Tips & Tricks to prepare for HireVue interviews

In the 2018 LinkedIn Annual Survey, one of the biggest driving factors among organizations turned out to be AI-based hiring. Over the years, the use of Application Tracking System, or ATS, has only increased. These automated systems sort through the resumes, scan for necessary skill sets pertinent for an open position, and then rank candidates based on the selection criteria before sending the completed report to the hiring professional. The use of automation technology does not stop here; with new AI/ML based video interviewing processes capable of analyzing and scoring candidates based on their answers to a limited number of initial questions. Even more advanced solutions like HireVue even examine a person’s behavioral patterns while answering said questionnaire, and apply algorithms on them to determine their psychological mettle to ensure the best person for the job is selected. 

With these technologies on the rise, your next interview has a good chance to be a HireVue one. If you want to be on top of the hiring trends and technologies, it is imperative to know what the process entails and what kind of HireVue interview questions you might encounter. In this article, we will go through the set of common HireVue questions and tips to answer them; look at what HireVue for freshers may entail; and what to expect when faced with such an interview.

What is HireVue, and how does it work?

HireVue sends the interviewing candidate a series of interview questions that they answer via video on their laptop, tablet or smartphone. Candidates are given 30 seconds to prepare, and then 90 seconds to three minutes (depending on the question) to record and send their answers. Upon receiving the responses, HireVue transcribes the answers and gives each candidate a score. These scores are used to rank all the applicants to select the best among them. 

HireVue also analyzes candidates’ facial expressions, eye contact and movements, voice, and a number of other data points from the video sessions. This data is then further analyzed to determine the best candidate (akin to a psych evaluation test) for that particular role.

HireVue’s revolutionary AI/ML based technology is leveraged by several big organizations including major banks and accounting firms including:

• J.P. Morgan
• Goldman Sachs
• Morgan Stanley
• Deloitte
• Unilever
• Dow Jones
• Sodexo

These organizations, along with hundreds of others, have replaced the initial online screening process, and even the first round of face-to-face interviews with HireVue. With increased popularity and adoption, some colleges have started introducing training materials in their curriculum to introduce HireVue for freshers. These instructor-led training courses provide sample HireVue questions that help students prepare for automated screening and interviews.

What a HireVue interview might be like:

Every HireVue interview has a few key steps that do not change regardless of the organization that one applies to. These include:

• The relevant information each candidate needs to get started is sent to them via email.
• Candidates have the option to attend the interview on a smart device of their choice as long as it has a camera, a microphone and an internet connection. The device can either be a smartphone, a laptop, a tablet or a PC.
• Once candidates click the link provided, they are introduced to a startup page and can navigate through it to understand more about the interview process, even watch a video tutorial in some cases.
• HireVue sometimes provides a chance to answer some practice questions. By setting the practice section up like a real interview, it makes candidates feel more comfortable with the actual process.
• Candidates can answer multiple times in these practice sessions; however, they are allowed to answer the final set of questionnaires only once and those answers cannot be edited once given.

Some common HireVue Interview Questions:

Here are some common HireVue questions that will help candidates prepare better for these automated video interviews. Point to note here that to maintain parity and use the same structural system across its interviews, HireVue uses the same set of interview questions for all candidates for a job role. This also means that HireVue interview questions are asked in the same order.

Introductory HireVue questions can include the following, according to the HireVue themselves:

1. Tell me about yourself.
2. What are your long-term career plans?
3. Why did you quit your previous job?
4. What do you think are your strengths and weaknesses?
5. Why do you want to work in this organization?

Additionally, as many organizations have found out via surveys, HireVue interview questions also cover various other topics like working in a team, for example:

1. Tell me about when you were part of a team
2. Can you count yourself as being one with the team?
3. What is your role in the team?
4. Describe a group setting in which you are having the role of a leader
5. How will you solve disagreements with other members of the team?
6. Describe a time when you and your team members are going in different ways for a project, how would you resolve it?
7. What would you do in a situation where your teammate wasn’t pulling their weight?

Decision-related questionnaires may be asked as well. This can be important in understanding a candidate’s leadership qualities. Here are some sample queries of this kind:

1. Tell me about a time that you had to make a very fast decision / split second decision
2. Tell me about a time that you had to make a quick decision without full information
3. Tell me about a time that you used technology to make a decision.

Questions that analyze a candidate’s ability to deal with workplace adversity:

1. Tell me about a time you showed persistence / dealt with rejection
2. Tell me about a time you failed and the lesson you learned from it.
3. What is your greatest weakness / strength?
4. If you had a lot of things to do and not enough time to do them, what would you do?

Questions that assess the integrity of a candidate (Especially critical for high-value hires):

1. Give me an example about a time that you acted with integrity
2. What does integrity mean to you?
3. How would other people rate your work ethic?
4. If somebody was cheating, would you call that out?
5. A student group president will provide all the exam answers. What would be your response?

Tips & Tricks to prepare for HireVue interviews:

It can be a daunting challenge when it comes to HireVue for freshers and experienced professionals both. These HireVue interview tips can help a candidate prepare for as well as ace these automated job interviews.

Before the interview:

• Self-Analysis is key – Analyze yourself by practicing mock interviews in front of a camera. Eye contact, voice, facial and bodily expressions play key roles in behavioral analysis when it comes to HireVue interviews.
• Do your research – Read up about the company you are interviewing for in advance.
• Dress the part – Ensure you are dressed professionally.
• Test your technology beforehand – Test your internet connection, webcam and microphone well in advance before the interview.
• Choose the best location for the interview – Select a location that has a good amount of natural light and a neutral, plain background.
• Practice, practice, practice! – Practice as much as you can with sample HireVue interview questionnaires.

During the interview:

• Keep calm, talk in a confident, natural, non-confrontational tone.
• Give structured, short answers.
• Make sure that your responses match your goals.
• Cut down tics or fillers like ‘umm’, ‘a’, ‘like’ etc.
• Avoid long pauses.

Conclusion:

Familiarity plays a big part when a candidate faces an automated, HireVue interview. This is a new platform, but with rapid adoption, may soon become the de facto standard across the industry. It is always a good idea to prepare accordingly and well in advance to avoid any last-minute jitters. HireVue makes interview prep easier via their mock interviews that are geared to feel like a real one. In the end, a candidate’s comfort level with HireVue interview style dictates their success. 

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