Hiring Manager’s Evaluations of Asynchronous Video Interviews: The Role of Candidate Competencies, Aesthetics, and Resume Placement

Asynchronous video interviews (AVI) occur when an employment candidate records responses to pre-selected interview questions and an employer reviews them afterwards. This study examined the influence of the review process, the effect of aesthetics, and hard and soft skills on hiring managers’ reviews of AVIs. The results from 517 observations reveal that the order of the interview (i.e., interview first versus resume first) had an impact on the hiring managers’ decisions. Additionally, candidate aesthetics in the AVI context were found to play a role (though not primarily) in the decision to advance a candidate to the following stage of the screening process. However, communications and problem-solving skills remained the predominant predictors of advancing a candidate regardless of aesthetics or the procedural order of the review. Contributing to an emerging body of research on AVIs, this study offers suggestions for future inquiry and recommendations for managerial practice