Evaluating the benefits and drawbacks of virtual interviewing from the candidate's experience

Abstract

Introduction:

The ongoing advancement of technology over the last several decades has substantially impacted organizations' overall recruitment function. Meanwhile, this already increasing adoption of technological advancement within organizations was further exacerbated by the recent COVID-19 pandemic, causing a noteworthy rise in e-recruitment. Given the increasingly digitalized workplace era, this study aimed to explore the advantages and disadvantages of virtual interviews to determine the factors to be considered when adopting virtual interviewing amid the global rise in the use of this recruitment method.

Method:

The research followed a qualitative case study approach, and 14 participants selected through purposive sampling were individually interviewed. The data were then analyzed through thematic analysis.

Results:

The findings demonstrate that the level of human interaction, the comfort associated with the interview format, and non-verbal cues were pivotal to candidates' experience of virtual interviewing (both asynchronous and synchronous). The findings further reveal that virtual interviews are relevant tools in the contemporary world of work due to advantages such as fairness and global communication. Nonetheless, one-way communication and technology were found to potentially deter the effective use of virtual interviewing.

Discussion:

Overall, the findings suggest the importance of leveraging the strengths of virtual interviewing while considering the contextual appropriateness and practicality of its use to help curb the associated drawbacks. Thus, this research aids human resource practitioners' understanding of the factors that must be considered when employing virtual interviews, based on the candidates' experience. The research further contributes to the ongoing debate on whether the utilization of recruitment technologies such as asynchronous video (pre-recorded) and synchronous online (live or real-time) interviews is sustainable in the workplace.

1 Introduction

There is a saying that “if you do something right the first time, you won't have to do it again” (author unknown). In the Human Resource Management (HRM) context, organizations are increasingly realizing the adverse implications of not getting recruitment right the first time, as this initial step in talent management ultimately affects talent retention (Saurombe et al., 2017). It is well-agreed in HRM literature that talent attrition (the opposite of talent retention) has costly implications on organizations, both financially and otherwise, especially when employees leave for reasons excluding retirement, relocation, death, or similar (De Smet et al., 2022; Saurombe and Barkhuizen, 2022; Thusi and Chauke, 2023). As the revolutionization of technology rapidly continues and amid the increase of a globally available talent pool, talent management functions such as recruitment have had to gradually conform to new developments within the field such as the adoption of unconventional methods, including e-recruitment and virtual interviewing (De Smet et al., 2022; Mthintso et al., 2024). While these developments have presented opportunities, their relative novelty (especially until their accelerated adoption during the COVID-19 pandemic) leave gaps which, if left unfilled, threaten to diminish the strength of these opportunities. Meanwhile, since the virtual interviewing phenomenon is still fairly new, particularly in terms of its widespread adoption during and after the pandemic, limited research currently exists concerning this subject. Hence, scientific research on this topic is both timely and necessary in helping build understanding regarding the benefits and drawbacks of virtual interviewing for the sake of gradually improving the entire process and the experience of candidates undergoing this process. Thus, this research contributes to addressing this research gap by exploring the advantages and disadvantages of virtual interviews according to candidates' experiences. The research objectives were as follows: to explore candidates' views of both asynchronous video and synchronous online interviews based on their experience; to explore how candidates perceived the advantages of asynchronous video and synchronous online interviews based on their experience, and to explore how candidates perceived the disadvantages of asynchronous video and synchronous online interviews based on their experience.

