It’s difficult to get work these days, but some companies also require applicants to participate in one-way video interviews. On several levels, this is problematic. HR organizations should not ask this of job prospects unless the work specifically requires “creating TikTok or Reels videos of yourself.” Even if it is the precise job description, a portfolio may be sufficient to demonstrate that a candidate can do the needed tasks. Because the recruiter can make assumptions and pick based on their unconscious prejudice more easily over a disembodied video than a flesh-and-blood interviewee. This format is ideal for discrimination.
For starters, most people find job hunting and interviewing stressful activities. The stress people experience about finding work is especially high post-pandemic when it’s more likely than ever that applicants have been jobless or underemployed for far too long. Most people are apprehensive about interviews, to begin with. Many individuals get jittery when they are photographed with a digital camera. One-way video interviews will not be like public speaking;, according to various sources, an estimated 75 percent of people fear public speaking to some extent. When you consider how uncomfortable it is for many people to watch themselves on television, one-way interviews look disrespectful and cruel.
One-way video interviews are one-sided, implying that the recruiter’s time or worth is the only thing that matters. One advantage of one-on-one interviews, whether via phone, Zoom, or in person, is that the interviewer and the applicant may collaborate in a more natural, conversational manner. This may make the prospect feel more at ease, or at the very least allow them to ask the HR recruiter questions about the role and the company. It also gives the interviewer a better sense of the candidate’s personality and fit into a company’s culture or group. There might be a power exchange for better or worse. Face-to-face or one-on-one interviews demonstrate to applicants that you value their time as well as your own.
Many job hopefuls seem to have applied for a variety of employment. Updating and emailing a résumé and portfolio, completing a web-based application form, and presumably writing a cover letter should be enough to express a candidate’s credentials to proceed to an interview. Many of these documents get lost in the ether since many recruiters and HR departments do not respond to all applicants. At best, one-way video interviews look impersonal. There’s also a chance that no one will look at it, and no one will respond, just as there is with resumes and job applications—what a gut-wrenching experience. To add insult to injury, the approach tends to differ dramatically from business to firm, with some instructing applicants to make it as long as possible. Different companies ask automatic popup questions at predetermined intervals, either cutting the candidate’s previous response short or leaving them with dead air time while waiting for the next question. It was excruciating—there was no way to shine.
It’s depressing to think that someone would put themselves through a course that would be so difficult for them, just to get crickets as a reaction. It’s possible that a real live person won’t even see them since if an HR recruiter doesn’t have time to book a phone screener, at the very least, they’re unlikely to watch all of the one-way video interviews they get. This demonstrates such a lack of care for the applicant that it reflects badly on the company—and tells candidates something about how it seems to treat its employees.
Many applicants won’t bother with these difficult and demeaning one-way video interviews anyhow, according to Reddit r/recruitinghell and members of the Austin Digital Jobs Facebook group. Many commentators agreed with u/tron Mexico in a popular Reddit post. 25’s post said he had declined an offer to perform one of these. “If you require applicants to explore your available jobs, I would respectfully advise someone reaches out with a more personal contact as an alternative to requesting them to chat immediately into a digital camera with no option for major interaction,” the Reddit post continues.
Austin Digital Jobs’ HR recruiters and applicants reacted to a CareerPlug article published by their Director of HR, Natalie Morgan, stating they need to be avoided and “are damaging the candidate expertise” by saying they need to be avoided.
These one-way flicks have been insulting, “gross,” “awful,” “indefensibly stupid,” and a waste of time, according to ADJ members. After they exclaim, “Yuck,” one ADJ member, Annette Priest, sums up the overall feeling well. When you work for an organization, you’re rarely treated as well as when you’re interviewing. Consider this a scarlet flag, and flee!” I completely agree. Candidates, you should avoid them at all costs. Please, recruiters, aim higher.
