The Second Renaissance Of Video Interviews

Democratization of mobile video technology paves way for wider acceptance of the concept

With the very first video interview technologies being launched almost 15 years ago, it is hard to imagine that companies were shipping webcams to candidates back then or renting video interview rooms to speak to candidates in other cities. Today we have an abundance of webcam technology and carry around multiple webcams on our mobile devices. It is the mobile device that has truly democratized video in our daily lives, including how we use social media, how we learn, how we communicate and how we conduct a job interview.
 

And although the concept of video interviews has been around for quite some time; it has seen both a renaissance with mobile and is currently experiencing a renaissance with Artificial Intelligence. The underlying core concepts of structuring screenings for higher validity and conducting an interview without the need to travel, hold true to this day.
 
The umbrella theme of video recruitment however is still a bit opaque, lacking a clear definition. This may confuse users who encounter a video job description, employer branding videos, a live interview on Skype, a video job board, a video matching app or video assessment, all under that one umbrella of video recruitment.
 
If we focus on video interviews, our definition at Cammio would be:
“Live or automated remote job interviews with candidates using video technology as the communication medium.”
 
The reason that we launched Cammio in 2013 was based on the simple fact that employers had all the communication media at their disposal with career websites, and employer branding video, but candidates were reduced to text in an application form, CV and cover letter. Video interviews obviously brought speed to the selection process (also much to the benefit of the candidate) and resulted in a higher quality of selection. The latter was however harder to quantify until the second renaissance of Artificial Intelligence in video interviews. We were fortunate to have no legacy and launch Cammio on the back of the first renaissance in video interviews, which was mobile.
 
Let’s discuss how video interviews have developed from its initial conception to where we are today, from the core concepts to the two renaissances in mobile and AI following it.

Core Concepts

What could facilitate both recruiters and candidates job? What might seem to be the first and foremost benefit of video interviews has a lot to do with efficiency and time management. Screenings are often an expensive and time-consuming task. An appointment has to be scheduled, the candidate has to travel, sometimes take time off. With video interviews and smart scheduling, managers and candidates can easily go online at a place and time that is convenient to them without wasting valuable time and resources. Automated video interviews make the whole process asynchronous which provides further flexibility to candidates to answer questions across time zones and at moments that suit them best.

Video interviews also allow for an enhanced candidate experience since they can be used to engage and motivate candidates. Questions are asked the same way the interview itself is introduced: via video. Also the communication to candidates, starting with the invitation or even a video job description, can help attract candidates. This is a feature that should not be overlooked since video is a powerful communication medium in its own right.

Another key benefit is overcoming the struggle with the traditional method of qualifying candidates over the phone or, even worse, via historical text in a CV only. By allowing consistency in questioning and equal interview settings (answering time, recording trials, …), a good video recruitment platform aims to eliminate bias in selection. If candidates get a chance to present themselves online in an automated or live video interview, they are given a first screening that is both fair and efficient.
 
The core concepts of efficiency, employer branding and enhanced selection have remained and were democratized at scale in the first renaissance of mobile devices. The rise of artificial intelligence in video recruitment today is maybe the most fundamental development. The video interview will not only deliver content, but also data on personality, needs and values. It can even be used to present candidates with potentially interesting matching jobs. This can open up new potential for both candidates and employers. Video interviews are not meant to favor charismatic extroverts, but to reveal a key element often overshadowed in the selection process: Personality.
 
What matters more than generic metrics to measure recruitment performances resides in one single characteristic: Quality of Hire. While bad-hires can put a strain on the entire company, great hires can deliver exponential value and can have a great impact on the success of a company. For instance, Google has found that hiring a top-performing employee can result in 300 times more productivity and business impact. It all comes down to Personality. Video Interviews makes cultural fitness assessment easier as you get to properly meet the person behind the CV, yet, it all seem to stand short next to what AI can add to such a medium.
 
To give you a concrete example of how both technologies blend, at Cammio we’ve developed our own algorithm: Xpress Analytics™. Upon activation, our AI will build a personality profile based on the Big 5 and compare the data to initial templates gathered from top performing employees in a similar role. Using tech such as natural language processing, speech analysis and tonal evaluation, our algorithm doesn’t only use the video, but also the audio of an interview. While facial recognition can help a recruiter to analyze a candidate’s micro-expressions, those data would be inherently biased because focused on emotions. While personality encompass the wider dimensions of one’s character, emotions are tied to very specific moments. The context of a job interview being slightly stressful by design, a profiling method solely based on the study of emotions wouldn’t give a complete picture of how candidates assess work-related situations.
 
One thing to keep in mind is that a powerful algorithm today is one that improves itself overtime. Through Machine learning and automation, an AI can parse through a colossal amount of data points and connect dots that could have been overlooked by data analysts. We know that nowadays, even under the umbrella of GDPR, recruiters are seating on a lot candidate information. The rapid overviewing of anything from video feeds, sound samples, or data sheets can be coupled with more advanced and custom search (social network activity, public domain screening, …) to create an even more precise view of a talent.
 
Even though Artificial Intelligence is at its early stages, it has already dramatically changed our view on big data. If the democratization of mobile video technology gave the rise to video interviews’ first renaissance – paving the way to the myriad of improvements we saw in the recruitment process – then we can only wonder to what extent AI will change Talent Acquisition, in video interviews’ second renaissance.

Walter Hueber is CEO at Cammio. Visit www.cammio.com Connect Walter Hueber