Save Time and Lose Bias with Asynchronous Video Interviews

Remote hiring’s rise has led smart organizations to streamline their hiring processes with ‘one-way’ or ‘asynchronous’ video interviews. Not only do asynchronous video interviews reduce the cost and effort associated with recruitment, but they also help to remove implicit bias from the talent identification processes.

What are asynchronous video interviews?

Like a lot of things in life, an asynchronous video interview sounds a lot more intimidating than it really is. ‘Asynchronous video interview’ is a more formal way of saying ‘one-way interview’ or ‘pre-recorded video interview’.

Why ‘asynchronous’? Because the candidate and the interviewer never meet. At least, not at this interview stage. Instead of scheduling and hopping on a series of video calls, the candidate records responses to pre-determined questions for later review by your hiring team.

How does a one-way video interview work?

Applicants completing an asynchronous video interview receive a set of pre-designed questions and record their responses to each. With Cangrade’s video interviews, each question is determined by the candidate’s responses to their Pre-Hire Assessment. Those recorded responses are then passed to a member of the hiring team to evaluate against a set of consistent, bias-free criteria.

One platform. One set of questions. One assessment rubric. One-way video interviews have a lot to offer in terms of user-friendliness, but their benefits don’t stop there.

How could asynchronous video interviews benefit my company?

Asynchronous video interviews save time and money by helping your organization identify and hire the right candidates quickly without fear that you may have missed the perfect fit due to bias or external pressures. Here are a few of their benefits:

• Equity. One-way video interviews require a structured format – an excellent tool for rooting out discrimination. Offering each candidate the same questions in the same format not only levels the playing field but eliminates the risk of inappropriate lines of inquiry. Likewise, assessing candidates against identical criteria weeds out implicit bias.
• Collaboration. What’s more exhausting than back-to-back video interviews with James, Noor, and Alex? The follow-up meeting where James, Noor, and Alex try to remember the key details of each conversation and assess the candidates. Asynchronous video interviews mean Jeff, Noor, and Alex, plus Sara and Jeremy can review the same candidate simultaneously and provide feedback or share insights in real time.
• Diversity. Quicker turnaround times mean you can afford to give a candidate you might not normally consider a closer look and dive more deeply into your talent pool. Likewise, increasing the number of reviewers allows you to benefit from a wider variety of feedback on a candidate’s fit with your organization’s culture and values.
• Efficiency. A standardized recruitment process is a fast-moving recruitment process. Structured interviews and a pre-set rubric for assessing candidates reduce the amount of time required to evaluate candidates. This gives you more time to onboard the perfect new hire.

How can our company shift toward asynchronous video interviews?

Companies looking to broaden and deepen their talent search without sacrificing time and resources can benefit from asynchronous video interviews. Not only do one-way video interviews save considerable time and employee energy, but they also reduce the risk of discrimination by removing implicit bias from the interview process.

Interested in how your organization can leverage video interviewing? Contact us today