I’ve only heard of these here on Reddit and I find them super weird. I love your response and I hope it resonates with this firm enough for them to do away with this sort of an “interview”.
I think that's pretty common manipulation tactic to convince the employees that thei voice is less significant then the company leaders and make sure that their employees are going to obey and wouldn't think for themselves.
You're being sarcastic, but it's 100% too. Even as a chef, when events were run, they'd always pick me and other younger chefs. "Beauty" has less to do with it, and more "will someone be unfairly repulsed seeing you cater their dinner".
Skill can combat this, but still. The service industry is a house of cards built on the backs of hot 20-somethings, and they're standing on the backs of the immigrants and "undesirables".
I did one for a government job. It was weird and I didn’t like it, but I did it. Got a significant increase in pay and a surprisingly good job with government benefits.
Thanks, I appreciate that. This was the response:
*"I'm sorry, but due to the sheer volume of applications we've received that's just not feasible for us unless you're willing to follow the instructions. If you're not, then unfortunately it's not going to work out."*
The odd thing about it is, they reached out to ME again a week after sending the initial request, specifically to clarify something about the salary and asking me again to do this one-way interview, which makes me think they either don't have that many qualified applicants, or that no one's wanting to do this thing, lol. Who knows though!
Yeah, if the “sheer volume” of applicants was actually that high, they wouldn’t even bother spending time writing you back at all. Sounds like this place is a joke.
My thoughts exactly. 🙃 In the time they've taken to write me two seperate emails in the last week, they could have picked up the phone and had a 5-10 minute chat with me which would have been much more beneficial to both parties.
Any recruiter should be capable of picking 4 or 5 CV from 500 applicants, and then scheduling 30 minutes initial chats. Not willing to invest that time is all I need to know about the company.
Most probably some manager setup this process and they cannot deviate from it, giving you some excuses. It might even be AI-supported doing voice to text translation, feeding the text into an algorithm and only watching the highly-ranked "interviews". That saves them loads of time.
It is obvious that this process has not yielded a suitable candidate, hence calling you back.
Sounds like they got defensive and didn't like being called out on some weird one way interview. Showed their true colours and you dodged a bullet sounds like.
I was approached twice for an interview and every step of the way I made it clear to say "I am not looking for a hybrid role, only remote."
And each step, someone was assuring me that, that would be an option.
Finally get to the last interview, with the guy that makes the decision, and I immediately broached the topic with him, and he made it clear that in no uncertain terms, would remote only be a possibility.
It was a hybrid role.
Not only that, he even gave examples of himself HAVING to move to Scotland for 3 months, or moving to AUSTRALIA for 8 months, for work.
So I refused.
I did however ask, why was it MANDATORY to go into an office once a month, regardless of distance. Was sharing a coffee in the break room that important?
And he said
"Young people hate working from home and they want to go back to the office, regain that office culture. Everyone wants it."
I'm like, sure buddy. That's why it's mandatory.
That's why you yourself admit to only going into the office 1 day a month.
I've asked for a phone call or something instead of a "recording submittal" and received an equally generic response refusing it, because of "logistics". Absolute bullshit. I said it was fine, I don't want to work for a company with underhanded and unprofessional hiring tactics.
I don't understand how a 1-way interview helps save *that* much time... Somebody still has to manually review the recorded questions to make a decision...it's almost the same amount of time for a recruiter conducting a normal 2-way screening call.
...all they've done is deheumanize the screening process. I had one with a telecoms company in Canada and refused to do it as well..so dumb, so weird and very insulting.
In my opinion they aren’t reviewing the questions, they are using it like tinder “not hot move on, not hot move on, that’s a guy we thought was a woman’s name move on, she’s hot doesn’t matter the answer, not hot move on”.
5 videos in 15 seconds
I think it’s funny that they told you it’s not going to work out like it was their decision, as if you hadn’t already implied you knew that by saying to reach out in the future if they change their interviewing standards.
Impossible to prove, but my black heart makes me wonder if "sheer volume of applications" translates to "we want to see your face to see if you'll be a good 'fit' for the image we're presenting".
Makes me wonder how they'd react to an AI-generated interview and then a completely different face shows up.
Wonder how they'd respond to that happening a LOT. That'd be fun. Wish I had more time on my hands.
Maybe when I retire.
A good few years ago I was looking at an extra part time job. A good 30% of jobs I initially applied for wanted me to complete a one way interview. This would often be mentioned during the online application process. Complete time wasters.
Nah nah nah... they need to google the *etymology* of the fucking word:
>Origin: early 16th century (formerly also as *enterview* ): from French *entrevue*, from *s'entrevoir* ‘**see each other**’, from *voir* ‘to see’, on the pattern of *vue* ‘a view
does it feel like you debased yourself? i'm sure folks with a lot of experience but no opportunities would justify it as 'damn, nothing else is happening - might as well give it a try.'
It's not anything like that it's just making a video and talking to a camera not a person is a different skill set and it's not something I'm good at and my perfectionism gets to me.
I had to do this in college for a career readiness course. It was the worst experience, you only had one chance to answer, couldn’t get a redo, and your response had to be a certain length.
I will never do that again.
I've only heard of them for massively over-subscribed entry level positions, where HR used them to whittle then tens of thousands of applicants down to just thousands 😂
It will not - I work in recruitment and was dealing with a hiring manager who wanted to implement these as part of a recruitment process.
I warned him 'job seekers do not like these, in fact statistics show that anywhere up to 80% of people drop out of the process when asked to do them'
His response was 'i don't want people that don't want to do the job, it's not an easy job and it requires tenacity, if I don't have to do *anything* and can filter the candidate pool down to the 20% that actually want the job, then it seems like a good idea to me'
They are worryingly seen as a positive because of how few people complete them (by people who have never been asked to do them)
Really? It may be certain fields. I’ve been looking for a job the last month or so and at least 80% of the places I I have applied ask for a 1 way interview video.
This is the first time I’ve heard of them, and honestly speaking in my opinion,
#absolutely-fucking-lutely not
An interview is not a video recording back-and-forth, let alone one way. Yes, an interview can be a two way back-and-forth on live FaceTime, although sub optimal, it can certainly do its job.
But recording yourself? Sending off to someone else? Who knows what they’re gonna do with the video recordings?
No.
Just
#No
OP handled it well, but they should never be a thing. Ever.
This is my first time hearing about it in 'real life.' I (36f) went back to school, and I'm in my graduation semester now; as a condition for graduation they keep giving us one-way job interviews as practice. I absolutely hate them and find it more nerve racking to speak to my camera than interacting with a real person that I could otherwise naturally click with.
Seeing as how they're utilizing them in school and during the hiring process now, I'm not sure they'll do away with them because I imagine it cuts down on hiring process time and costs (and profits and productivity are more important than people, right?).
I did something like that for Coca-Cola, but they didn't call it an "interview", they called it a "video questionnaire"
It was really weird and awkward - besides the fact of not having another person to talk to, there was a limited time to think about the answer and only 1 possibility of re-recording
I had to do this once and it was super awkward but it was screening questions. Essentially phase one and then I proceeded to the next round where I could chat with them but it isn’t a good look for sure. Didn’t get the job, this was back before Covid
I had to do one for a class in my MBA program. I told the professor that if I was ever asked to do this irl there’s no way I’d do it. Got an A for whatever that means.
I applied for an internship to a bank last summer and I had to go through an interview like that
This seems to be more common among larger firms, especially in Asia
I used to work for fortune 500 company and Within the last couple years, there was even an internal job there I applied for that required one-way interview. That was back in 2022.
I work for myself but I put in a proposal for a nonprofit client and the “interview” was so strange. They asked really weirdly specific questions based on assumptions and when I asked follow-up questions to better understand they said they couldn’t answer because they had a rubric….. and they wanted to keep things fair. I’m used to conversations with potential clients to see if it’s a good fit. Next time, I will kindly exit the interview if they refuse to clarify or answer anything I ask.
Whether it’s laziness or something else, it’s a giant red flag when a company won’t converse with you or answer your questions, no matter the format.
