Video Interviewing: 5 Ways it Helps With Compliance

A large portion of Human Resources responsibilities includes risk management. New technologies, while they introduce convenience to our lives, can often bring worries of compliance, the burden of new risks and fear that our highly protected employee information could be misused or mismanaged. What’s even worse, the possibility for discriminatory or biased hiring practices might emerge. The reality is that discrimination is still a real problem, even with the most innovative of technologies.

Nowhere is the worry about meeting compliance more apparent than in the world of video interviewing. Since the advent of video interviewing via HR technology tools, as well as the start of tools like Skype and Google Voice, HR pros have worried that these technologies could negatively affect compliance. Some common compliance issues that HR professionals deal with regularly are discrimination and hiring bias based on race, age, gender, religion, etc. These issues alone are a lot for any HR professional to keep track of, and many were concerned that video interviewing would make compliance even harder.

After much practice and study, HR thought leaders were pleased to discover just the opposite. Not only does video interviewing have ZERO compliance issues, but interviewing and screening video software can positively effect your compliance and security processes. It can also work to protect both HR professionals and candidates alike. Popular HR consultant and writer Sharlyn Lauby told TechTarget earlier this year: "Instead of focusing on the potential for discrimination, I think candidates should focus on making an excellent impression."

Here’s how:

#1 - Consistency

Video Screening helps with EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) compliance by creating the same, consistent experience for every candidate who applies for a job. The same interviewer asks the same questions in the same order, and every candidate gets the opportunity to practice and respond in the same amount of time. Nothing is left to chance, like the interviewer’s whims, how they’re feeling that day, or if they forget to ask a certain question.

Even the time and day of the week in which a traditional interview takes place can have an effect on interview bias! Allowing interviewers to view videos when they’re most alert helps decrease opportunities for bias. If you’re looking to ensure consistent interviewing and a better candidate experience, video screening is a simple and efficient way to implement it!

#2 - Easy Recordkeeping

Did you know that OFCCP (Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs) requires companies with 150 employees or more to store interview data for two years? Companies with fewer than 150 employees are required to keep records for one year.  Most video interviewing software will store interviews for free, some for up to 3 or 4 years. This is an easy way to ensure that you are always ready to have your interview processes audited (not that you want that!). You now have video proof that your interviewing process is consistent, fair, and secure.

Tip: In the unlikely event of an audit, records are required to be kept until the audit is complete, even if it stretches past the original 1 or 2-year requirement. When evaluating video interviewing software, ensure they are able to help you out in this worst-case scenario.

#3 - Increased Organization

When your hiring process contains a mix of online applications and over-the-phone and in-person interviews, things can sometimes get a little messy. You can’t track a phone screen without some pretty heavy lifting, and it can be even harder to know what is happening during in-person interviews. Stay on top of where candidates are in the process and avoid confusion with stored interviews. Many video interviewing software tools allow you to capture screens with hiring manager notes attached so everything stays in alignment. Video screening and interviewing—especially when combined with powerful sourcing, job distribution, and ATS tools—allows you to track your candidates’ experiences from beginning to end.

Tip: A well-tracked and well-organized hiring process provides the opportunity to easily analyze what is and isn’t working. What questions aren’t providing the insight you were hoping for? Are candidates overly nervous or underprepared for their video interview? Keep an eye out for places where improvement or clarification may be needed.

#4 - Reduced Human Error

Video screening provides a human touch without some of the human fallibilities that make interviewing more of an art than a science. In fact, according to Recruiter.com, there are four types of interview bias to be on the lookout for Confirmation, Affective Heuristic, Anchoring, and Intuition. You will be able to avoid these, along with tangents in interviews, personal bias, and interviews that spill over time because the interviewee and interviewer “just got along so well.” Instead, you’ll move quickly through the getting-to-know-you phase and on to the offer stage once qualifications have been established and candidate fit comes more into play.

In addition, the EEOC suggests that “several people assess each video resume in relation to the stated job requirements.” Multiple assessments reduce the risk of bias without increasing the anxiety level of the applicant, as would a traditional interview with multiple interviewers. Video interviewing corrects nerves and bias on both sides of the interview.

#5 - Frequent Education

Hiring managers and HR pros can come together around questions and interview lengths to make sure your hiring team is on the same page. Instead of attempting to film a traditional, in-person interview without causing the candidate additional anxiety, a video interview is readily available for your team to watch and evaluate. You will be able to quickly and easily educate your hiring team on which questions are compliant and which just aren’t. Prevent bias by giving each candidate a fair experience and by communicating around the specific answers each one provides.

Video interviewing and screening shouldn’t scare HR professionals; it should empower them to make their screening and interviewing process more efficient, compliant, and secure than ever before. ClearCompany offers video screening as part of our all-in-one applicant tracking system. Book a demo with one of our experts to find out how you can change your interview process for the better!

To learn more about video interviewing and screening check out our latest video interview tips:

• The Biggest Changes You Need to Make to Your Interviewing Process
• How to Prep Your Candidates for Their First Video Interview
• 5 Tips for Conducting Video Interviews that Engage Your Candidates
• How Integrating Video Interviewing the Right Way Can Transform Your Recruiting