How Video Interviews Are Changing the Hiring Process—and How to Prepare

Back in the day, “interview nerves” meant dry palms in a waiting room and wondering if you had spinach in your teeth. Now, it's more likely to involve glitchy Wi-Fi, unexpected barking dogs, and a camera that's somehow angled up your nose. Video interviews haven’t just become part of the hiring process—they’ve reshaped it.

But here’s the thing: this shift is more than just convenience or cost-cutting. It’s changing how employers evaluate talent, what they prioritize, and how candidates need to prepare. Done right, video interviews open doors. But they also introduce a different kind of challenge: how do you show up with presence, clarity, and authenticity—through a screen?

The good news? It’s learnable. You don’t need a studio setup or acting skills. You just need to understand what hiring teams are really looking for in a virtual setting—and how to work with the format instead of against it.

Why Video Interviews Are Here to Stay

This isn’t just a pandemic-era leftover. Video interviews have become a permanent part of how companies recruit, assess, and hire. In many industries, they’ve gone from being a workaround to a first-choice tool—used for screening, team collaboration, and even final rounds.

And it’s not just about logistics. The deeper reason is efficiency, reach, and consistency.

Here’s what’s behind the rise:

• Scalability: Recruiters can screen dozens of candidates asynchronously (more on that soon).
• Access: Companies can connect with talent across cities, time zones, or countries.
• Fairness: Some tools standardize questions, allowing for more apples-to-apples comparison.
• Speed: Hiring cycles are getting shorter, and video accelerates decision-making.

Quick Fact: According to a 2023 LinkedIn Global Hiring Trends report, over 70% of companies say video interviews have improved their overall hiring efficiency—especially in the early rounds.

That’s not going away anytime soon.

The 3 Main Types of Video Interviews (And Why They’re Not All the Same)

Understanding the type of video interview you’re walking into changes how you prepare. Not all virtual interviews follow the same rules—and that’s where many candidates get caught off guard.

Let’s break down the most common formats:

1. Live Video Interviews (Like Zoom or Teams)

This is the closest to a traditional interview—it just happens through a screen. You meet with one or more interviewers in real time, usually via platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams.

What’s different:

• Eye contact is more nuanced (should you look at the screen or the camera?)
• Small talk may feel slightly more awkward or rushed
• Visual and audio clarity can affect how your presence is perceived

This format is common for mid- to late-stage interviews and is often used when meeting with multiple team members.

2. Pre-Recorded (Asynchronous) Interviews

You’re asked to record responses to pre-set questions, often with a time limit, without a live person present. These are used frequently in high-volume hiring or early-stage screening.

What’s different:

• No interaction or feedback in real time
• Your energy and clarity need to come through solo
• It can feel robotic—but it doesn’t have to

Some platforms allow retakes. Others don’t. Knowing the rules ahead of time is critical.

3. Hybrid Interviews or Assessments

This includes interviews blended with real-time task simulations or virtual whiteboarding. For example, a coding task followed by a behavioral interview, or a case study shared on-screen during the session.

These require not just preparation but mental flexibility. The goal is to see how you think in real time, under soft pressure.

What’s Changing in the Interviewer’s Mindset

In video interviews, hiring teams pay more attention to communication clarity, time management, and digital etiquette. These aren’t just "nice to have" soft skills anymore—they’re key indicators of how someone will function in a remote or hybrid work environment.

What recruiters may be scanning for, consciously or not:

• Can you stay concise and clear in your responses?
• Are you comfortable with virtual collaboration tools?
• Do you manage awkward moments (lag, interruptions) gracefully?
• Can you bring warmth or presence through a screen?

And here's what that means: video interviews test not only your qualifications—but your adaptability, digital fluency, and self-awareness.

The Interview That Almost Didn’t Work

A friend of mine, Max, recently interviewed for a global tech company from his apartment. He’d prepped for days—portfolio polished, answers rehearsed. But two minutes in, his internet glitched, his audio lagged, and he could see the panelists’ faces slowly freezing.

Instead of panicking, he paused, acknowledged the lag with humor, and offered to switch to audio-only while rejoining from his phone. It wasn’t flawless—but it showed his ability to stay calm under pressure and troubleshoot on the fly. He got the offer.