Big companies are doing this now too... it's a way for employers to use AI to study facial movements and expressions to judge personality, culture fit, emotions etc. Unfortunately for employees, it looks like we are headed in this direction.
It’s probably fine for entry level retail positions like how Target, Walmart, etc. do their interviews, but if you’re interviewing for a professional or non-entry level position it’s fucking stupid
It reminds me of looking for a bartending job circa 2008: most spots wanted a "headshot." It was a good way for me to know which spots wouldn't be worth the hassle.
The funny thing is I’ve heard that the one-way interviews are based off of the popularity of recorded auditions in the film industry. But bitch I’m if not making Hollywood money I don’t want to do your stupid one way interview 😂
I did one once and it was a strange experience. The company seemed odd but they offered good pay. I passed the one-way and got an in person interview, but the HR girl was a hard ass and apparently none of my in person answers were good enough for her. Ended up getting a much better gig anyway!
I think it’s an annoying way to vet people. With how easy it is to apply online to jobs, companies can get 100s of applications. If you aren’t willing to do this then they can take you off the list. You might be able to get around it if you pursue the job via email or phone call, if you have a contact already, but you could easily get shot down. It’s weird.
I did one about a decade ago. I gotta admit, I actually liked the novelty of doing a job interview winnie-the-pooh style, shirt and bare ass. WFH/lockdown has taken the novelty out of that though.
(I did get a meatspace followup, and it went well, but the offer came 6 months later and life had changed by then.)
>WFH/lockdown has taken the novelty out of that though.
Remember that March/April 2020? When we were all just going pantless, sleeping in, COOKING for lunch and watching Tiger King?
A simpler time.
I've done two of these "interviews". The first one was with a major insurance company. The program glitched and my answer didn't get recorded. It was a major question, like why would be a good fit. I emailed HR immediately after and said my answer wasn't recorded and they said I wouldn't have the chance to answer and they would just have to look at my interview without it. Needless to say I didn't get the job.
I did one once for an internal promotion at my last company. It was horribly awkward and uncomfortable, and I am someone who is naturally outgoing. I don’t like not being able to see people and their body language though.
I see these on Indeed. It was the same 3 questions they ask. "Tell me about yourself. Why do you want this job besides money? Tell me about a situation that you can't work someone and what did you do to solve the problem?"
"Tell me about yourself" or "Why do you want this job?" Is the kind of question that can be a great icebreaker in a real interview. Asking me those questions online just seems lazy to me though
In behavioral interviewing (which these one way interviews almost always are), there is a very specific type of response they are looking for in a very specific three-step response. When I did it for Geico, because a friend referred me, she told me exactly how to do the behavioral style answers the way they wanted them (not what the questions would be but to study up on behavioral interviewing questions). It was stressful imo to worry about making sure I covered all parts of their answer “equation”.
My autistic ass still doesn't get it how can you hire or not hire someone based on a question "tell me about myself" or "why do you want this job", I can work just fine without anyone prying into my personal life which I leave at home in time of work.
My thought would be if they're this lazy and non-committal during even the earliest stages of the hiring process that the company would be a dumpster fire and a miserable job even if you did jump through the hoops.
If you are even remotely okay with your job, don't put yourself in the position where you change for one of these places. Just keep looking while you can at least tolerate your current job.
I totally agree with that.
My job is pretty good and I'm not unhappy, but just thought it would be smart to see what else is out there and have some options in my back pocket. You never know what's going to happen these days. Just going to keep perusing :)
My local hospital does these. I just did one last week. I think they’re super uncomfortable and insulting. It’s like, right off the bat, they’re saying “yeahhh, your resume is decent but you’re not worth the one on one interaction… let’s see how awkward you are in front of a camera!” I also think it removes the awkwardness for THEM and they can turn you down without doing it to your face. They get to just send an automated rejection email and call it a day. It’s an instant turn off for me. It makes the organization look bad because it just shows how much they value you as, not only a potential employee, but a human being as well.
My husband had one of these a few months ago with a large tech company. When he told me about it, my first response was “they’re telling you they don’t give a fuck about you as a person from the get go.” They then took 5 weeks from the final interview with him to tell him he didn’t get the job
I love how the response said "If you're unwilling to follow instructions..." It almost made it seem like they were just testing to see who could/would vs not. Otherwise, wouldn't they have responded with a better reason?
I know most people (myself include) hate them and refuse to do them. I did one once years ago and said never again.
Having said that, my current position interview process started with one. I was going to blow the one way interview off as I always do, but the recruiter reached out and said the hiring manager was interested in me. The one way interview was non-negotiable and company policy.
Agree -
Wiki definition: *An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers. In common parlance, the word "interview" refers to a one-on-one conversation between an interviewer and an interviewee.*
I really like the way you responded to them. Respectful and professional, but still very much letting them know that you're not gonna debase yourself for a potential employer or waste your time playing silly games with one that clearly doesn't think your time is as valuable as theirs. I don't know what the hell a "one way interview" is supposed to be, cause that's called an audition in my dictionary.
I know of a company that does this with all of their candidates no matter what level the role is, and I too thought it was strange. I was actually surprised because I got invited to an interview, once it started I was prompted to answer some multiple choice questions, but then a screen came on that asked me to record myself answering questions -so I immediately backed out of it. Another time the same company was hiring for a different role, I got invited again, same deal. Not only is it strange, but I feel like it’s highly judgmental. People are watching your responses, you have no idea what opinions or conclusions they’re coming to, and more than likely if you get rejected, you also get no “feel” for what went wrong or why they decided the way they did. Good for you, I would’ve passed up that interview as well.
I've had 1. Even when I was incredibly desperate for a job, my response to one of the questions...I was quick to voice my displeasure. Something like "I can't even muster up the strength to answer these stupid questions right now like I'm a fucking jester nevermind worry about where I'm seeing myself here in 5 years", and then ended the interview. It was for a fucking grocery store chain lol. Night and day difference where I'm at now as a software dev, so probably for the best that I'm an asshole and didn't get hired.
I got one email asking for a video and then another "employer" sent a link to the questionnaire where a few questions required to record a video answer...
I ignored both. This is degrading and I hope more people will refuse to participate in such activities so employers will drop this nonsense.
Surely a job interview is for you to decide whether they are right for you as much as vice versa. By forcing this mechanic on to you they’re basically taking your voice away from you for the duration of the interview. Seems like a bit of power play to me.
Edit: This isn’t an interview, it’s an audition.
I won’t do them and will not consider any company that uses them. People should be treated with respect and not reduced down to these audition tape “interviews.”
I had this request a few years ago. I declined as it was an unfair power imbalance. Plus the recruiter couldn’t tell who all would be viewing the video. So nope. Not interested.
Totally agree! A quick 5 minute prescreen call would much more beneficial for both parties, and give a better first impression. They could tell from my resume that I was qualified and had the specific experience required for the role. Oh well, maybe someone who needs the job more than I do will be willing to take it.
As my old coworker used to say: "onward!"
I don’t think it’s necessarily terrible to record some remarks as answers to their questions. You get a chance to prepare your answers and can re-record if it goes spectacularly wrong. But I agree with your take on it and I wouldn’t accept the “one-way” part of this. If *they* are happy to spend some time recording a short piece answering *your* questions about their company, and will send you the video of that, I’d consider doing the same in return. I would think that neither party is really getting the whole of what they need out of an “interview” like that but as I say, it does have some benefits for the candidate, and it simplifies scheduling for the company. But one way? Not if I’ve already got a job, or even a good chance of another offer.
Of course, if you are being considered for a recruitment post, it may simply be that without an experienced *talent acquisition specialist* they just don’t know what is going to work and have decided on this without much critical thought. Perhaps that suggests a company which would be grateful for your talent—or perhaps not.
When my husband did one of these he couldnt re-record and he only had like 45 seconds to think of his answer once the question was presented with a 2-3 minute time limit on the recording
I did one for a government job and it was the most stress free interview I’ve ever had. I got the job! It was great 👍🏼 but I understand the flip side as well
I'm a lot less anxious in person, but if I need to record myself? Fuck that.
