Job Seeker Blog - Spark Hire

Spark a Conversation: Suggesting Video Interviews to Employers

Here at Spark Hire, we want to help candidates find their dream jobs using the power of online video. We get a lot of questions from readers about how to use online video in their search for a great job. These posts will address those questions about how to find success in your job search.

Question: How do I suggest a video interview to an employer? -Isabelle from Lansing

Thank you for your question Isabelle. If you have video interviewed with an employer before, you may wonder why all employers don’t utilize them in their hiring process. Unfortunately, not all employers and hiring managers are aware of this great screening process tool. Thankfully you are though, and you can politely and easily suggest potential employers start utilizing them. How do you do so as a job seeker without coming off as too aggressive though?

If you have been asked to participate in a phone or an in-person interview with an employer, then you can tell them over email or phone how video interviewing is a great tool to use in the hiring process. You may feel awkward about telling the hiring manager how they can better do their job, but if they haven’t heard of video interviews before then chances are they will be intrigued at what you have to say. Let them know why job seekers and employers alike enjoy using video interviews. For one, video interviews save a lot of time for employers. Instead of calling you on the phone to see if you are qualified they can send you a series of questions to which you answer in video format. Be sure to emphasize how much time this saves them since they can review your answers whenever they would like.

If they are suggesting a preliminary in-person interview and plan on having an extensive hiring process with more than one interview, than let them know about live video interviews. They can save them a ton of time since scheduling is much easier when job seekers do not have to come into the office. Plus, they never have to leave their own office. They can schedule a preliminary video interview with you first and if they still believe you are qualified then you can come into the office for an in-person interview. It’s important to remember not to be aggressive in your suggestions. At the end of the day, it is still the employer’s decision if they want to use video interviews or not.

If they choose not to utilize video interviewing after all, you should not be negative about their decision. This is still a job opportunity and although video interviews may make your life- and theirs- easier, it’s not your decision to make. That is why a simple suggestion works best. Highlight for them how easy it is to schedule these video interviews with job seekers since it’s much easier to sign on from your own personal office. Hopefully they choose to try it out and see how much easier their hiring can be.

Do you have a question you need answered? Spark a conversation with the Spark Hire team by submitting your question to [email protected] or in the comments below.

Spark Hire Team

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