In the fast-paced world of recruitment, leveraging cutting-edge technology can be the difference between finding the best talent quickly and getting bogged down in an overwhelming pile of resumes. One of the most transformative tools available to recruiters today is AI video interviews. By automating the early stages of the interview process and providing actionable insights, AI video interviews can streamline recruitment while offering a more holistic view of candidates.

As a recruiter, knowing how to effectively incorporate AI video interviews into your hiring strategy is key. Below, we’ll dive into some expert tips for using AI video interviews to their full potential, helping you to make smarter, faster, and more informed hiring decisions.

1. Understand the Capabilities of AI in Video Interviews

Before diving into AI video interviews, it’s essential to understand exactly how AI contributes to the process. AI in video interviews goes beyond simply recording candidates’ responses; it analyzes both verbal and non-verbal cues to assess qualities such as communication skills, emotional intelligence, personality traits, and even cultural fit. AI systems might look at factors like facial expressions, speech patterns, tone of voice, and word choice to provide an objective analysis.

However, it’s crucial to remember that AI is not a replacement for human judgment. Instead, it enhances your ability to make data-driven decisions by filtering candidates based on preset parameters. As a recruiter, your role is to interpret this data, align it with job requirements, and combine it with your own insights to make a well-rounded decision.

2. Select the Right AI Video Interview Platform

Choosing the right AI video interview platform is the first critical step in integrating AI into your hiring process. With many tools available, it’s important to select one that aligns with your specific needs as a recruiter. Consider the following factors:

– User Experience: Ensure that the platform is easy for both candidates and recruiters to use. A cumbersome interface may discourage top candidates from completing the interview process.

– Customizable Options: Look for platforms that allow you to tailor interview questions, evaluation criteria, and scoring rubrics to match the role you’re hiring for.

– Bias Reduction Features: A good AI platform should prioritize reducing bias, ensuring a fair process for all candidates. Look for platforms with transparency about how their algorithms are trained and those that have bias mitigation processes in place.

– Data Security: Since AI platforms handle sensitive candidate information, make sure the system is compliant with data protection regulations like GDPR and offers robust security features.

Popular AI video interview platforms include HireVue, Modern Hire, and Spark Hire. Each has its strengths, so take the time to demo a few before committing to one.

3. Craft Structured, Role-Specific Interview Questions

AI video interviews thrive on consistency. To get the most out of AI, you need to create a standardized interview process where every candidate answers the same questions in the same format. This ensures that AI can make accurate comparisons between candidates based on consistent criteria.

– Role-Specific Questions: Tailor your interview questions to reflect the specific requirements of the job. If you’re hiring for a customer service role, focus on communication skills and problem-solving abilities. For technical roles, focus on questions that assess analytical thinking and technical expertise.

– Behavioral Questions: AI excels at analyzing how candidates frame their answers and present themselves. Behavioral questions like, “Tell me about a time when you had to overcome a challenge,” allow AI to evaluate how candidates communicate complex ideas and problem-solving strategies.

– Open-Ended Questions: AI platforms can assess soft skills and emotional intelligence better when candidates are prompted to give open-ended answers. Avoid yes/no questions and encourage candidates to elaborate on their thoughts and experiences.

4. Set Clear Guidelines for Candidates

To ensure that candidates feel comfortable with AI video interviews, it’s important to provide them with clear instructions on what to expect and how to prepare. This includes information on the format of the interview, the technology they’ll need, and the types of questions they will be asked.

Some best practices to share with candidates include:

– Dress Professionally: Although the interview is virtual, candidates should still dress as they would for an in-person interview.

– Choose an Appropriate Setting: Encourage candidates to choose a quiet, well-lit space for their video interview to avoid distractions and technical disruptions.

– Practice with the Platform: Give candidates the opportunity to test the platform before the actual interview. This will help reduce technical difficulties and increase their comfort level during the real interview.

Providing candidates with these guidelines helps set them up for success and ensures the AI is working with optimal conditions to evaluate them.

5. Combine AI Insights with Human Judgment

One of the major benefits of AI video interviews is the rich data they provide. However, as a recruiter, it’s critical to combine these AI-generated insights with your own expertise and intuition.

– Review AI Scores Holistically: AI platforms often generate scores for various factors like confidence, emotional intelligence, and communication. Don’t rely solely on a high or low score—take the time to watch key portions of the interview yourself and make sure the AI’s interpretation aligns with your own understanding.

– Understand the Limitations: While AI can be remarkably accurate at assessing certain traits, it can’t fully grasp the complexity of human behavior or understand the nuances of cultural differences, accents, or non-standard communication styles. As a recruiter, your role is to provide context to the data AI generates.

– Use AI for Initial Screening: AI video interviews are incredibly useful for initial screening. They help you quickly filter out unqualified candidates and identify top performers. However, for the final round of interviews, it’s advisable to conduct live video interviews or in-person meetings to make the final call.

6. Monitor for Bias and Ensure Fairness

While AI is designed to reduce bias, it’s not entirely immune to it, especially if the algorithms have been trained on biased data. To maintain fairness in your hiring process, take proactive steps to monitor and mitigate potential biases.

– Conduct Regular Audits: Periodically review the performance of your AI video interview platform to ensure it’s producing unbiased results. Look for patterns that might suggest favoritism towards certain demographic groups or unfair treatment of others.

– Diverse Training Data: Work with AI providers that use diverse datasets to train their algorithms, reducing the risk of bias against certain ethnicities, genders, or accents.

By regularly checking for bias, you’ll ensure that the AI tool is helping you to build a diverse and inclusive workforce.

7. Follow Up with Candidates

Even though AI can automate much of the interview process, it’s important to keep the human element alive throughout the recruitment journey. After the AI video interview, send personalized messages to candidates thanking them for their time and outlining the next steps in the process. If candidates don’t make it through to the next round, offer constructive feedback, especially if the AI platform can generate it.

Providing candidates with clear communication and feedback helps to create a positive candidate experience, which can reflect well on your employer brand and lead to better talent acquisition in the long run.

Conclusion

AI video interviews can transform your hiring process, helping you screen candidates faster, gather deeper insights, and make more objective decisions. By selecting the right platform, structuring your interviews, and combining AI data with human intuition, you can create a streamlined, fair, and effective hiring process. 

As a recruiter, AI video interviews should be part of a broader strategy that uses the strengths of technology without losing the personal touch that’s essential to building strong employer-employee relationships.

Interviewer.AI is a technology platform purposely built to support Recruiters and HR teams in finding top talent for their companies. We also work with universities to help them with admissions and coaching, helping them use technology to solve for talent and training. Our mission is to make hiring equitable, explainable, and efficient. to screen in advance and shortlist the candidates that meet the criteria set. 

Schedule a demo today to learn more about how AI interviews can help your hiring.

Gabrielle Martinsson is a Content Writer at Interviewer.AI. She’s a tech geek and loves optimizing business processes with the aid of tech tools. She also loves travelling and listening to music in her leisure.