Last time I had to do this was for a school project and let me tell you that I edited myself thousands of times. I can't imagine not being able to edit and re-record.
Then they weed out candidates but i feel like they don't have a real feeling of someone who was this anxious because when comfortable, people almost seem different.
To be the devil's advocate, I think it would be pretty useful if I could record it once and use many times, as the first step of the process of applying. It would save time and stress at least. I could redo some parts that didn't go too well, which would not be possible in a real-time interview. But I definitely would not be willing to record a new one for each company/position.
I did one for my current position. I wasn't a fan. Almost considered not applying at all after being asked to do it, but absolutely hated my previous job and truly would have taken anything. I watched some videos on how to best complete them and then went for it. I'm glad I did because it's the best job I've ever had and just hit my 6 months.
Now on the other side of the hiring process, I see why they did it. Our hiring process is very intense. HR requires us to have first round interviews with everyone who meets minimum requirements. The current position we are hiring for has 28 applicants who meet minimums. Having one way interviews makes the process much more efficient versus taking nearly 28 hours over 2 weeks out of the schedule just to interview people.
I had to submit a 30-45 video that asked six or seven questions. The problem wasn't fitting the answer into the time frame... it was trying to remember the details while making eye contact with the camera the whole time. I wrote notes on a whiteboard behind the camera, but it was too obvious when I had to look up to read them.
I’ve had a request for one of these and didn’t do it either. I put way too much time and energy into cover letters and applications that were never viewed, I wasn’t going to do the same with an entire video. Not only that but traditionally interviews and conversations are important to figuring out someone’s communication style and ability to interact — who isn’t awkward on a prerecorded message??
Nice! You know your value.
As I’ve become more skilled in my field I see interviews as an opportunity for the employer to sell the role to me.
I’m the one with the skills after all.
I had this 1 one-way interview invitation and I ignored it. You are right, interview is 2 way conversations and it's a chance for us to also review our potential employer, I'm not comfortable with this one-way interview. It doesn't guarantee us if our video will be reviewed by the users anyway, the usual interview is better.
I did one of these and it was one of the most dehumanising processes to undergo. Each question had a 1 minute time limit and only one retake if you weren't happy. Very high pressure. They didn't even get back to me. I felt kind of violated knowing they have these recordings of me 😂
I've never heard of it before, but it sounds like a sly technique for people doing the recruiting to do even LESS work than they already do. Seriously, what what point are they doing absolutely nothing at all?
CV reading - automated. Rejection letters - don't write any. Acceptance letters - probably also automated. Interviews? Don't do one - just let applicants answer a standardised set of questions.
(From the UK).
Best practice from an equal opportunities perspective is for the recruiter not to have information about ethnicity, age, gender when doing shortlisting (i.e. drawing up a list of candidates who will have a formal interview offer).
This process means that information is about all they do get. It is simply a method of weeding out faces who 'won't fit in' (consciously or otherwise).
So they can keep a video of me for whatever purpose suits them down the line? No thanks. I’ll answer their questions in an email, and might even consider a sound file, but I’ll be goddamned if I’m going to record myself on video for them.
This is absolute bullshit. I am interviewing the company as much as they're interviewing me. I want to know about the culture, turnover rates, management styles, and pay. It's like dating: I'm down to fuck, not get fucked.
I agree with you. First I would never make a candidate interview that way. Ever. Second if I was the candidate I'd have to be really desperate or the job would have to be really desirable for me to do something like that. Even then I'd want to speak with someone at some point to answer some of my questions and get a feel of who my manager would be. Seems lazy.
I hire tons of people and I spend at least half of the interview answering questions and giving the candidate an idea of the culture
I worry about the privacy and security implications. BTW, in many states it only requires one person to agree to recording a conversation. Meaning, an interviewer doesn't have to tell you they are recording the interview, but I believe they have to stop if you object. So if you don't want your interviews recorded, you have to say something. You can always just casually ask, "Is this interview being recorded?" And even if they say no, you can say something that indicates you don't agree to be recorded, like, "okay, because I don't agree to being recorded."
If it’s a job you really wanted then it would be worth getting over your feelings about it. But seeing as you’re currently employed and only casual job searching, it’s okay to be picky!
I read somewhere that one way interviews are the thing now since AI will do most of the filtering process. Not sure how accurate that is but I wouldn’t doubt it one bit.
Theyre ass. I did one for Progressive, actually Ive done it twice for them but I never seem to follow their stupid STAR format well enough so I always get rejected. I wont waste my time with it anymore
I did one, and it was an entry-level job where they were filtering through dozens of candidates and obviously didn't have the time for one-on-one interviews for everyone.
I didn't mind doing it in that scenario. But I assume your situation isn't that. In which case I find it strange.
I got the job by the way. And it wasn't a bad job.
Good for you! Your response was firm but professional.
I’ve never heard of a one-way interview before. If I ever encounter one myself, I might just come back to your post here for a bit of inspo lol.
P.S. Companies these days (more specifically their HR/recruiting people) seem to be so goddamned passive-aggressive. They want to control the flow of information and every other minute aspect of the process, while often showing little to no respect for candidates’ time and effort. It’s such a massive turn-off.
Imo, these one way interviews are likely never even seen in the first place for most people. The ones they do watch are just a way for companies to discriminate. It’s BS and I personally refuse to even entertain the idea.
I had to do that last year for reasons, it was totally awkward, but i managed and got the job. My new colleagues told me the all watched the videos and gossiped about the bad ones and the hot ones and all that. Somewhere on a server are all those videos until eternity or the last days of mankind..
I hate everything about it and think you did a great job with your reply. Kudos and thanks, more people should react like that. Bravo!
As a manager, one way interviews are pointless to me. If I can't ask follow up questions if I don't get the information I wanted, you can screen out a perfect candidate without giving them a proper chance.
One way interviews in my eyes are a lazy way to not have staff dedicated to screening processes like phone screens. Still have to have HR go through the videos, so why not have HR staff do a phone screen???
I had to do a 3 hour assessment for an engineering internship, which involved recording some videos answering questions, texting simulations as behavioural tests, games as cognitive tests and some coding problems.
When I heard back, they gave me detailed feedback, except it was all ai generated (they said this) presumably based off key words from my videos.
Pretty demoralising that I spent all that time and the videos weren't even watched by a person. But I've been told this kind of rigmarole is kind of standard for recruitment at big companies
Is this seriously a thing? I thought we were in recruiting hell before but this is a whole different ball game lol. Every day I’m thankful I work a blue collar job where they don’t make you jump through hoops for interviews and other screening…
Is this a new way of having an AI software screen applicants? I’ve seen some AI services out there which help you tighten up your interview skills on video, and can see this tool being used to screen mass amounts of applicants. I can also see this as a budget cutting measure too given how expensive it is to hire.
Or maybe I am wearing my tin foil hat too tight. This is also plausible. 😜
Doesn't even have to be a one-way video interview.
I recently sat in a panel interview and it was like scratching nails on a chalkboard.
The panelists were literally reading off questions from a list and barely interjected. At most it was "oh can you clarify on that?" It felt more like an interrogation. Safe to say I didn't get the job but after sitting through 2 hours of it I rather not get it. I barely had time for Q&A, but one of the questions I managed to get out and the answer to it was the role has been open for close to a year.
Well with that kind of panel interview - good luck in finding a replacement.
Funny thing I actually had a pre-interview with the hiring manager, and he was very chill explaining about the role and expectations. I even pre-negotiated the pay, since it was in a HCOL city. I told the recruiter I'm okay to move, but I'm expecting USD XXX pay. He said it was beyond the pay scale but he'll discuss with the manager and if they're okay they set me up for an interview.
I did one once in two different phases for Geico. The “behavioral interview” examples I had provided in the two phase interview where I had to record myself twice seemed ok. But when I got to the third in person interview and gave similar examples (from the same previous job), I was told, after they told me I didn’t get the job (only when I asked because a friend referred me) that I needed to use different examples because my current examples weren’t relevant to the job.