2 A brief literature review

The job market is constantly changing and becoming more competitive, thus, organizations and recruiters are advancing their talent attraction strategies and adopting new technologies amid the exacerbated and ongoing race for talent (Ngobeni et al., 2022; Saurombe and Barkhuizen, 2020; Zojceska, 2022). Challenges regarding the acquisition of quality talent include limited hiring time, inadequate time to screen numerous candidates, candidates who lack the relevant knowledge/expertise and the expense incurred to train such employees, as well as candidates who lack suitability to the workplace culture. Alternative ways of recruitment have been considered to solve these challenges; however, technologically based recruitment remain more complex and slower in the South African context (Khumalo and Saurombe, 2023). Socio-economic factors have particularly rendered the adoption of technology slower in South Africa (Khumalo and Saurombe, 2023), however, several local companies are employing technology to conduct aspects of their recruitment function, such as using virtual interviewing to shortlist and select candidates (Oliffe et al., 2021; Solek-Borowska and Wilczewska, 2018). This research focused on understanding the benefits and drawbacks of virtual interviewing in the South African context, from candidates' experience, to provide insights for enhancing their faith in such technologies and improving the associated recruitment outcomes.

Over the years, especially in the last decade, technology has increasingly assisted the advancement of the HRM function in organizations (Janghorban et al., 2014; Nesindande et al., 2025; Torres and Gregory, 2018). Managing people and HRM tasks was traditionally more tedious, and often challenging (Nyanhongo et al., 2023), however, the rise of technology and new tools has increased the efficiency and effectiveness of the Human Resource (HR) function in organizations (Nesindande et al., 2024; Sadiq et al., 2022), with the recruitment function specifically adopting contemporary tools such as virtual interviewing. The Covid-19 pandemic particularly accelerated the adoption of technologies in the overall recruitment function of organizations as they could not interview talent face-to-face (Maurer, 2021; Naidu et al., 2025). Hence, many organizations have since permanently adopted and updated various technologically aided recruitment strategies in their workplaces (Da Cunha et al., 2024; Naidu et al., 2025).

2.1 Advantages and disadvantages of asynchronous video and synchronous online interviews

Asynchronous video interviews are pre-recorded video interviews (Pavlou, 2022). This means that interviewees and interviewers do not operate within the same timeframe, unlike in a face-to-face interview where both the interviewer and interviewee physically operate in the same timeframe and environment (Saarijärvi and Bratt, 2021). The asynchronous video interview, recorded by the interviewee, is only later viewed and reviewed by the interviewer. Synchronous online interviews alternatively enable people to engage virtually through technological tools, as the interview occurs (Clark et al., 2015; Themelis and Sime, 2020). Synchronous online interviews employ software like Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet.

There are several advantages and reasons why HR professionals introduce virtual interviews (asynchronous and synchronous ones) into the workplace. For instance, (Davis 2021) and (Saurombe et al. 2022) indicate that virtual interviews are perfect for those currently working in remote working conditions, as they can be interviewed from any geographical location rather than having to travel to the prospective employers' premises. This is not just useful for remote working employees, but also for those who do not have the financial means to come in for face-to-face interviews, especially if the associated costs are not funded by the prospective employer (Fennell, 2021). For HR professionals who cannot attend the interviews of candidates for whatever reason, a virtual interview can be recorded for them to review later (Torres and Gregory, 2018). Enhancing the efficiency of virtual interviews can, therefore, help streamline the overall recruitment process. Another advantage is that the increased use of virtual interviews may contribute toward the continuous enhancement of the candidate experience through ongoing feedback regarding the user-interface of virtual interviewing software and practices (Deacon et al., 2023).

Notwithstanding the above-outlined advantages of virtual interviewing, it is also not free from shortcomings. For instance, although not strictly associated only with virtual interviewing, standardized interview templates can make it difficult to establish rapport with the interviewee, especially during asynchronous, pre-recorded interviews (Johnson et al., 2021). On the contrary, a study by (De Dijn and Van De Mieroop 2023) found that virtual interviewing mediums did not necessarily hamper rapport-building efforts; however, the authors of the current paper conjecture that the latter study's findings must be interpreted cautiously since they were particularly premised on the common experience, enhanced mutual understanding, and accommodative behaviors that the pandemic generally enabled between both interviewers and interviewees at the time. Another drawback of virtual interviewing is that some candidates drop out of the process due to them lacking the physical technology, while others lack the technological expertise to seamlessly participate in the virtual interview (Miller et al., 2018). Lastly, there is a lack of non-verbal cues in virtual interviewing (especially pre-recorded), compared to in face-to-face interviews, which makes it difficult to assess the situation regarding how well the interview is going and whether you are making a good impression on a person, i.e., the interviewer (Joshi et al., 2020.). While many of these disadvantages may not be exclusive to South Africa, as they are also applicable to global contexts, research suggests South Africa tends to grapple more with some of these challenges as a developing country, and thus, could glean insights from developed countries on how to possibly alleviate some of the shortcomings of virtual interviewing (see Khoza and Mukonza, 2025; Maurer, 2021; Steele et al., 2022; Gray et al., 2020).

