What are Digital Interviews

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Digital interviews are an online method employers use to screen applicants. It involves candidates prerecording their responses to the interview questions, which employers can review at a later time.

A digital interview is one of the ways companies have been screening candidates. It allows employees to screen candidates without being physically nor virtually present. This non-interactive method of interview makes the hiring process flexible and convenient. Candidates can get interviewed from the comfort of their homes, or even at a café, library, or restaurant. Digital interviews help avoid travel expenses and burdens. Employers also get to review more candidates while using fewer resources.

As much as digital interview offers some benefits, they can harm the hiring process. A candidate may have a poor interview experience due to the lack of conversation. Meanwhile, the employer can miss out on getting the best candidate for the role due to the candidate’s poor experience.

Common Digital Interview Process

The digital interview process typically goes as follows:

  • Questions are provided to the candidate who will then record their response in a video.
  • Afterwards, the recruiter reviews the recorded response

Without meeting face to face, a question and answer session takes place between the recruiter and candidate.

Downsides of Digital Interviews

The digital interview has some disadvantages that affect both candidate and the recruiter. The biggest one being a poor candidate experience.

Since a digital interview is prerecorded, a candidate might have a unenjoyable experience. This includes the inability to ask questions if certain things are not clear during the interview session.

Since no real conversation occurs between the recruiter and the candidate, the atmosphere won’t feel natural. A candidate is not even given the chance to connect with the interviewer as they may have if it was a video interview. Some of the key things that help candidates during an interview are the gestures and facial expressions of the interviewer. With these missing during an interview session, a candidate may not be able to give their best performance.

Digital vs. Video Interviews

Many use video and digital interviews interchangeably, but there is a difference. A digital interview is not a real-time event—it’s recorded and reviewed afterwards. This means that candidates must record their responses to questions and send the recording to the recruiter. The candidate and recruiters will never meet face to face at all during the process.

In comparison, a video interview is a real-time virtual session. It allows both the candidate and recruiter to meet and discuss face-to-face. It’s similar to physical interviews in the sense that a live conversation occurs.

If you’re looking for the same efficiency and benefits digital interviews provide without having to face all the drawbacks, video interviews may be the perfect solution for your recruiting team.

Do you want a fast, efficient, and well-structured video interview platform? Hellohire is a top-choice digital interview platform offering excellent candidate experience. You will improve your hiring process with the new technologies and improved procedures featured in Hellohire’s platform. Request a free demo today!