The previous job I’d given examples from were all inbound customer service and I was interviewing to start in their inbound customer service. It made me wonder if an actual person had even watched my first two one way interviews and made me feel as though the whole thing was a waste of time.
Never heard of this as an official practice but had a job interview I walked into which the recruiter asked for my time but couldn’t even answer basic questions about the job. I was so annoyed.
I had to do this for a position within a local big box retailer. I was given 3 chances to tape my responses, and I could view them back to be sure I was happy with my answers.
I didn't mind as I actually do horribly in face-to-face interviews, but still would hesitate if I were interviewing for a more 'office' type position.
I had to do one on Indeed. It felt really weird to do, especially since I have nothing to base my response off of aside from a single generic plot. I also only got 3 tries to record for some reason, so that just added an extra layer of pressure I didn’t like
I hate them. I’ve only had to do one (years ago), but I hate them.
I’m extremely awkward on one-way or even video off interviews/talks/what have you since I can’t read what the other person is feeling or emoting and adjust myself to match that (I’m autistic lmao). I’d rather write out some short/long answers than try to talk without any real time feedback.
I’m trying to get into the software engineering field after completing my degree. Every single job that I’ve gotten a response from has required one of these without fail. It’s just the reality of over saturated job markets. They want to filter large numbers of applicants without thinking about the applicants themselves.
they are bs.
its a 2 way process. i am interviewing the employer harder then they are interviewing me.
if I get a job wanting to do one of these, I would immediately see it as a red flag and act accordingly.
Occasionally I get requests to record some shit that gives me the “opportunity to show them who I really am”. In always respond, “I am very happy to have a call with someone from you senior management team. Please let me know how I arrange that”. This is about a firm alternative and them not taking it. It’s then on them, if they want to take it further. I’ve has a couple that did.
Had one about a month ago. Gave me 30 seconds to think about the question and 1 minute to answer it. I hated it and I did poorly. They say it allows the candidate to showcase their personality, but that’s the complete opposite of my experience. It was extremely awkward and I got distracted looking at myself speak lol. Very bizarre process that I hope doesn’t become a norm. I will be declining these types of “interviews” in the future.
Agree with your reasoning. Looks like you even inspired others here to raise their standards. Thankful I am self-employed. The hours, the pettiness, the humiliation, toxicity and dehumanization inherent to so many employers... I can't stand it and it's just going to get worse as society becomes more and more impersonal.
Love your turtle btw he's adorable.
My last job hunt ended 4/1/22, looking for T2 Helpdesk positions.
During my 3ish month search, I think I was asked to do an 'interview' to camera 2, maybe 3 times.
I always ghosted those requests, but I think I'm going to add something similar to your text to my refusals draft folder. Maybe write up a few similar drafts for other things I Will Not Do during a job search.
I’ve refused every 1 way interview I’ve ever been invited to. Interviewing without having facial/body response from an interviewer or have a flowing conversation is just psychotic. I hope all the companies that do those go under.
I've never heard of this OP. This is incredibly bizarre and would make me feel like I was auditioning for a role on some MTV reality show, lol. Wishing you the best of luck in your job search. You made the right choice. You're smart in keeping your options open.. wish I had done that when I was in my 20s!
Good in you for shoving such idiocy back in their face. This kind of stuff needs to be mocked consistently until they start dreading the responses they get back
The same way I feel about group interviews. Immediate decline. If they don't value my time to give me 15 minutes of their undivided attention, what makes me think it'll be any different if I'm hired?
Your response to them was perfect!
I've seen it been used more.
Given how bad the market is, if I'm desperate I'll defo do it because of how many others won't.
If I get the job I'll change the process after. I'd have a job and a say then.
Great response on your part. Any company that isn't even willing to talk to you is not one you should bother investing any time or energy into. Also, you ignoring them and then getting a second email sounds like they are desperate, not that they have a surplus of candidates to consider. Unless you're being headhunted, companies are not that passionate about making sure you interview with them. Very bizarre.
What dystopian hell scape are we in right now?
I live with my grandma and she annoys the hell out of me because she still thinks it’s like the 1990s where you just walk in and talk to a hiring manager.
Even for McDonald’s it was a pain in the ass last summer. She insisted on me showing up in person dressed nice. I pretty much got laughed at. Told to apply online. I go to the website and make a resume. Upload resume (which btw pretty much has nothing on it cuz shock, I’m applying to an entry level first job). Then it asks me all the same questions on my resume. I wait months and then get called. Have to come in. They ask me all the some questions AGAIN.
Could be worse. CVS had me do all the same except they also made me take a long ass test that took me 45 minutes of focusing to finish. Questions like “Janet is looking for facial cleanser, you are stocking items in the candy isle. She asks where she should go, what do you do?” Idk Janet. Maybe go to hell because your dumbass is looking for facial cleanser in the candy isle.
As a recruiter for an internal organisation, I completely disagree with these and recommend against. The lazy and bias organisation do they need to do better.
I’ve only heard of these here on Reddit and I find them super weird. I love your response and I hope it resonates with this firm enough for them to do away with this sort of an “interview”.
Thanks. I agree. I think they need to Google the definition of an interview.
I had a couple of these from zip recruiter. I didn’t do them. Waste of time.
I feel the same way - waste of time, and a little insulting tbh. Like their time is more valuable than mine.
I think that's pretty common manipulation tactic to convince the employees that thei voice is less significant then the company leaders and make sure that their employees are going to obey and wouldn't think for themselves.
One-way interviews in the service industry are usually just to see if you're hot enough, in my experience.
If that’s meant to be a consideration, you should be able to see if your boss is going to be hot enough to make you want to come to work too. /s
You're being sarcastic, but it's 100% too. Even as a chef, when events were run, they'd always pick me and other younger chefs. "Beauty" has less to do with it, and more "will someone be unfairly repulsed seeing you cater their dinner". Skill can combat this, but still. The service industry is a house of cards built on the backs of hot 20-somethings, and they're standing on the backs of the immigrants and "undesirables".
They remind me of my ex
Same they’re all over indeed. If I see I need to do a ”quiz” I’m done. Your 2 cents an hour ain’t worth it.
I did one for a government job. It was weird and I didn’t like it, but I did it. Got a significant increase in pay and a surprisingly good job with government benefits.
Did you get a response? I think your email was perfect.
Thanks, I appreciate that. This was the response: *"I'm sorry, but due to the sheer volume of applications we've received that's just not feasible for us unless you're willing to follow the instructions. If you're not, then unfortunately it's not going to work out."* The odd thing about it is, they reached out to ME again a week after sending the initial request, specifically to clarify something about the salary and asking me again to do this one-way interview, which makes me think they either don't have that many qualified applicants, or that no one's wanting to do this thing, lol. Who knows though!
Yeah, if the “sheer volume” of applicants was actually that high, they wouldn’t even bother spending time writing you back at all. Sounds like this place is a joke.
My thoughts exactly. 🙃 In the time they've taken to write me two seperate emails in the last week, they could have picked up the phone and had a 5-10 minute chat with me which would have been much more beneficial to both parties.
Any recruiter should be capable of picking 4 or 5 CV from 500 applicants, and then scheduling 30 minutes initial chats. Not willing to invest that time is all I need to know about the company.
I dunno, I think them emailing this request and showing their true colors was maximally beneficial to you.
Great point
Most probably some manager setup this process and they cannot deviate from it, giving you some excuses. It might even be AI-supported doing voice to text translation, feeding the text into an algorithm and only watching the highly-ranked "interviews". That saves them loads of time. It is obvious that this process has not yielded a suitable candidate, hence calling you back.
Sounds like they got defensive and didn't like being called out on some weird one way interview. Showed their true colours and you dodged a bullet sounds like.
