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By Maury Stettner
Are you ready for your next job interview? You answer pre-recorded questions yourself while talking into a video camera.
If you’re a fan of Sex and the City, you may remember a 2001 episode of the original TV series. Mr. Big (Chris Knott) complains that the woman he’s chasing isn’t answering his calls or returning his messages.
“She can reach me, but I can’t catch her,” he repeats repeatedly.
This is the power of one-way communication: one party exercises more control over the timing and nature of their interaction.
Like dating, job interviews are a delicate dance. As the candidate and interviewer talk, they evaluate each other.
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But more interviewees face the same kind of irritation that Mr. Big experienced. In one-way video interviews, candidates record themselves giving short answers to pre-recorded questions to the employer.
Job seekers submit their records in the blank. There is no one on the other end to respond in real time.
By reviewing these auditions, employers can screen applicants more efficiently and select those who will move on to the next round of the hiring process.
Young job seekers may welcome these platforms. Maybe they’re used to maintaining their image on social media. Or they’re comfortable taking pictures on their devices and seeing their talking head fill the screen.
But for people 50 and older, one-way video interviews can be off-putting. At the very least, they expect human communication to consist of a back-and-forth exchange—nods, gestures, shared observations. Quick questions, answers, and clarifications—and finding common ground (“I grew up in Ohio, too!”)—create more opportunities to build connections.
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Employers have many options when setting up one-way video interviews and many software vendors to choose from. They can require candidates to respond almost instantly to a series of questions – giving them only 10 seconds to answer each query.
“Sometimes you can take a break,” said Benji Gilman, co-founder and CEO of myInterview, based in Tel Aviv, Israel. — It depends on the discretion of the employer.
Alternatively, employers can let interviewees think about the questions for days, rehearse their answers, and present the best ones.
“Employers generally allow you to tape motivational questions so you can prepare a more thoughtful response,” Gilman said. “They may not let you tape knowledge-based questions.”
For example, an airline hiring flight attendants might instruct applicants to say “Please fasten your seat belts” in French within a few seconds. But you may have a lot more time to explain why you think you’d make a great flight attendant.
Regardless of how much time you are allowed to answer, you may feel nervous as you record your answers. Gilman’s advice: Exude authenticity. If you rely too much on scripts or try to sound perfect, you risk coming off as canned or fake.
“And you can do the interview at your convenience,” he said. “You don’t have to travel to the employer and be there at a certain time.”
Peter Leapson, a Massachusetts-based educational leader, participated in three one-way video interviews using Spark Hire, another popular platform used by employers. In any case, he received the interview questions in advance and had unlimited time to plan his answers. “I can do as many reps as I want,” he said. But with a three-minute time limit for most of the questions, he kept trimming his pre-recorded answers. “Time flies,” he said. “You must be brief.”
He warns that it’s tempting to speak faster to cover more. But he advises candidates to speak more slowly and conversationally – and to stick to the main headings of their answer without feeling pressured to elaborate on every idea. While he appreciates the chance to put his best foot forward in front of potential employers, he admits it takes more time than a two-way live interview. Although each video interview only consisted of three or four questions, it took him several hours to find his answers within the allotted time.
Laipson, who is in his mid-50s, feels confident in his speaking skills.
“I don’t know how a shy person would feel about that,” he said. “It puts people whose skill set doesn’t include answering questions in a meaningful way at a disadvantage.” In a two-way conversation, both parties can ask follow-up questions. If one uses an acronym, the other may ask, “What does that mean?” If a candidate makes a claim or cites a statistic, the interviewer may ask, “What’s your source for that information?”
The one-way nature of one-way video interviews precludes lively conversations where verbal volition breeds mutual understanding and learning. And time constraints may limit the applicant’s ability to provide a complete response.
“You might only have time to make a few points if you’re cut off at three minutes,” Lapson said. “In a face-to-face interview, the interviewer can ask, ‘Have you thought about this other possibility?’ This allows you to expand on your thoughts.”
The good news is that the software is generally easy to use and easy to master. “We try to make it as frictionless as possible,” Gilman said.
Laipson found the Spark Hire platform easy to use, adding that it offers an introductory video that walks newbies through the process.
Learn how to shake up your financial routine at the Best New Money Ideas Festival on September 21st and 22nd in New York City. Join Carrie Schwab, President of the Charles Schwab Foundation.
– Maury Stettner
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
08-27-22 1400ET
Copyright (c) 2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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