Moral of the story? Video interviews test more than knowledge. They reveal how you function under less-than-perfect conditions.

How to Prepare for Video Interviews (Beyond the Basics)

You’ve heard the obvious advice: test your tech, check your lighting, wear pants. But preparation in 2025 needs to go deeper than surface-level polish.

Here’s where you can focus your energy for higher-impact readiness:

1. Set the Environment for Focus, Not Perfection

You don’t need a pristine backdrop or ring light studio. What you do need is a distraction-free zone that supports attention and clarity.

• A neutral background (real or virtual) that doesn’t compete with you
• Lighting that avoids harsh shadows or backlight
• Minimized interruptions: silence notifications, notify housemates, unplug what you don’t need

2. Practice Speaking in Sound Bites

Video compresses how we experience conversation. Long, winding answers get lost. Instead, aim for structured responses with natural cadence.

Try using:

• The “Challenge-Action-Result” format for storytelling
• A 30-60-90 rule: hit your core idea in 30 seconds, expand if needed to 90
• Pauses for breath—it helps you and your listener reset

You’re not reciting. You’re communicating with clarity.

3. Use the Camera Lens as a Conversation Tool

This one feels weird at first. But in virtual interviews, your webcam is your eye contact. Looking directly into the lens (at least occasionally) builds connection, even if it feels unnatural.

Tips:

• Practice speaking to the lens while imagining a real person
• Position your interview window just below the camera to reduce head movement
• Don’t stare—balance eye contact with natural glances away

The Emotional Side of Video Interviews (and How to Stay Grounded)

Here’s what doesn’t get talked about enough: video interviews can feel weirdly isolating. No handshake. No physical cues. Sometimes no interviewer at all. That detachment can throw off even confident candidates.

Ways to ground yourself:

• Do a 60-second “centering ritual” beforehand—deep breath, power stance, music
• Have a comfort object just off-screen—a sticky note reminder, a photo, a pen you like
• Reframe nerves as energy: “This matters to me” is a better mindset than “I hope I don’t blow it”

And after? Decompress. Move your body. Close the laptop. Celebrate the fact that you showed up.

What to Expect After a Video Interview

One downside of the virtual process is that feedback can feel delayed or vague. With less face-to-face time, you may wonder how you really came across.

Here’s what you can do:

• Send a tailored thank-you email within 24 hours—mention something specific from the conversation to reinforce your fit
• If it was an asynchronous interview, include a short follow-up note expressing continued interest and gratitude
• Stay proactive, but not pushy. Set a calendar reminder to check in if you haven’t heard back after the timeline they gave

The Career Quicklist

1. Practice on Camera (Not Just in Your Head) Record yourself answering a few questions. Watch for pacing, posture, and clarity. You’ll pick up things you’d never catch just rehearsing silently.

2. Prepare Stories, Not Scripts Have a few strong, flexible examples ready that highlight how you solve problems, work with teams, or adapt. These can be tailored live, without sounding robotic.

3. Know the Platform—Before It Knows You Download the software, test your mic, and get familiar with its layout. Little glitches can feel big when they happen mid-interview.

4. Let Your Personality Show Up You’re not a resume. A quick smile, a moment of humor, a bit of curiosity—these make you memorable. Video makes warmth harder to read, so signal it clearly.

5. Remember: It’s a Two-Way Conversation Bring a thoughtful question or reflection. Even virtually, this shows you’re engaged and evaluating the opportunity.

It’s Not About Being Perfect—It’s About Being Present

The rise of video interviews isn’t just a tech trend. It’s a fundamental shift in how we assess fit, communication, and presence. That means your preparation needs to evolve—but not by over-engineering every answer or polishing every pixel.

Instead, focus on this: how can you show up with presence, clarity, and care, even through a screen?*

That’s what hiring teams remember. That’s what builds trust. And that’s what turns video into opportunity.

I’ve been on both sides of the virtual table—as a recruiter, and as a candidate doing back-to-back interviews across time zones. And every time, I come back to this: the camera doesn’t flatten your story. It just asks you to tell it with intention.

Show up for the screen the way you’d show up for the room. You might be surprised how clearly that comes through.