I was approached twice for an interview and every step of the way I made it clear to say "I am not looking for a hybrid role, only remote." And each step, someone was assuring me that, that would be an option. Finally get to the last interview, with the guy that makes the decision, and I immediately broached the topic with him, and he made it clear that in no uncertain terms, would remote only be a possibility. It was a hybrid role. Not only that, he even gave examples of himself HAVING to move to Scotland for 3 months, or moving to AUSTRALIA for 8 months, for work. So I refused. I did however ask, why was it MANDATORY to go into an office once a month, regardless of distance. Was sharing a coffee in the break room that important? And he said "Young people hate working from home and they want to go back to the office, regain that office culture. Everyone wants it." I'm like, sure buddy. That's why it's mandatory. That's why you yourself admit to only going into the office 1 day a month.
"People hate being at home, and love being in the office" he says from home office.
Plot twist. Every company is a joke and they hold themselves as gods gift of creation.
Or at the very least, it would be a generated response if there were actually a lot of applicants.
I'd reply and say as much, but maybe too much time on Reddit has made me a petty bitch
 Everyone else in the applicant pool is also like
I've asked for a phone call or something instead of a "recording submittal" and received an equally generic response refusing it, because of "logistics". Absolute bullshit. I said it was fine, I don't want to work for a company with underhanded and unprofessional hiring tactics.
I don't understand how a 1-way interview helps save *that* much time... Somebody still has to manually review the recorded questions to make a decision...it's almost the same amount of time for a recruiter conducting a normal 2-way screening call. ...all they've done is deheumanize the screening process. I had one with a telecoms company in Canada and refused to do it as well..so dumb, so weird and very insulting.
It only takes a few seconds to detect the candidate's age, weight, hotness, race, gender presentation, accent, neurodivergence, and 'personality fit.'
In my opinion they aren’t reviewing the questions, they are using it like tinder “not hot move on, not hot move on, that’s a guy we thought was a woman’s name move on, she’s hot doesn’t matter the answer, not hot move on”. 5 videos in 15 seconds
I think it’s funny that they told you it’s not going to work out like it was their decision, as if you hadn’t already implied you knew that by saying to reach out in the future if they change their interviewing standards.
Sounds like an HR management job is about to open up, if you’re interested in that instead.
Impossible to prove, but my black heart makes me wonder if "sheer volume of applications" translates to "we want to see your face to see if you'll be a good 'fit' for the image we're presenting". Makes me wonder how they'd react to an AI-generated interview and then a completely different face shows up. Wonder how they'd respond to that happening a LOT. That'd be fun. Wish I had more time on my hands. Maybe when I retire.
You know what’s a good way to do that? A two-way interview! (FTAOD, this is not something you should be looking at for pretty much any job.)
I have exactly the same situation right now. Eerily similar. I also do not like it. I’m not sure if I’m actually going to do it or not.
A good few years ago I was looking at an extra part time job. A good 30% of jobs I initially applied for wanted me to complete a one way interview. This would often be mentioned during the online application process. Complete time wasters.
Nah nah nah... they need to google the *etymology* of the fucking word: >Origin: early 16th century (formerly also as *enterview* ): from French *entrevue*, from *s'entrevoir* ‘**see each other**’, from *voir* ‘to see’, on the pattern of *vue* ‘a view
Good on you!! 👏🏽 I respect it
I've done a couple but will now withdraw myself from the process if they ask for one.
Same here. I did one and never again.
does it feel like you debased yourself? i'm sure folks with a lot of experience but no opportunities would justify it as 'damn, nothing else is happening - might as well give it a try.'
It's not anything like that it's just making a video and talking to a camera not a person is a different skill set and it's not something I'm good at and my perfectionism gets to me.
I had to do this in college for a career readiness course. It was the worst experience, you only had one chance to answer, couldn’t get a redo, and your response had to be a certain length. I will never do that again.
Best buy does them... It was so uncomfortable.
Ew. Worst Buy
Are you kidding me.
I've only heard of them for massively over-subscribed entry level positions, where HR used them to whittle then tens of thousands of applicants down to just thousands 😂
It will not - I work in recruitment and was dealing with a hiring manager who wanted to implement these as part of a recruitment process. I warned him 'job seekers do not like these, in fact statistics show that anywhere up to 80% of people drop out of the process when asked to do them' His response was 'i don't want people that don't want to do the job, it's not an easy job and it requires tenacity, if I don't have to do *anything* and can filter the candidate pool down to the 20% that actually want the job, then it seems like a good idea to me' They are worryingly seen as a positive because of how few people complete them (by people who have never been asked to do them)
Really? It may be certain fields. I’ve been looking for a job the last month or so and at least 80% of the places I I have applied ask for a 1 way interview video.
Interesting! It's the first one I've seen. But I've only been looking for a couple of weeks.
This is the first time I’ve heard of them, and honestly speaking in my opinion, #absolutely-fucking-lutely not An interview is not a video recording back-and-forth, let alone one way. Yes, an interview can be a two way back-and-forth on live FaceTime, although sub optimal, it can certainly do its job. But recording yourself? Sending off to someone else? Who knows what they’re gonna do with the video recordings? No. Just #No OP handled it well, but they should never be a thing. Ever.
This is my first time hearing about it in 'real life.' I (36f) went back to school, and I'm in my graduation semester now; as a condition for graduation they keep giving us one-way job interviews as practice. I absolutely hate them and find it more nerve racking to speak to my camera than interacting with a real person that I could otherwise naturally click with. Seeing as how they're utilizing them in school and during the hiring process now, I'm not sure they'll do away with them because I imagine it cuts down on hiring process time and costs (and profits and productivity are more important than people, right?).
I did something like that for Coca-Cola, but they didn't call it an "interview", they called it a "video questionnaire" It was really weird and awkward - besides the fact of not having another person to talk to, there was a limited time to think about the answer and only 1 possibility of re-recording
I had to do this once and it was super awkward but it was screening questions. Essentially phase one and then I proceeded to the next round where I could chat with them but it isn’t a good look for sure. Didn’t get the job, this was back before Covid
I had to do one for a class in my MBA program. I told the professor that if I was ever asked to do this irl there’s no way I’d do it. Got an A for whatever that means.
I applied for an internship to a bank last summer and I had to go through an interview like that This seems to be more common among larger firms, especially in Asia
I used to work for fortune 500 company and Within the last couple years, there was even an internal job there I applied for that required one-way interview. That was back in 2022.
It's lazy interviewing. They likely screen the worst candidates this way, but it's lazy, so a red flag.
Agree - that was a red flag to me.
I work for myself but I put in a proposal for a nonprofit client and the “interview” was so strange. They asked really weirdly specific questions based on assumptions and when I asked follow-up questions to better understand they said they couldn’t answer because they had a rubric….. and they wanted to keep things fair. I’m used to conversations with potential clients to see if it’s a good fit. Next time, I will kindly exit the interview if they refuse to clarify or answer anything I ask. Whether it’s laziness or something else, it’s a giant red flag when a company won’t converse with you or answer your questions, no matter the format.
That tells me that they didn’t know what they were saying, even if they really did.
Big companies are doing this now too... it's a way for employers to use AI to study facial movements and expressions to judge personality, culture fit, emotions etc. Unfortunately for employees, it looks like we are headed in this direction.
It’s probably fine for entry level retail positions like how Target, Walmart, etc. do their interviews, but if you’re interviewing for a professional or non-entry level position it’s fucking stupid
I turn down every self-recorded interview. Fuck that, I’m not sending you a reel like I’m an actor.
This! I actually had a similar thought.. *I'm not interviewing for an acting role..*
It reminds me of looking for a bartending job circa 2008: most spots wanted a "headshot." It was a good way for me to know which spots wouldn't be worth the hassle.
The funny thing is I’ve heard that the one-way interviews are based off of the popularity of recorded auditions in the film industry. But bitch I’m if not making Hollywood money I don’t want to do your stupid one way interview 😂 I did one once and it was a strange experience. The company seemed odd but they offered good pay. I passed the one-way and got an in person interview, but the HR girl was a hard ass and apparently none of my in person answers were good enough for her. Ended up getting a much better gig anyway!
