How to conduct a successful virtual interview on Indeed

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Video job interviews can help you interview candidates whenever and wherever you both have time to connect. What started during the pandemic has since become an important part of the recruiting process, especially as remote work options are here to stay.

Many employers have also discovered that virtual interviews are a great replacement for phone screens, can be a helpful way to speed up other steps in the interview process and can show candidates that you’re committed to providing a positive candidate experience.

You can now conduct live virtual interviews easily directly on Indeed, without the need for a separate video conferencing tool. There are no software or apps to download, and it’s free to use for any job you post on Indeed.[1] Let’s dive in and explore how to be successful conducting virtual interviews on Indeed, including how to make the experience smooth for both you and your candidates.

Benefits of conducting virtual interviews on Indeed

According to an Indeed survey, 35% of jobseeker say they prefer virtual interviews via phone and/or video over in-person interviews.[2] There are several other benefits to conducting virtual interviews on Indeed, including:

Quality candidates: whether it’s the early stages of conversations or the last steps in the hiring process, interviewing on Indeed helps get you one step closer to the right recruit. 75% of SMB employers who conduct individual interview sessions on Indeed positively rate their candidate.
Ease of use: conducting virtual interviews on Indeed is as easy as opening your meeting link and connecting with your candidates. There’s no need to download extra apps or software. In fact, no additional technical set-up is required to connect with your applicants.
Flexibility: Since you and your candidates don’t have to be in person for an interview, you’ll have more scheduling flexibility, which can help reduce cancellations and no-shows. The increased flexibility for your candidates can also help you save on travel costs and reach candidates in more locations. Interviews on Indeed report 38% fewer candidate ‘no-shows’ on average compared to in-person interviews.[3]
Faster connections: get to know many candidates quickly without the work of coordinating place and time. Some employers even find that doing virtual interviews allows them to skip the phone interview, and other steps in their process. Time-to-interview on Indeed is on average 20% faster than in-person interviews or virtual interviews with a third-party app.[4]
Streamlined communication: Indeed Interviews allows you to organise all of your candidate communications in one place. You can seamlessly connect, schedule and manage conversations with candidates directly from your dashboard or phone.
Enjoyable experience: Over 67% of employers using interviews on Indeed have already used the platform more than once.[5]

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What is Indeed Interview?

Indeed Interview powers the virtual interview experience from the moment you open your interview link. Any video interview or phone call you make on Indeed is powered by this technology, which is designed and built for live video interviewing. It provides an easy-to-use experience for both you and your candidates and is free to use for any job you post on Indeed.

You’ll have everything you need for your virtual interviews handy, including the candidate’s CV (if they’ve agreed to share it) and the job description. You can customise candidate welcome messages, communicate with candidates waiting in your virtual lobby, preview CVs, save notes and document candidate disposition data, all in one easy to use interview tool.

How to conduct video interviews with Indeed

When you post a job on Indeed, you can schedule video interviews with candidates you’re interested in from the Interviews tab on the Candidate details page of your Employer Dashboard. (The option to conduct a virtual interview is the default Interview type. You can also interview over the phone or in-person.)

Simply suggest days and times for the virtual interview, add a message and click on Send Invitation. When the candidate accepts your invitation, you’ll both get an email with a unique link to the video interview.

On the day of the scheduled video interview, click on the link in your confirmation email or from the Interviews tab on the Candidate details page of your employer dashboard to open the Indeed Interview lobby and start the virtual interview.

In Indeed Interview, you’ll have everything you need to interview candidates without any complicated settings. From the interview room, you can view the candidate’s CV (with the candidate’s permission), mute and unmute your audio, stop and start your video, share your screen and end the interview. You can also take notes during the interview by clicking Notes. After the interview, your notes can be found in the lobby under the Interviewed tab. (Note: The candidate will not have access to these notes.

After the interview, update the candidate’s status about whether you’re still interested (yes, no, maybe) and make sure to add any additional notes from the interview to refer back to.

Related: How to conduct a job interview

Tips for preparing for video interviews

Treat video interviews like onsite interviews, but spend time preparing your technology, physical space and interview questions. Here’s a quick checklist to help you prepare for your next video interview:

1. Review the candidate’s CV. With Indeed Interview, you can access applicant CVs both before and during the interview (if the jobseeker has agreed to share it). Read the candidate’s CV beforehand to help you come up with a list of interview questions. Make note of anything you want the candidate to expand on or clarify, such as gaps in employment or job hopping.

