That is important because there are two types – real time and recorded interviews. Understanding the differences between the two will help you present your best performance. You need to make a terrific impression on the recruiter, needn’t you? Here you are!
The Real Time Video Interview
What is it?
The real time video interview, as the name suggests, is a live interview conducted online. It is also known as a two-way interview.
What is in it for you?
You are under great pressure here, no doubt! You cannot rethink and revise your answers, nor can you cover up mistakes you may make. If you are nervous or ill at ease, the recruiter can see it easily. The interview time is not flexible: you may have to take it at a time not convenient to you at all, which may cause you more anxiety.
The upside is that the good impression you succeed in making will be stronger: the recruiter knows pretty well that yours is not a rehearsed script, and you couldn’t have revised your responses. If the interview is for a position that requires a lot of interpersonal interaction, any positive impression you make can help you go a long way and help clinch the position for you!
What is in it for the recruiter?
The recruiter is able to do a live evaluation of each candidate. He can put extra pressure on you, if needed, to see whether you wilt or excel. He can vary the questions and tone of the interview as it progresses, to get a better understanding of your character and skill sets. The downside is that he may not be able to do an objective evaluation of your worth and suitability for the position, if he is distracted or is under great pressure himself.
The recorded video interview
What is it?
Recorded interviews are also known as asynchronous, one-way, pre-recorded and video screening interviews. Let not these terms puzzle you – they all mean the same thing. People tend to be long-winded sometimes, when there’s no need for any wind!
In this type, the interviewer records online questions and goes off line. The candidate happily responds to them ‘unobserved’, and submits the answers within a set timeframe. Well! That’s no problem, is it?
What is in it for you?
You can answer the questions at a place and time of your choosing, and so, your comfort level is rather high. It has to be so without any question! You can pause between questions to plan your answers. You can play back your answers, improve upon and rerecord those you are unhappy with. The danger lies in overthinking smart answers to impress the recruiter – trying to say too much and force in more information than is needed.
What is in it for the recruiter?
The recruiter has many an interview to plough through. Recorded interviews are easy for him to watch at his own pace and convenience; he can play them as many times as he wants, if that can help him get a better idea of a candidate. He can replay interviews of candidates who are similar, one after another, to do a comparative evaluation of them all, and zero in on the best. However, there can be no live interaction between the recruiter and the candidate, and they are both losers in a crucial way. This is indeed a serious limitation of the recorded interview, in comparison with the real time one.
For obvious reasons, the real time interview is the most popular and favored option today. It allows a considerable leeway for both the recruiter and the candidate. The former can fine-tune the interview to the live assessment of the skill sets of the candidate vis-à-vis the requirements of the position. The latter can understand closely the shifting focus of the interview, and display presence of mind and creativity in providing matching responses most effectively.
You will do well to seek the assistance of a state-of-the-art job application portal that has the following amazing features: global recruiting facility, creation of excellent resumes, appropriate aptitude test mechanism, hassle-free recruitment, real time video interviews, one stop documentation, cost-effective processes and so on.