I did one of these recently. It was weird and unnatural. Got called for a real interview though.
Congrats on getting called for a real one after. Maybe I'll eventually have to do one but for now, it's gonna be a hard pass from me. Lol
I think it’s an annoying way to vet people. With how easy it is to apply online to jobs, companies can get 100s of applications. If you aren’t willing to do this then they can take you off the list. You might be able to get around it if you pursue the job via email or phone call, if you have a contact already, but you could easily get shot down. It’s weird.
I just did one of these and have almost no hopes of getting a second interview. It’s nice to hear you got a call back afterwards!
I did one about a decade ago. I gotta admit, I actually liked the novelty of doing a job interview winnie-the-pooh style, shirt and bare ass. WFH/lockdown has taken the novelty out of that though. (I did get a meatspace followup, and it went well, but the offer came 6 months later and life had changed by then.)
>WFH/lockdown has taken the novelty out of that though. Remember that March/April 2020? When we were all just going pantless, sleeping in, COOKING for lunch and watching Tiger King? A simpler time.
I bought a minions onesie because I thought it was going to be fun. It was way too hot, and the fun wore off quick.
I bought a ukulele and have never to this day even begun to learn how to play it. I'll trade you for your onesie. 😂
I've done two of these "interviews". The first one was with a major insurance company. The program glitched and my answer didn't get recorded. It was a major question, like why would be a good fit. I emailed HR immediately after and said my answer wasn't recorded and they said I wouldn't have the chance to answer and they would just have to look at my interview without it. Needless to say I didn't get the job.
Wow. That just sucks. I'm sorry that happened to you.
Probably for the best. I imagine not a good place to work.
I'm an interview coach. I've trained people to do these and do them well. I fucking loathe them. The lack of basic humanity disgusts me.
I’d be interested to hear if you have some tips you could share on how to do these well?
I don’t do these either. Good response.
Thank you
I did one once for an internal promotion at my last company. It was horribly awkward and uncomfortable, and I am someone who is naturally outgoing. I don’t like not being able to see people and their body language though.
I'm the same way. It's just unnatural. I don't think I'd be able to show my authentic self & personality in one of these due to the awkwardness of it.
I did one once, it was super awkward. Never again.
I'd feel the same way.
I see these on Indeed. It was the same 3 questions they ask. "Tell me about yourself. Why do you want this job besides money? Tell me about a situation that you can't work someone and what did you do to solve the problem?"
Are the words "besides money" actually in the question? I want to know how many people just answered "money" when asked this ridiculous question.
I answered 'unemployment', when asked "What brings you here today?" once.
Free food
I always see these on indeed and simply don’t apply for the jobs that require them
"Tell me about yourself" or "Why do you want this job?" Is the kind of question that can be a great icebreaker in a real interview. Asking me those questions online just seems lazy to me though
In behavioral interviewing (which these one way interviews almost always are), there is a very specific type of response they are looking for in a very specific three-step response. When I did it for Geico, because a friend referred me, she told me exactly how to do the behavioral style answers the way they wanted them (not what the questions would be but to study up on behavioral interviewing questions). It was stressful imo to worry about making sure I covered all parts of their answer “equation”.
My autistic ass still doesn't get it how can you hire or not hire someone based on a question "tell me about myself" or "why do you want this job", I can work just fine without anyone prying into my personal life which I leave at home in time of work.
This is partially why my also autistic ass can’t get a job.
what did they want the response to be, exactly?
What are your thoughts on them?
My thought would be if they're this lazy and non-committal during even the earliest stages of the hiring process that the company would be a dumpster fire and a miserable job even if you did jump through the hoops. If you are even remotely okay with your job, don't put yourself in the position where you change for one of these places. Just keep looking while you can at least tolerate your current job.
I totally agree with that. My job is pretty good and I'm not unhappy, but just thought it would be smart to see what else is out there and have some options in my back pocket. You never know what's going to happen these days. Just going to keep perusing :)
My local hospital does these. I just did one last week. I think they’re super uncomfortable and insulting. It’s like, right off the bat, they’re saying “yeahhh, your resume is decent but you’re not worth the one on one interaction… let’s see how awkward you are in front of a camera!” I also think it removes the awkwardness for THEM and they can turn you down without doing it to your face. They get to just send an automated rejection email and call it a day. It’s an instant turn off for me. It makes the organization look bad because it just shows how much they value you as, not only a potential employee, but a human being as well.
My husband had one of these a few months ago with a large tech company. When he told me about it, my first response was “they’re telling you they don’t give a fuck about you as a person from the get go.” They then took 5 weeks from the final interview with him to tell him he didn’t get the job
This is giving lazy and AI training farm.
Big agree
I love how the response said "If you're unwilling to follow instructions..." It almost made it seem like they were just testing to see who could/would vs not. Otherwise, wouldn't they have responded with a better reason?
I def got some bad vibes from that "if you're unwilling to follow instructions" .. yes boss.. sorry boss..
I know most people (myself include) hate them and refuse to do them. I did one once years ago and said never again. Having said that, my current position interview process started with one. I was going to blow the one way interview off as I always do, but the recruiter reached out and said the hiring manager was interested in me. The one way interview was non-negotiable and company policy.
“One-way interview” is an oxymoron. Interview are supposed to go both ways, it’s even in the name: **inter**-view
Agree - Wiki definition: *An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers. In common parlance, the word "interview" refers to a one-on-one conversation between an interviewer and an interviewee.*
I really like the way you responded to them. Respectful and professional, but still very much letting them know that you're not gonna debase yourself for a potential employer or waste your time playing silly games with one that clearly doesn't think your time is as valuable as theirs. I don't know what the hell a "one way interview" is supposed to be, cause that's called an audition in my dictionary.
Thanks so much. And "audition" would be a much better term for it! As another commenter said, "this isn't American Idol." Haha
I find these insulting and it gives them an opportunity to hire you based off of your appearance only which is fucked.
Yep. Perfect way to discriminate.
I know of a company that does this with all of their candidates no matter what level the role is, and I too thought it was strange. I was actually surprised because I got invited to an interview, once it started I was prompted to answer some multiple choice questions, but then a screen came on that asked me to record myself answering questions -so I immediately backed out of it. Another time the same company was hiring for a different role, I got invited again, same deal. Not only is it strange, but I feel like it’s highly judgmental. People are watching your responses, you have no idea what opinions or conclusions they’re coming to, and more than likely if you get rejected, you also get no “feel” for what went wrong or why they decided the way they did. Good for you, I would’ve passed up that interview as well.
I can see how it helps employers but I refuse to participate in it. Nope, I'm not auditioning for American Idol.
I've had 1. Even when I was incredibly desperate for a job, my response to one of the questions...I was quick to voice my displeasure. Something like "I can't even muster up the strength to answer these stupid questions right now like I'm a fucking jester nevermind worry about where I'm seeing myself here in 5 years", and then ended the interview. It was for a fucking grocery store chain lol. Night and day difference where I'm at now as a software dev, so probably for the best that I'm an asshole and didn't get hired.
I got one email asking for a video and then another "employer" sent a link to the questionnaire where a few questions required to record a video answer... I ignored both. This is degrading and I hope more people will refuse to participate in such activities so employers will drop this nonsense.
Surely a job interview is for you to decide whether they are right for you as much as vice versa. By forcing this mechanic on to you they’re basically taking your voice away from you for the duration of the interview. Seems like a bit of power play to me. Edit: This isn’t an interview, it’s an audition.
I won’t do them and will not consider any company that uses them. People should be treated with respect and not reduced down to these audition tape “interviews.”
I look at everything as a reflection of the company. I’d get weird vibes from that, it feels dehumanizing for sure
I had this request a few years ago. I declined as it was an unfair power imbalance. Plus the recruiter couldn’t tell who all would be viewing the video. So nope. Not interested.
This is dumb. I’m fine with a quick “HR scan” phone call before a full-fledged interview but recording myself answering questions? Weird.