During virtual interviews, candidates are not able to take a tour of their potential workplace and meet their prospective colleagues, an experience that a considerable number of people find invaluable (Joshi et al., 2020). There is also the difficulty of technological issues—if a candidate or the recruiter has a poor connection or experiences loadshedding (a South African term used to describe the nationwide rationing of electricity by the state due to a demand that exceeds the available supply, Goldberg, 2015), for example, bias can be created against the candidate and the interview can be negatively impacted. Another disadvantage is that some applicants are not fond of cameras and dislike being recorded, which could make for an uncomfortable interview experience (Swain, 2023). Also, the environment will not be the same as when the interviewee was present in person for an interview, since distractions such as background noise may occur, which could hamper the interview process (Davis, 2021).

It is essential to consider candidates' experience of virtual interviews in organizations, as these organizations continuously seek to brand themselves as preferable employers to attract superior candidates (Eskenazi, 2019; Saurombe, 2025). Considering that candidates' experience with e-recruitment technological solutions like virtual interviewing affects their confidence and buy-in concerning these solutions, it is worthwhile gaining insight into the current landscape when it comes to virtual interviewing in the South African context, where a gap currently exists (Naidu et al., 2025). Thus, this research aimed to explore the benefits and drawbacks of virtual interviewing (using both asynchronous and synchronous online techniques), with the objective of understanding candidates' experience of virtual interviews, as their experience ultimately affects the effective adoption of such recruitment technology.

In this study, the social information processing (SIPT) and media-richness (MRT) theories were chosen to constitute the theoretical framework. These theories provide a foundation for comprehending the variances between asynchronous and synchronous online interviews, compared to in-person, face-to-face interviews.

2.2 The social information processing theory

SIPT asserts that computer-mediated communication (CMC) helps form interpersonal impressions and the formation of interpersonal relationships (Haywood et al., 2020; Walther, 2015). (Saarijärvi and Bratt 2021) highlight pre-recorded (asynchronous), live online (synchronous), and telephonic interviews as being the three fundamental methods of virtual interviewing. (Saarijärvi and Bratt 2021) further note that each of these virtual interview types presents unique benefits, hence it would be prudent to appropriately exploit the strengths of each method at the best suited stage of the hiring process, as recommended by (Naidu et al. 2025). Specifically, synchronous interviews involve verbal cues, non-verbal cues (though these are typically more limited than in face-to-face interviews), as well as real-time virtual interaction between the interviewer and interviewee. Asynchronous interviews involve no verbal cues, no non-verbal cues, and no real-time interaction between interview parties but only one-sided interaction of the interviewer with the candidate's recording. Meanwhile, telephonic interviews involve verbal cues but no non-verbal cues, thus only enabling virtual, non-visual interaction between the interviewer and interviewee through real-time audio and speech. Consequently, as per the premises of SIPT, of all three virtual interviewing methods, synchronous interviews provide richer information for forming interpersonal impressions, while the information provided through asynchronous and telephonic interviews is more fragmented, thus presenting greater shortcomings compared to face-to-face interviewing. For the sake of the current research, the authors focused only on asynchronous and synchronous interviews.

