19 Jan How Asynchronous Video Transforms The Interview Process
Video continues to gain popularity as an assessment platform, but its uses extend beyond just measuring academic performance. In a recent Inside Higher Ed article, Colleen Flaherty discusses how graduate programs have started leveraging video to streamline admissions interviews. While synchronous video tools like Skype and Zoom help departments facilitate the admissions process, YouSeeU actually takes things a step further. Because our platform also offers asynchronous video technology, faculty members who coordinate these interviews have even more flexibility. These are the four major benefits of conducting interviews via asynchronous video.
Makes The Process More Cost-Effective
As Flaherty mentions in her article, one of the biggest drawbacks of on-site interviews is the cost of getting there. Many candidates live out of state, so they spend hundreds — maybe even thousands — of dollars to fly in for a meetings that come without any guarantee of acceptance. Most admissions departments want to meet candidates in person at some point in the process, but conducting interviews through asynchronous video at the start shrinks the pool and limits those costs as much as possible.
Eases Time Management And Scheduling Burden
Synchronous video tools also limit the costs associated with in-person interviews, but they still require coordination between multiple parties to schedule all the interviews separately. Asynchronous platforms like YouSeeU don’t have that problem because they allow individuals to answer pre-recorded questions on their own time. Once this process is complete, admissions departments can review multiple submissions altogether, or at their own convenience.
Enables Faculty To Interview At Scale
Because admissions departments don’t have to meet with each candidate individually, it gives them more flexibility throughout the entire process. For example, the time faculty members usually set aside to schedule interviews could be used to screen additional candidates who otherwise might not have gotten the opportunity. Admission departments might also get a chance to gain additional insight into candidates by asking more questions on an initial asynchronous interview than they might get the time for in a face-to-face environment.
Eliminates Interviewer Bias
Perhaps the most significant advantage asynchronous platforms hold over synchronous tools is the ability to eliminate interviewer bias. Since admissions interviews are typically done one-on-one or in small groups, the burden of selection typically rests in the hands of a select few people who might’ve failed to click with a particular candidate. Asynchronous video platforms like YouSeeU store videos in the backend, so multiple faculty members can evaluate an individual’s responses, form an opinion, and make a more collective decision.
To learn more about how YouSeeU can streamline the admissions process, check out a recent case study we completed on the South College School of Physical Therapy.