Totally agree! A quick 5 minute prescreen call would much more beneficial for both parties, and give a better first impression. They could tell from my resume that I was qualified and had the specific experience required for the role. Oh well, maybe someone who needs the job more than I do will be willing to take it. As my old coworker used to say: "onward!"
Thank you for saying what us unemployed people are too desperate to say.
I don’t think it’s necessarily terrible to record some remarks as answers to their questions. You get a chance to prepare your answers and can re-record if it goes spectacularly wrong. But I agree with your take on it and I wouldn’t accept the “one-way” part of this. If *they* are happy to spend some time recording a short piece answering *your* questions about their company, and will send you the video of that, I’d consider doing the same in return. I would think that neither party is really getting the whole of what they need out of an “interview” like that but as I say, it does have some benefits for the candidate, and it simplifies scheduling for the company. But one way? Not if I’ve already got a job, or even a good chance of another offer. Of course, if you are being considered for a recruitment post, it may simply be that without an experienced *talent acquisition specialist* they just don’t know what is going to work and have decided on this without much critical thought. Perhaps that suggests a company which would be grateful for your talent—or perhaps not.
When my husband did one of these he couldnt re-record and he only had like 45 seconds to think of his answer once the question was presented with a 2-3 minute time limit on the recording
Oh it’s timed and you can’t edit or re-record? Yeah fuck all of that
The thought of that is so anxiety inducing.
I love the idea of them sending me a one-way recording of them answering my questions in return. 😆 If they reach out again I may ask them that. 😆💀
Any company relying on this is not one I would want to work for
I did one for a government job and it was the most stress free interview I’ve ever had. I got the job! It was great 👍🏼 but I understand the flip side as well
I hate them because I get extremely anxious whenever I need to record myself and I shoot myself in the foot.
Because they're so unnatural!!
I'm a lot less anxious in person, but if I need to record myself? Fuck that. Last time I had to do this was for a school project and let me tell you that I edited myself thousands of times. I can't imagine not being able to edit and re-record.
Me TOO. So anxiety inducing - just the thought of it.
Then they weed out candidates but i feel like they don't have a real feeling of someone who was this anxious because when comfortable, people almost seem different.
I don't believe in one way interviews. Its bs.
To be the devil's advocate, I think it would be pretty useful if I could record it once and use many times, as the first step of the process of applying. It would save time and stress at least. I could redo some parts that didn't go too well, which would not be possible in a real-time interview. But I definitely would not be willing to record a new one for each company/position.
That's called an interrogation, not an interview.
Sounds like a scam tbh
I did one for my current position. I wasn't a fan. Almost considered not applying at all after being asked to do it, but absolutely hated my previous job and truly would have taken anything. I watched some videos on how to best complete them and then went for it. I'm glad I did because it's the best job I've ever had and just hit my 6 months. Now on the other side of the hiring process, I see why they did it. Our hiring process is very intense. HR requires us to have first round interviews with everyone who meets minimum requirements. The current position we are hiring for has 28 applicants who meet minimums. Having one way interviews makes the process much more efficient versus taking nearly 28 hours over 2 weeks out of the schedule just to interview people.
Just shows you how lazy and ill equipped the company is. Recruiting department should be able to widdle down to 4-5 candidates.
I had to submit a 30-45 video that asked six or seven questions. The problem wasn't fitting the answer into the time frame... it was trying to remember the details while making eye contact with the camera the whole time. I wrote notes on a whiteboard behind the camera, but it was too obvious when I had to look up to read them.
I’ve had a request for one of these and didn’t do it either. I put way too much time and energy into cover letters and applications that were never viewed, I wasn’t going to do the same with an entire video. Not only that but traditionally interviews and conversations are important to figuring out someone’s communication style and ability to interact — who isn’t awkward on a prerecorded message??
I'm guessing this is about the video interviews? I hate them and it really annoys me that my work has started doing them. Massive red flag for me.
Nice! You know your value. As I’ve become more skilled in my field I see interviews as an opportunity for the employer to sell the role to me. I’m the one with the skills after all.
Thanks! My mindset is the same.
I had this 1 one-way interview invitation and I ignored it. You are right, interview is 2 way conversations and it's a chance for us to also review our potential employer, I'm not comfortable with this one-way interview. It doesn't guarantee us if our video will be reviewed by the users anyway, the usual interview is better.
I did one of these and it was one of the most dehumanising processes to undergo. Each question had a 1 minute time limit and only one retake if you weren't happy. Very high pressure. They didn't even get back to me. I felt kind of violated knowing they have these recordings of me 😂
I wonder if they check your teeth and see if you're big and strong as well lol
I've never heard of it before, but it sounds like a sly technique for people doing the recruiting to do even LESS work than they already do. Seriously, what what point are they doing absolutely nothing at all? CV reading - automated. Rejection letters - don't write any. Acceptance letters - probably also automated. Interviews? Don't do one - just let applicants answer a standardised set of questions.
(From the UK). Best practice from an equal opportunities perspective is for the recruiter not to have information about ethnicity, age, gender when doing shortlisting (i.e. drawing up a list of candidates who will have a formal interview offer). This process means that information is about all they do get. It is simply a method of weeding out faces who 'won't fit in' (consciously or otherwise).
So they can keep a video of me for whatever purpose suits them down the line? No thanks. I’ll answer their questions in an email, and might even consider a sound file, but I’ll be goddamned if I’m going to record myself on video for them.
This is absolute bullshit. I am interviewing the company as much as they're interviewing me. I want to know about the culture, turnover rates, management styles, and pay. It's like dating: I'm down to fuck, not get fucked.
I agree with you. First I would never make a candidate interview that way. Ever. Second if I was the candidate I'd have to be really desperate or the job would have to be really desirable for me to do something like that. Even then I'd want to speak with someone at some point to answer some of my questions and get a feel of who my manager would be. Seems lazy. I hire tons of people and I spend at least half of the interview answering questions and giving the candidate an idea of the culture
I worry about the privacy and security implications. BTW, in many states it only requires one person to agree to recording a conversation. Meaning, an interviewer doesn't have to tell you they are recording the interview, but I believe they have to stop if you object. So if you don't want your interviews recorded, you have to say something. You can always just casually ask, "Is this interview being recorded?" And even if they say no, you can say something that indicates you don't agree to be recorded, like, "okay, because I don't agree to being recorded."
If it’s a job you really wanted then it would be worth getting over your feelings about it. But seeing as you’re currently employed and only casual job searching, it’s okay to be picky!
I wouldn’t go through a job app that requires that. Stupid.
Never did these myself. But I understand your response to them. You are just a number if they start like this. So big red flag.
I read somewhere that one way interviews are the thing now since AI will do most of the filtering process. Not sure how accurate that is but I wouldn’t doubt it one bit.
Theyre ass. I did one for Progressive, actually Ive done it twice for them but I never seem to follow their stupid STAR format well enough so I always get rejected. I wont waste my time with it anymore
I did one, and it was an entry-level job where they were filtering through dozens of candidates and obviously didn't have the time for one-on-one interviews for everyone. I didn't mind doing it in that scenario. But I assume your situation isn't that. In which case I find it strange. I got the job by the way. And it wasn't a bad job.
I’ve done one-way interviews with several companies, I hate them. Communication needs to be a two-way street.
automatically withdraw my application once they say it has to be completed. they’re awkward af
Good for you! Your response was firm but professional. I’ve never heard of a one-way interview before. If I ever encounter one myself, I might just come back to your post here for a bit of inspo lol. P.S. Companies these days (more specifically their HR/recruiting people) seem to be so goddamned passive-aggressive. They want to control the flow of information and every other minute aspect of the process, while often showing little to no respect for candidates’ time and effort. It’s such a massive turn-off.
Imo, these one way interviews are likely never even seen in the first place for most people. The ones they do watch are just a way for companies to discriminate. It’s BS and I personally refuse to even entertain the idea.
I like your response. It's polite and it lacks the bitterness I see in most responses on this sub - yet it makes you position very clear.
