The Use of Video Interviews for Hiring By Dr. Ken Byrne

Mastering the Art of Video Interviews

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, organisations have increasingly relied on video interviews for selecting staff. One of their most significant advantages is saving the travel cost of bringing in candidates who live at a distance from your office for a personal meeting.

Some Preliminary Considerations

The first question that needs to be asked when looking to fill a vacancy is this: “What will it cost us if we hire the wrong person?”.

This is an often-overlooked consideration. Rarely is the cost of a hiring mistake calculated.  

Experience has shown that the cost is far more than the actual dollars expended. Consider how a poor selection can affect the clients you serve, your existing staff, and your external reputation.

The Purpose of the Selection Interview

The interview is designed to answer seven essential questions:

• Can this person do the job?
• Will this person do the job?
• Are their spiritual values reasonably aligned with those of the organisation they will work for?
• How will they fit with our existing team?
• Do they demonstrate the right character traits necessary for success?
• How long are they likely to stay?
• Will the job fit their current lifestyle?

This is a tall order. Even the most intensive and rigorous screening exercises, conducted over the years, can occasionally fail to identify individuals who pose a risk. Nothing is perfect.

Nonetheless, given the financial and reputational risks associated with bringing in someone new, every effort must be made to answer these questions.

Types of Video Interviews

The One-Way Interview

The candidate is given a set of questions that they answer on video. No one is listening at the time. Often, the candidate can redo their answers. The tape can be played back by the selection panel later.

This approach contains a significant risk of triggering a complaint or possible legal action. This interview style presents a range of issues on which to base a complaint.

The Simulated Interview

The candidate is interviewed “live” by a panel. There is an opportunity for interpersonal give-and-take. Answers to questions can be probed further.  

Research on the Validity of Video Interviews

There has been some professional attention given to video interviews. However, despite their widespread use, there appears to be no well-controlled study comparing the ability of these tools to predict on-the-job performance accurately. Ideally, such a study would also compare face-to-face interviews with those conducted by the same organisation.

Improving Video Interviews

The professional literature repeatedly cites the importance of two factors in making the video interview more accurate.

Using a structured interview

This means that a series of questions has been prepared to evaluate candidates for a specific job.

These should begin with relatively easy questions, though they should still offer information about the candidate. More challenging questions will follow. Critically, the interview should also evaluate the person’s underlying character traits. 

Everyone should be asked the same questions in the same order. Depending on the answer, different follow-up questions will be necessary.

Training for people who will make the selection decision.

There seems to be an unwritten rule that once someone becomes a supervisor or manager, they somehow intuitively know how to make hiring decisions. This is incorrect.

Consider the investment you are making when hiring even a junior staff member. Assume you were going to spend that money on buying software. You would surely want someone knowledgeable about software to be part of the decision-making process. Yet, organisations are happy to have someone without any formal training making hiring decisions.

Further Considerations

It is possible to view the Roman Colosseum in at least two ways. You can go and visit Rome, or you could watch it on your television screen.

You will have two very different experiences depending on which method you choose.

The same principle applies to an interview with a job candidate. It is impossible to gather the richness of a person without meeting them. With a video interview, you don’t get to experience the real person.

The interview is often so structured that there is little room for meeting other staff, posing spontaneous questions, or making “throw-away” comments. Yet, experience has shown that these often contain essential clues to the individual’s character.

Conclusion

Until there is persuasive evidence that video interviews are as valid as face-to-face interviews, they should be used cautiously.

With many applicants, use a brief Simulated Interview to develop a shortlist. This can be done in fifteen minutes. Avoid the One-Way Interview, as it presents too many risks.

Before making a final appointment, particularly to a middle-level or senior position, it is wise to spend the money to bring the final candidate in for a face-to-face meeting.

This is an additional expense. That must be compared to the cost of hiring the wrong person.

Interview panel members must receive thorough training in how to select staff. This must include training in how to develop a structured interview.

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Dr. Byrne has been in independent practice as an organizational psychologist for over forty years. This blog is adapted from Hire Right, First Time: A Practical Guide for Staffing Christian Organisations, co-authored by Ken and Rev. Peter Corney.

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