Congratulations! You’ve been asked to complete a one-way video interview. This is a big step towards your next job.
You’re used to the “normal” hiring process, with phone screens, in-person interviews, and the like. But, maybe this one-way video interview is a new thing entirely. Or maybe you have done a one-way video interview before, but you want to arm yourself with all the best advice you can find.
Look no further! The video interviewing experts at Spark Hire want to provide you with everything you need to know about completing a one-way interview.
Before we dive in, here are some fast facts about Spark Hire:
- In business since 2012
- Thousands of customers, all over the world, both in-house HR teams and staffing firms
- Millions of interviews completed on the platform
There are many ways organizations use video interviewing, but the main goal is always to get to know you, so use the one-way video interview to present your professional yet genuine side.
Unlike a typical interview, there’s only one person required to be present during your one-way video interview: you! One-way video interviews are a series of interview questions, created by the hiring organization, and presented as either text or a video.
One-Way Interview Best Practices
One of the great benefits of doing a one-way video interview is you can complete the interview on your own time, when you feel ready. That means you can check out candidate resources, avoid common video interview mistakes, and take time to set yourself up for a successful video interview.
It’s common for candidates to see “interview invitation” and think the date on the interview landing page is when the interview will take place. When completing a one-way video interview, that date is, actually the interview’s due date. While you can complete your one-way video interview anytime, organizations want to get to know you quickly, so it’s important to complete the one-way interview before it is due.
If you realize your one-way video interview has expired, don’t panic! Instead, reach out to the video interviewing platform to see if the organization you’re interviewing with allows deadline extensions.
Next, you’ll want to decide where to complete your one-way interview. Video interviews allow you to show off what makes you awesome, and your surroundings help you achieve that goal. But, they can negatively affect your interview as well. Keep an eye out for ideal interview locations with these requirements:
- Quiet and secluded
- Strong internet connection
- Professional background
- Good acoustics
When you find a great location for your interview, set up your computer with webcam or mobile device so that it won’t move while you’re recording. Even though video interviews feel more casual, it’s important to put your best self forward, so dress like you would for an in-person interview.
Now that you’ve learned about what a one-way interview is, found a good place to complete your interview, and decided on your outfit, it’s time to start your one-way interview.
What happens during a one-way interview
To access your interview, click the interview link sent to you by your organization. The interview link brings you to a landing page, displaying details about the job and your one-way video interview.
From there, you’ll click the colored button on the top center of the page. This button will either say “Go to your interview” or “Accept your interview invitation”. Clicking this button takes you to a page where you can setup your job seeker account. After you create your account, you will be able to proceed to a practice video before responding to the organization’s interview questions.
The practice video allows you to test both your microphone and webcam. It can be re-done as many times as you need to make sure you’re comfortable, hear yourself on the playback, and look directly into the camera. Best of all, the test question will not be sent to the organization you’re interviewing with. It’s just for practice.
When you’re satisfied with your webcam and microphone, you’ll proceed to the interview. Before each question, you’ll receive the question settings for each interview question. Question settings are controlled by the organization and can include limits on the following:
- Answer Time: the maximum time your recorded answer can be for the question, can be as short as 30 seconds, to as long as 3 minutes.
- Number of takes: how many times you can re-record your answer, can be set anywhere from 1 to 5, or unlimited.
- Think Time: you will have a limited amount of time to review the question before the one-way video interview platform automatically records your one response take.
In case your plans suddenly change, you can stop the one-way video interview at any point and return to it later. Just be sure to finish your remaining questions before the interview expires!
At the end of your one-way interview questions, your answers will be submitted to the company for review. If you choose, you can then follow up with the organization. Good luck!
Add comment