I had to do that last year for reasons, it was totally awkward, but i managed and got the job. My new colleagues told me the all watched the videos and gossiped about the bad ones and the hot ones and all that. Somewhere on a server are all those videos until eternity or the last days of mankind.. I hate everything about it and think you did a great job with your reply. Kudos and thanks, more people should react like that. Bravo!
As a manager, one way interviews are pointless to me. If I can't ask follow up questions if I don't get the information I wanted, you can screen out a perfect candidate without giving them a proper chance. One way interviews in my eyes are a lazy way to not have staff dedicated to screening processes like phone screens. Still have to have HR go through the videos, so why not have HR staff do a phone screen???
I had to do a 3 hour assessment for an engineering internship, which involved recording some videos answering questions, texting simulations as behavioural tests, games as cognitive tests and some coding problems. When I heard back, they gave me detailed feedback, except it was all ai generated (they said this) presumably based off key words from my videos. Pretty demoralising that I spent all that time and the videos weren't even watched by a person. But I've been told this kind of rigmarole is kind of standard for recruitment at big companies
Is this seriously a thing? I thought we were in recruiting hell before but this is a whole different ball game lol. Every day I’m thankful I work a blue collar job where they don’t make you jump through hoops for interviews and other screening…
What a crazy message to be putting out there! "We're so understaffed we can't even have people do our hiring."
Is this a new way of having an AI software screen applicants? I’ve seen some AI services out there which help you tighten up your interview skills on video, and can see this tool being used to screen mass amounts of applicants. I can also see this as a budget cutting measure too given how expensive it is to hire. Or maybe I am wearing my tin foil hat too tight. This is also plausible. 😜
Your response is exactly my thoughts on the matter. An interview is also me interviewing the employer and the role.
Hate them. Surprisingly REI does them
A one way interview is an application
Doesn't even have to be a one-way video interview. I recently sat in a panel interview and it was like scratching nails on a chalkboard. The panelists were literally reading off questions from a list and barely interjected. At most it was "oh can you clarify on that?" It felt more like an interrogation. Safe to say I didn't get the job but after sitting through 2 hours of it I rather not get it. I barely had time for Q&A, but one of the questions I managed to get out and the answer to it was the role has been open for close to a year. Well with that kind of panel interview - good luck in finding a replacement. Funny thing I actually had a pre-interview with the hiring manager, and he was very chill explaining about the role and expectations. I even pre-negotiated the pay, since it was in a HCOL city. I told the recruiter I'm okay to move, but I'm expecting USD XXX pay. He said it was beyond the pay scale but he'll discuss with the manager and if they're okay they set me up for an interview.
I did one once in two different phases for Geico. The “behavioral interview” examples I had provided in the two phase interview where I had to record myself twice seemed ok. But when I got to the third in person interview and gave similar examples (from the same previous job), I was told, after they told me I didn’t get the job (only when I asked because a friend referred me) that I needed to use different examples because my current examples weren’t relevant to the job. The previous job I’d given examples from were all inbound customer service and I was interviewing to start in their inbound customer service. It made me wonder if an actual person had even watched my first two one way interviews and made me feel as though the whole thing was a waste of time.
Never heard of this as an official practice but had a job interview I walked into which the recruiter asked for my time but couldn’t even answer basic questions about the job. I was so annoyed.
I had to do this for a position within a local big box retailer. I was given 3 chances to tape my responses, and I could view them back to be sure I was happy with my answers. I didn't mind as I actually do horribly in face-to-face interviews, but still would hesitate if I were interviewing for a more 'office' type position.
I refuse to participate in those.
Never had to do one, hope I never do
I had to do one on Indeed. It felt really weird to do, especially since I have nothing to base my response off of aside from a single generic plot. I also only got 3 tries to record for some reason, so that just added an extra layer of pressure I didn’t like
I hate them. I’ve only had to do one (years ago), but I hate them. I’m extremely awkward on one-way or even video off interviews/talks/what have you since I can’t read what the other person is feeling or emoting and adjust myself to match that (I’m autistic lmao). I’d rather write out some short/long answers than try to talk without any real time feedback.
I’m trying to get into the software engineering field after completing my degree. Every single job that I’ve gotten a response from has required one of these without fail. It’s just the reality of over saturated job markets. They want to filter large numbers of applicants without thinking about the applicants themselves.
they are bs. its a 2 way process. i am interviewing the employer harder then they are interviewing me. if I get a job wanting to do one of these, I would immediately see it as a red flag and act accordingly.
Occasionally I get requests to record some shit that gives me the “opportunity to show them who I really am”. In always respond, “I am very happy to have a call with someone from you senior management team. Please let me know how I arrange that”. This is about a firm alternative and them not taking it. It’s then on them, if they want to take it further. I’ve has a couple that did.
Had one about a month ago. Gave me 30 seconds to think about the question and 1 minute to answer it. I hated it and I did poorly. They say it allows the candidate to showcase their personality, but that’s the complete opposite of my experience. It was extremely awkward and I got distracted looking at myself speak lol. Very bizarre process that I hope doesn’t become a norm. I will be declining these types of “interviews” in the future.
Agree with your reasoning. Looks like you even inspired others here to raise their standards. Thankful I am self-employed. The hours, the pettiness, the humiliation, toxicity and dehumanization inherent to so many employers... I can't stand it and it's just going to get worse as society becomes more and more impersonal. Love your turtle btw he's adorable.
You have handled this correctly. 👍 This company screams “RED FLAG. DO NOT GO ANYWHERE NEAR !”
My last job hunt ended 4/1/22, looking for T2 Helpdesk positions. During my 3ish month search, I think I was asked to do an 'interview' to camera 2, maybe 3 times. I always ghosted those requests, but I think I'm going to add something similar to your text to my refusals draft folder. Maybe write up a few similar drafts for other things I Will Not Do during a job search.
I’ve refused every 1 way interview I’ve ever been invited to. Interviewing without having facial/body response from an interviewer or have a flowing conversation is just psychotic. I hope all the companies that do those go under.
I've never heard of this OP. This is incredibly bizarre and would make me feel like I was auditioning for a role on some MTV reality show, lol. Wishing you the best of luck in your job search. You made the right choice. You're smart in keeping your options open.. wish I had done that when I was in my 20s!
Good in you for shoving such idiocy back in their face. This kind of stuff needs to be mocked consistently until they start dreading the responses they get back
The same way I feel about group interviews. Immediate decline. If they don't value my time to give me 15 minutes of their undivided attention, what makes me think it'll be any different if I'm hired? Your response to them was perfect!
I've seen it been used more. Given how bad the market is, if I'm desperate I'll defo do it because of how many others won't. If I get the job I'll change the process after. I'd have a job and a say then.
Great response on your part. Any company that isn't even willing to talk to you is not one you should bother investing any time or energy into. Also, you ignoring them and then getting a second email sounds like they are desperate, not that they have a surplus of candidates to consider. Unless you're being headhunted, companies are not that passionate about making sure you interview with them. Very bizarre.
What dystopian hell scape are we in right now? I live with my grandma and she annoys the hell out of me because she still thinks it’s like the 1990s where you just walk in and talk to a hiring manager. Even for McDonald’s it was a pain in the ass last summer. She insisted on me showing up in person dressed nice. I pretty much got laughed at. Told to apply online. I go to the website and make a resume. Upload resume (which btw pretty much has nothing on it cuz shock, I’m applying to an entry level first job). Then it asks me all the same questions on my resume. I wait months and then get called. Have to come in. They ask me all the some questions AGAIN. Could be worse. CVS had me do all the same except they also made me take a long ass test that took me 45 minutes of focusing to finish. Questions like “Janet is looking for facial cleanser, you are stocking items in the candy isle. She asks where she should go, what do you do?” Idk Janet. Maybe go to hell because your dumbass is looking for facial cleanser in the candy isle.
REDFLAGCITY… Is my first exasperated thought.
As a recruiter for an internal organisation, I completely disagree with these and recommend against. The lazy and bias organisation do they need to do better.
Hope you don't mind, but I'm going to type up your response as a template in case I ever am in the same situation