(Walther 2015) particularly explains how the SIPT underpins how strangers form interpersonal impressions. For example, in the context of this research, these impressions would be based on how a candidate looks to the interviewer and how the interviewer initially perceives the person when reviewing and rating them during asynchronous video interviews (recorded and reviewed later) and synchronous online interviews (conducted in the present moment). During an in-person interview, body language, facial expressions, and the tone of voice are evident. Conversely, interviews involving CMC necessitate interviewers' adaptation of their language or communication methods to establish a stronger connection with the candidate (Hajjat and Miller, 2017; Hein et al., 2024). SIPT aids in understanding how limited non-verbal cues during virtual interviewing can hamper CMC. Physical interviews have the inherent advantage of richer social cues, as the more substantive perceivable cues and information available enable more profound interpretations of the candidate, their personality, and their suitability to the job (Miller et al., 2018). It is thus important to continuously review and revise CMC-based interviews to enhance their substance and effectiveness compared to physical interviews. Accordingly, SIPT enabled us to note the performance discrepancies associated with virtual interviewing in line with the candidates' experience.

2.3 The media richness theory

The MRT assumes that communication media facilitates the transfer or reproduction of information (Shams et al., 2022). MRT further asserts that performance is enhanced when more profound media sources provide richer cues like the tone of voice and perceivable gestures (Miller et al., 2018). Four aspects encompass the richness of media, namely: immediate feedback, where two-way communication happens and replies are swiftly received; multiple cues, where information is filtered through different channels during communication; personal focus, where users can express their feelings to suit their receiver's preferences; and language variety, where users can express several language meanings (Daft et al., 1987).

(Daft et al. 1987) explain that media's richness can either be high or low. For instance, physical encounters as in face-to-face interviews include the richest media forms, facilitating immediate communication feedback and multiple cues like body gestures and the tone of voice. Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of virtual communication like virtual interviews has continued (Brian et al., 2023). In South Africa, virtual interviewing would be impossible without technological tools like video conferencing (Tseng et al., 2019). Nonetheless, many South African companies are insufficiently digitally prepared for seamless virtual interviewing, demonstrating how the media richness can inherently be affected by the specific environment's characteristics (Tseng et al., 2019). Thus, the MRT enabled us to determine the communication choices that would allow more seamless virtual interviewing based on the candidates' experience, particularly in the South African context.

3 Methodology

This research particularly adapted Saunders et al.'s (2016) research onion by elucidating the philosophy of the research, the approach used to develop the theory (in this case, deductive reasoning), the various methodological decisions, the research strategy, and the data collection and analysis techniques.

3.1 Research approach and philosophy

This research employed a qualitative case-study approach. Since qualitative research generally allows the dissecting of narratives and experiences (Korstjens and Moser, 2018), it was considered the most appropriate for grasping the experience of the candidate in terms of the benefits and drawbacks of virtual interviews. The ontological approach of this research was to explore and comprehend the candidate experience of virtual interviews to ascertain participants' reality in this regard. Therefore, the research adopted a constructionist ontological approach. This research further used interpretivist epistemology, outlining the role of narratives and personal interpretations when it comes to understanding candidates' experience of virtual interviewing.

The case study strategy was adopted as the authors sought to understand the phenomenon of virtual interviewing within a specifically identified company group which had more rapidly and widely adopted virtual interviewing since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Case studies allow researchers to explore certain phenomena within real-life environments (Priya, 2021). Thus, a case study approach allowed an in-depth understanding of virtual interviewing within an organization where the use of such recruitment techniques was on the rise, giving the authors better insights into the Research Topic, specifically within the South African context.

3.2 Research participants and sampling

This research's participants comprised candidates in a South African organization and a total of 14 participants were selected using purposive sampling. Purposive sampling has limitations like the inability to randomly sample participants, potentially resulting in researcher bias and subjectivity regarding participant selection (Etikan, 2016). Purposive sampling prompted the authors to select a specific organization and participants they felt were best suited to the experience of virtual interviewing, thus inherently excluding other potential participants who were not considered appropriate. This purposive sampling drawback was alleviated by applying multiple participant selection criteria like gender, age, race, and occupation level, thus helping curb any potentially biased or strongly subjective selection of the overall participants. The authors also admit the inherently reduced generalisability of the research findings because of purposive sampling, however; ensuring the trustworthiness of the data was as robust as possible helped curb this limitation (see later section on the techniques used to enhance the data quality and integrity).

