

The time-shifted format makes it easy to implement certain structures and standards into the selection process. Every candidate answers the same questions, exceptions are not allowed in a standardised process. As a matter of fact, it gets increasingly important to show the potential employees that everyone has the same chances of success, everyone is treated equally.

  • High number of applicants

Asynchronous video interviews enable companies to reliably assess the skills of their applicants within 10 minutes or less – without any coordination issues. Imagine you receive lots of applications: You directly see the benefit in evaluating 40 video interviews compared to scheduling and conducting 40 telephone interviews.

  • Recruiting internationally

Even if live video interviewing has become a common practice in international personnel selection, there are still time zone issues when it comes to coordinating an interview. Using time-shifted interviews you completely avoid those issues.

  • Making faster decisions

Both sides can use the time-shifted format at their convenience – candidates record their video interview when it suits them most while recruiters and technical departments can evaluate the video answers independently. Thus, processes will become much more efficient for both sides, resulting in an increase in candidate quality. You will invite only those applicants that convinced you of their skills in the interview.

  • Finding the real talent

Nowadays, many companies are worried about not being able to identify the best candidates due to traditional, ineffecitve recruiting methods. Using asynchronous video interviews, companies can not only pre-screen a lot more more candidates, but can quickly identify the right candidates with the help of an innovative format .

Live Video Interview

  • Final Selection : “Positive Selection”

When it comes to a more differentiated evaluation of the applicants in the final stages of the selection process, the live video interview offers greater possibilities than the time-shifted format. In the final stages of a selection, you have to decide between few candidates and you need to go more into detail with your questions in order to identify the one that fits the company and the job requirements best.

  • Interacting live

Of course, the applicant should be given the opportunity in every recruiting process to ask questions and to see your reactions “live”. If there has been no personal interview yet, live video interviewing is a good solution.

  • Head-Hunting

When it comes to filling a vacancy that requires a very specific candidate profile, sometimes only a live video interview is the perfect option. Suitable candidates might be very different and, as a matter of fact, hard to find. Therefore, it does not make sense to set up standard questions for those applicants.

  • Assessing competencies in an interactive format

Some competencies such as negotiating skills can only be assessed through an interactive format. To measure this adequately, reaction and counter-reaction of the dialogue partners are required.

Conclusion About Video Recruiting

Live and time-shifted video interviews can be used as complements. The latter are recommended for preselecting candidates efficiently, while live interviewing is suitable for making a valid choice between two or more candidates in a final selection step.

Would you like to know more on how you can make your candidate preselection more effective and efficient with automated video interviewing software? 

Schedule your free demo presentation to find out more.