Pre-recorded Interview – Your Complete Preparation Guide [2023]

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What Is a Pre-recorded Video Interview?

A pre-recorded has become a common practice in the hiring process of some of the most prominent organizations, like Deutsche Bank, Boeing, and Point72. It assesses different aspects of your personality, abilities, competencies, drives and motivations. 

Note that the pre-recorded interview does not replace the traditional in-person interview, but it is a means to gain a first impression of the candidates and assess their  work-related hard and soft skills. 

In the pre-recorded interview, there is no interaction with your interviewer; instead, you will stand alone in front of the camera and address questions or assignments that were pre-recorded or given in writing. 

The number of questions varies between positions and organizations, but most pre-recorded video interviews include 5 to 8 questions and take about 20-30 minutes to complete. For each question, you will have between 30 seconds to 2 minutes to prepare your answer and up to 3 minutes to record it.

The questions and assignments you are given are  tailored specially for your position; as such, they differ between organizations and roles. For example, if you apply for a managerial position, the questions will focus on your leadership abilities and experience managing people. If you apply for a customer service position, the questions will focus on traits like persuasion abilities, empathy, and interpersonal relations. 

While most pre-recorded interviews include open-ended questions, they often contain a series of job simulation assignments, such as a case study, role-playing, virtual job tryouts, and situational judgement tests. This combination of pre-recorded interviews and job simulations is used in the hiring process of leading banks and finance firms, such as Deloitte, HSBC, EY, and BDO.

The interview can be administrated via an online platform, like HireVue or Amberjack, or you may be asked to record a video on your phone or computer and send it to your recruiters.

You can record your interview from your computer, smartphone, or tablet and at any place and any time that is convenient to you within the time frame you were given to complete it.  

Once you submit your interview, it will be sent to your recruiters, who will view it and decide if you are moving on to the next stage of the hiring process.

Types of Pre-recorded Video Interview Questions

The questions you will be asked in your pre-recorded video interview aim to get to know you better, both personally and professionally. Thus, there are various types of questions you need to prepare for –

• Professional experience questions – you will be asked to talk about your past professional experience, challenges you have faced in previous positions, success stories you have had, your relationships with your colleagues, your understanding of the position, and your strengths and weaknesses.
• Situational judgement questions – you will be presented with work-related scenarios and need to describe how you would respond and what actions you would take.
• Scenario simulations – you will be presented with a work-related scenario and need to simulate and act out your response within the scenario.

Here are the 10 most common Pre-recorded interview questions –

💡 See more popular Pre-recorded video interview questions

Want to know more about how to prepare for your pre-recorded interview? contact us! 

How Does a Pre-recorded Interview Work?

1. You will receive an email invitation from your recruiter with a link to the online interview platform. The invitation will also include instructions for recording the interview and the deadline date for completing it.
2. After clicking the link, you may need to enter personal details, such as name and email address.
3. You will be presented with a short introduction showing how the platform works and what you can expect during the pre-recording interview process.
4. The system will check the audio and webcam settings and show you how it looks on the screen.
5. You can take a practice question to get you at ease with the platform and warm up for the interview.
   The practice question is not recorded and will not be sent to your recruiters.
6. Once you are ready, press the “start” button and begin your interview.
   The interview itself usually contains between 5 to 8 questions. You will have about 30 seconds to prepare your answer and up to 3 minutes to record it.
   On some platforms, you can stop your recording and take a pause. However, once you submit your answer, there is no way back.
7. After your interview, the recording will be sent to your recruiters, who will review it and determine whether you move on to the next step of the hiring process.

Pre-recorded Video Interview Tips

Video interviews may seem awkward and unintuitive, but in today's hiring world they are your opportunity to make a positive first impression. The more easily you get over the strangeness of the situation and focus on maximizing your interview performance, the more of an edge you'll have on your competition. Here are a few helpful tips to get you started:

Prepare Yourself
Like any other job interview, you need to do the research and know what you are up against. Read the job description, learn about the company and its culture, and what will be accepted from you on the job.

Dress Up
Although you will not have a person to communicate with during the interview, your recruiters will view it, and they can pay attention to all details, not just your answers. Wear clean and suitable clothes, as you would in a frontal one-on-one interview.

Organize Your Environment
Choose a quiet location with good lighting and no distractions. No matter how cute your Mr. Cuddlepuff is, it is better to keep them off the camera.

Equip Yourself
Ensure all your equipment is working – the internet connection is strong, your camera and microphone are set, the battery is fully charged, etc.

Mind Your (Body) Language
Seat straight, look into the camera to keep eye contact, don’t make faces, speak clearly and coherently, and keep a big friendly smile. You can practice these features, get comfortable in front of the camera beforehand, and use the practice question to ensure you are ready for action.

Use Your PrepTime
Take advantage of the preparation time you are given for each question. Write notes and outline your talking points. This will make you feel more fluent and cohesive and provide you with confidence in your answer.

Be Genuine
There is only one you in the world. Give it your best while remaining authentic; you want them to hire you for who you are.

Have any questions about your upcoming pre-recorded interview? contact us! 

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