The inclusion criteria granted participation eligibility to candidates within the South African HR recruitment industry, who participated in either asynchronous video or synchronous online interviews anytime between 2020 and 2022, specifically during the height of the use of virtual interviewing because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous experience with face-to-face interviewing was also required for participation in this research. The rationale behind selecting participants from within the HR recruitment industry was to enhance the topic-related insights from key players within the recruitment field. It was also easier to access this organization through the main author's professional network, which was pivotal in gaining the necessary permission to conduct the research. Selecting participants ranging from the entry or intern level to the senior management level particularly ensured that the views and contributions of all occupational level recruitment personnel were sufficiently represented.

While the authors had initially targeted 21 participants, only the 14 that ultimately participated were willing and had time to do so, which nonetheless amounted to an acceptable qualitative sample size for research of this nature, as substantiated by (Guest et al. 2006). The research also considered data saturation, which became apparent at the sixth interview, however, the authors prioritized obtaining sincere and profound insights regarding the candidates' experiences over data saturation, as supported by (Marshall et al. 2013). Table 1 below indicates the characteristics of the participants specifically their gender, age, race, and occupational level.

3.3 Data collection

This research was undertaken at a selected organization in the e-recruitment setting within the broader field of HR. The offices of the organization are located in the Gauteng province of South Africa. The research obtained data through partly structured interviews which were conducted individually and in English. The authors prepared a semi-structured interview guide with questions to be addressed during the interview. Since there was no strict structure to the interview, this allowed for the conversation to be informal and for the main author to ask probing questions and encourage profound conversation. The interviews employed synchronous online tools such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet, as well as in-person (at the individual participants' offices), depending on both the preference of and convenience for the participants. The University of Johannesburg provided the authors with ethical clearance [IPPM-2022-697(M)] before the interviews could proceed, and ethical considerations were upheld throughout the research.

The authors first conducted a pilot interview to determine how suitable and understandable the questions were and whether would indeed help the authors obtain the relevant data. The pilot interview helped the authors to identify questions which needed reframing or rephrasing, thus improving the overall structure and flow of the subsequently conducted interviews. Examples of questions that were asked during the interview are as follows: “What was the nature of your experience using virtual interview systems and software?”; “Can you describe the advantages of using virtual interviews in comparison to face-to-face interviews, in your experience?” and what were the drawbacks you experienced while using virtual interviewing systems? During data collection, the main author had to reschedule three interviews due to challenges with reconciling work and personal schedules with the participants. No incentives were offered for participation in the research.

Both the physical and virtual interviews were captured on an external recording device; in the case of the virtual interviews, this was done to ensure there would be back-up if glitches occurred in the built-in recording on the virtual interviewing platforms employed. The authors also captured notes to ensure accurate representation of participants' perspectives in alignment with what was recorded.

3.4 Data trustworthiness

(Forero et al. 2018) and (Korstjens and Moser 2018) noted that qualitative research uses credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transferability to establish whether the research is trustworthy. To ensure the transferability of the research, the authors provided thick descriptions of the research methods and procedures employed, allowing readers to make a more informed assessment of the applicability of the study's findings to other contexts (Kostova, 2017). The credibility of the research was ensured by conducting a pilot interview to ensure the content validity of the questions asked and by involving a qualitative data analyst during the coding process, whose analysis was compared and merged with independent analyzes by the authors to develop the ultimate research findings (Mabope, 2018). To ensure that the findings of this research were possibly repeatable, a detailed record of the data collection process was developed (Forero et al., 2018). Lastly, conformability was ensured by uncovering participants' reality in an objective, unbiased, and impartial manner without prejudice while remaining neutral (Forero et al., 2018).

