In 2023, businesses are utilizing technology like never before and in fact, it is becoming necessary to do so if you want to stay in the game. Job seekers are eager to work for companies that understand and use the available technology to work smarter and provide their employees with the tools they need to complete their jobs. While 2020 surely popularized the Zoom call or the live video interview, in today’s job market, you can also find asynchronous video interviews or one-way video interviews. This may be in the form of a pre-recorded video interview submitted by the candidate and based on questions that have been provided in advance or in real-time by the employer. 

A common misconception about recorded video interviews is that the candidate has all the time they need to complete the answer, recording and editing their video until it is perfect. Naturally, this process would be cause for concern if it were conducted that way. Take-home work for a job interview is usually limited to cover letters and the occasional skills assessment. In actuality, most recorded video interviews are conducted in a certain time frame and candidates are given a certain amount of time to complete all of the questions provided. Questions are either asked on the screen or in a brief video pre-recorded by someone from the company conducting the interview. The candidate has a limited amount of time to record their response, and while they may be allowed to rerecord an answer that isn’t satisfying to them, they will be required to complete the entire series of questions in a single sitting. 

Many candidates enjoy this kind of interview, the recorded video interview, because it eliminates the small talk portion of an interview which can be both tedious and nerve-wracking for candidates. However, some candidates find themselves uncomfortable with interviews of this nature as well, for a number of reasons. Candidates who have extroverted qualities and enjoy engaging in conversation may find this interview style to be cold, while candidates who are more introverted may be uncomfortable answering questions without visual cues from the hiring team while they are stating their answers. Regardless of whether a candidate is comfortable with this kind of interview or not, there are plenty of online resources that both candidates and hiring teams can use to adequately prepare themselves for a one-way video interview. 

As you do your research on one-way video interviews and consider utilizing them at your business, you may begin researching the different kinds of resources that are available, software that can aid in interviewing processes, and examples of recorded video interview structures. If your company has considered using interview intelligence software, such as Pillar’s program, this would be a great opportunity to give it a try. With interview intelligence software, your team can create structure to your interviews that enable your candidates to experience a consistent and fair interview style. This software also allows companies to create recorded video interviews for candidates to access and update later, eliminating the added complications of requiring a candidate to complete a recorded video interview using their own software programs asynchronously. 

Pre Recorded Video Interview Examples

In the previous section we answered your question, what is a pre-recorded video interview, but let’s now dig a little deeper into how a pre-recorded video interview is conducted and where you can look for good examples and programs to use for this purpose. 

When conducting your research about recorded video interviews, you will likely want to see an interview like this in action. Some of the things you may want to search for in your inquiries include pre-recorded video interview examples. Some great examples can be found on YouTube, showcasing just how the questions are presented and how the interview plays out from the perspective of the candidate recording and submitting their answers. You may also want to use this opportunity to review what hiring managers have to say about their use of interview intelligence software or programs that enable them to conduct pre-recorded video interviews. Reading reviews can be helpful, but whenever possible, you will likely get better feedback from talking with hiring managers personally about their successes and struggles with using remote video interviewing programs for hiring. 

Another helpful step can be asking about pre-recorded video interview tips. Many hiring managers who are already using the software and utilizing pre-recorded video interviews for their hiring will have things to share: pros and cons, discoveries, challenges and solutions, and more. 

Other things you will want to discover from them are sample questions most commonly used in video interviews, tips for interviewees (understanding how they are preparing for interviews will be useful to you when creating the interviews), and more. Some examples of pre-recorded video interview tips which candidates may review may include:

- Review and practice any sample questions you’ve received. This indicates that some companies provide sample questions, some of which may also be the real questions, to allow candidates to feel prepared. 
- Research the company and job description. Candidates will prepare for their interview by gaining a better understanding of the company and job description, so that research can be tested with targeted questions. 
- Practice answering questions in front of a camera. Your candidates are likely going to practice in order to prepare for their interview, so you should expect to see a slightly more polished and complete response. Those who do not practice or prepare will likely stand out. 

Pre Recorded Video Interview Questions
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When preparing pre-recorded video interview questions, it’s important to recall that there will be no real-time back and forth between interviewer and candidate, so the questions need to be complete and make sense in their final form. It can be helpful to do a sample interview with a team member so that you can determine whether the questions are understandable and the answers that result are as complete as possible. If the question is not complete or doesn’t quite make sense, the candidate answers may be unsatisfactory and the candidate may become frustrated by the lack of preparation. 

Hiring managers looking to break into pre-recorded video interviews will likely be seeking sample video interview questions and answers for the first round to ensure that they are following best practices and utilizing tried and true methods. Great video interview questions and answers will be complete and thorough, guide the candidate to provide equally great answers, and give the candidate the opportunity to showcase their knowledge and skill to the hiring team. Examples include:

- What makes you want to join this company? This question gives candidates the opportunity to discuss their knowledge about your company and the quality of their answer can showcase how serious they are about the position. 
- How would you describe your work style? This is a highly personal question without right or wrong answers. People often enjoy talking about themselves and because there isn’t necessarily a wrong answer here, it can make the candidate feel more comfortable. The answer also can help you to determine if the candidate fits your company culture.
- Tell us about a time… questions can also help a candidate open up about their relevant experience while revealing to you whether they are a good fit for your company culture. Consider asking a workplace question that is relevant to the work completed at your company to determine if your candidate has the experience necessary to be a good fit. 

One Way Video Interview Tips

When candidates are tasked with completing a one-way video interview, they will likely search the internet for one-way video interview tips before they begin. Just as your hiring team looks for one-way video interview examples, both of you will likely be reviewing some of the same content. That said, as you develop your pre-recorded interview questions and answers, you will want to keep in mind some of the same tips that your candidates will be using when you ask the questions. 

- Be yourself. Job interviewing can be nerve-wracking for job seekers but if the questions are asked in a personable and direct way which puts candidates at ease, the candidate is much more likely to be comfortable and behave like themselves also. 
- Maintain eye contact or look directly into the camera. This tip applies to both interviewers and interviewees. Remember, the candidate is also weighing your behavior and actions during the interview process to determine if you are a good fit for them! Eye contact is a great way to show confidence and a willingness to listen and engage. 
- Dress the part. This may depend on the role and requirements, but when you record the questions, what you are wearing should signal to the candidate what they should also wear.
- Check your background - both sound and appearance. A professional-sounding and looking situation is best for both interviewers and candidates. 

If your team needs more assistance with creating one-way video interviews, as well as tracking your questions and answers, interview intelligence software, like the program offered by Pillar, can be the key to maintaining that. We invite you to register for a demo.