2. Test your tech. Check that your internet connection, webcam and microphone are working properly. We’ll email you a link to test your technology prior to the interview. (Don’t worry if your connection hits a snag during the interview, you can always switch to phone as a fallback.) Consider starting the call early to ensure that there are no technical issues.

Other troubleshooting tips include:

Conserve bandwidth by closing other tabs and applications open on your device.
Plug your device into a power source.
Use an Ethernet cable to improve your network quality, reduce the distance between your device and your primary wifi signal.
Use your device’s default camera instead of an external USB camera.

3. Remove distractions. Consider closing any non-critical windows, tabs and programs on your computer and phone, especially ones that might unexpectedly make noises or launch pop-ups. Candidates will see whatever is behind you so conduct the interview in a clean, professional environment. With Indeed Interview, you can also blur your background by clicking the ^ symbol next to the video icon and clicking the toggle for Blur Background. (Note: This feature is only available on Chrome and Desktop due to browser limitations.)

4. Adjust your lighting. Experiment with lighting by adding a lamp, turning on more lights or opening the curtains, making sure the light source is in front of you so the candidate can clearly see your entire face.

5. Prepare a list of video interview questions. Consider asking a mix of behavioural, situational and cultural interview questions. Starting with some fun interview questions can also help break the ice and put candidates at ease, especially since video interviews can feel a bit awkward at first.

We’ve also compiled 1000s of interview questions for over 500 job titles to help you get to know a potential employee.

Video interview FAQs

Is virtual interviewing on Indeed free?

Indeed Interview is free to use for any job you post. There is no difference in virtual interview functionality between free and Sponsored Jobs.

Are video interviews on Indeed live or pre-recorded?

Video interviews on Indeed are live, which means both the interviewer and the candidate have to be present for the interview to happen. Once you’re connected, you’ll be able to see and speak with the candidate in real time.

How do jobseekers receive a link to the interview?

Jobseekers will receive a confirmation email when they accept your interview invite. To help prevent no-shows, we’ll also send them a reminder email/text message the day before the interview.

Can I conduct the interview on my phone?

Yes. With Indeed Interview, you can conduct interviews on your phone, tablet or desktop.

How many interviewers can join a video interview?

Indeed Interview now supports multiple interviewers in the same interview room (up to 50 participants).

Interviewers can add other interviewers via a link. If an Interviewer joins via a link, they’ll have Guest permission and will be able to screen share, use the chat feature and blur their background. However they will not be able to use the Notes, Record and CV features.

Will the video link be updated if an interview is rescheduled/re-confirmed?

Yes. Whenever a jobseeker requests to reschedule an interview, we’ll cancel the original interview and ask you to send a new interview request. Once accepted, we’ll send new video interview links to both you and the candidate.

What happens if someone has technical trouble during a video interview?

If the candidate has trouble joining the video conference or experiences technical issues at any point during the interview, you’ll get a notification in the video conference window prompting you to call the candidate on the phone.

What should I do if I don’t get an email with the video link?

Go to the Candidate details page of your Employer Dashboard and click on the Interviews tab. This is where you can see all of your upcoming interviews. Check that the status is Confirmed. If not, there won’t be a link yet, and you should follow up with the candidate. If so, you’ll see a link next to the interview time.

How long do video interviews typically last?

There’s no time limit for virtual interviews on Indeed Interview. It’s up to you to decide how many questions to ask and how much time you need to interview a candidate. The length of your video interviews will likely depend on the position, your industry, who’s conducting the interview (e.g. recruiter or recruitment manager) and any questions the candidate may have.

Over half of employers (52%) report spending 30 minutes or less talking to a candidate when conducting a full interview.[6]

How do you introduce yourself in a video interview?

Keep it short and simple. Start video interviews by stating your name, what your role at the company is and why you’re happy to be connecting with the candidate. It can also be helpful to give upfront context on what the interview process will look like and what you’re hoping to learn from the candidate. Consider easing into the interview and building rapport before jumping into questions.

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