Are You Ready for a Digital Interview?
Will technology ever replace the conventional job interview?
There are those who say that the traditional job interview is – or soon will be a thing of the past – a victim of technology. Some say that this conversion already has begun to take shape and will only accelerate.
In truth, phone interviews have been with us for quite some time now. In a non-employment setting, journalists, for example, have been conducting phone interviews of news makers for decades. Is it then so surprising that employers would follow suit?
It’s becoming an HR staple
It’s not unusual anymore to experience organizations that subject their job candidates to phone interviews also, and video interviews via technologies such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams, etc. But are they really job interviews?
Most job-search experts agree that the entire hiring process is a series of events designed to eliminate candidates until all that are left are the candidates best suited for the job. Face it. That hiring manager, that HR person is looking for a reason – any reason – to disqualify you.
Why would a phone or video interview be any different? In fact, this is an economical and efficient way to weed people out. Compare how many in-person interviews a hiring manager could host in one day compared with the number of video interviews.
It’s also a way for the hiring manager to look good in front of the boss.
Boss: “How are you coming on replacing that manager?”
HR Staffer: “We’ve conducted 20 video interviews in the past two days.”
Sounds impressive, doesn’t it?
The reality is that phone and video interviews really aren’t interviews at all. They’re just pre-screening tools designed to eliminate as many candidates as they can, as quickly as they can. How many jobs are actually filled as a result of a video interview? Very few, if any.
While there are advantages for the job seeker – No travel and no travel time. You only need to be “dressed” from waist up. However, the biggest advantages lie with the employer. And if you’re fortunate enough to pass the screening, in all probability, you’ll still have to endure the conventional job interview.
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