How to Objectively Analyze On-demand Interviews and Remain Unbiased

Preparing to analyze on-demand interviews

Familiarize yourself with the tasks and requirements of the position

Before you proceed with analysis, make sure you are thoroughly familiar with the tasks and responsibilities that come with the position. If you are not confident in your knowledge, research similar positions at other companies or consult with your coworkers.

Create a comprehensive list of criteria for on-demand video interview evaluation

To assess candidates impartially and avoid overlooking applicants who are a good fit for the position by accident, we advise you to develop a list of criteria to reference when analyzing interviews. These may be related to candidates’ previous experience or specific skills.

Identify essential qualities and set priorities

Once you are set on the required criteria, it can be helpful to organize them in order of importance for the job. You may also group related skills and qualifications together to navigate through the list easily during your analysis. Don’t forget to check the questions prepared for the candidates and adjust your list accordingly.

Create a rating system

In addition to the list of criteria, we advise you to create a custom rating system that would compliment it. For example, you can grade responses on a scale from 1 to 10, depending on how well the candidate fits your vision of the criterion in question. You may also add comments to the candidate’s responses that don’t necessarily fit any of the listed requirements but show unexpected value.

Analyzing the on-demand interview

Watch the interview from start to finish

Firstly, watch the whole recording. By doing so, you will be able to form initial impressions and get an overall idea of the candidate's character and personality. It will also help you navigate the video easier when cross-checking applicant’s responses with your list.

Analyze every response separately

• After you've watched the whole video once, you can proceed with checking each response separately while cross-referencing them with your list. 
• Check whether the candidate's response is related to the question asked. While it is common for candidates who are nervous to lose focus on the topic on a few occasions during an interview, be sure to take notice if it happens consistently throughout the whole video.
• Pay attention to how the candidate structures sentences. The ability to express one’s thoughts in a coherent and logical way is paramount when communicating with colleagues or explaining tasks.
• One of the key things to take notice of is whether the candidate refers to any of his real live experiences or accomplishments. Backing up one’s responses with real life examples is generally a good way to communicate, and this will also help you understand the candidate’s skills and qualifications better.
• Pay close attention to the candidate's vocabulary and choice of words. If the candidate uses professional jargon sparingly, it can indicate that the candidate is experienced and stays on top of their professional game. However, if the candidate’s responses are oversaturated with professional lexicon to the point that it starts to come off as odd, you may assume that the candidate is trying to exaggerate their accomplishments and professional experience.
• Try to get a feel for the candidate’s confidence. As a rule of thumb, you can assume that their confidence level is usually proportional to their level of expertise. While a healthy amount of self-confidence is always good, it is important that you are able to spot and filter out candidates who are acting arrogantly. These candidates won’t be a good fit for your company, as they usually let their ego disrupt the workflow, even though they might be very experienced and have a rich skillset.
• Make sure that the candidate’s motivation, values, and ambitions align with those of your company. Listen to their responses carefully and try to discern whether the position can provide sufficient professional and corporate growth that the candidate desires.

Take notes on your observations and impressions:

• We advise writing down every detail you think will be relevant to the analysis. Note the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses. In addition, be sure to mark or write down the responses you based your conclusion on. Staying organized while analyzing candidates will help you capture every detail of their responses.
• Don’t forget to utilize the grading system you created earlier. Assign an overall grade to the candidate file or grade how good of a fit the candidate is based on their ability to satisfy separate job requirements. 

How to proceed once your analysis is done

Share completed on-demand video interviews with your colleagues

The biggest advantage of on-demand interview platforms like VideoApply lies in their flexibility. Interviews can easily be shared by providing a link to the recording. We advise that you discuss the interviews in detail with your team and exchange conclusions and impressions. By doing this, you make sure that candidates receive a fair assessment of their capabilities.

Shortlist and follow up with the candidates

Once you arrive at your decision, contact the shortlisted candidates to provide them with information regarding the next steps of the recruitment process. Be sure to also follow up with the candidates who didn’t make it to the next stages of the selection. Providing each candidate with detailed feedback is also a good practice among professional recruiters.

In Conclusion

By following our tips and applying them correctly, you will significantly boost your chances of finding top talent for your company. Don’t be afraid to experiment with your hiring routine and adapt our tips accordingly. You should treat this guide as a list of loose recommendations rather than strict hiring rules.