3.5 Data analysis

Thematic analysis helps authors to make sense of the deeper meanings contained within qualitative research data (i.e., interview transcripts) by providing structured ways of summarizing and interpreting the various ideas represented (Clarke and Braun, 2016), hence, it was considered most appropriate for this study. Specifically, thematic analysis employing a deductive approach to coding was used, as the authors centered the themes on the candidates' overall experience with virtual interviewing, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of virtual interviewing from the candidates' experience, in accordance with the research objectives. The authors conducted a traditional thematic analysis, assisted by a data analyst who helped identify and highlight initial codes in the transcripts then finally grouped them according to relevant themes and subthemes in line with the research objectives (Eger and Hjerm, 2022; Linneberg and Korsgaard, 2019). The data analyst signed an agreement restraining them from sharing the participants' information and answers provided during the interviews.

(Clarke and Braun 2016) proffer six steps for thematic analysis and the same were adopted in this study. The authors initially familiarized themselves with the transcripts by replaying the recordings and noting any interesting aspects observed. The authors then considered key features and phrases pertinent to the research. The data was searched for themes which were organized by categorizing similar codes. The identified themes were then reviewed and organized among the authors, in consultation with the data analyst. The themes were then named, which guided the authors' systematic write up of the findings. The authors finally compared their independent data analyzes with that of the data analyst to organize and report the findings in alignment with the themes and subthemes identified. The subthemes were appropriately supported by direct quotes emanating from the interviews.

3.6 Ethical considerations

This study followed the following ethical guidelines: proper acknowledgment of the work of other authors through adequate referencing; full participant consent prior to the study; protection of the privacy of the participants; ensuring adequate confidentiality of the respondents; respect for participants' confidentiality; seeking ethics approval from the relevant institutional research ethics committee. After obtaining permission from the selected organization, ethical clearance was sought from and granted by the University of Johannesburg before the commencement of data collection. The authors were allocated the ethical clearance number: [IPPM-2022-697(M)]. Participation in the research was voluntary and if any selected participant refused to take part, or later decided to withdraw, there would be no consequences.

4 Findings

The themes and subthemes noted in this research were outlined and supported by verbatim participant statements taken from the interview transcripts. To clarify any disjointed participant expressions, the authors inserted square brackets “[]” containing additional context aimed at improving the understandability of the relevant quotes.

The main themes developed from the thematic analysis were participants' experiences of virtual interviews, advantages of asynchronous video and synchronous online interviews, as well as disadvantages of the same. The results section of this paper follows the outline of the research objectives, clearly demonstrating the relation between the objectives and their corresponding themes. The main and subthemes are outlined in Table 2 hereunder.

4.1 Theme: participants' experiences of asynchronous video and synchronous online interviews

Virtual interviews take place through a video format and can involve one or two-way communication. One-way virtual interviews, that is, ones that are pre-recorded or “not live,” occur when the candidate receives a list of interview questions, so that their interview will appear as a pre-recorded video. In contrast, two-way (“live”) interviews occur when the interviewer and interviewee have a dialogue by means of real time video conferencing (Hagedorn et al., 2021). The theme primarily emerged from conversation with participants about their experience of live as opposed to pre-recorded virtual interviews. The subthemes that emerged under this main theme were lack of non-verbal cues, comfort associated with the interview format, and lack of human interaction.

4.1.1 Subtheme: lack of non-verbal cues

A common theme that emerged regarding the candidate experience of virtual interviews was a lack of non-verbal cues. This caused a negative candidate experience according to certain participants. Candidates particularly stated that they preferred live virtual interviews, because these contained some body language, whereas non-verbal cues were absent in a pre-recorded virtual interview, thus, the candidate did not always know how their interview was going. The following participant quotes demonstrate these views:

“…but to also kind of just see the reaction of the other person's facial expressions. I think that would make me more comfortable” (Participant 9, female, White Person, between 23 and 40 years old, senior manager).

“But if you're being [interviewed] in person, that would be better. You could read the body language” (Participant 5, female, Colored person, between 23 and 40 years old, entry level employee).

“And then [in terms of] language or rather, body language, you will struggle to pick up [on things you would] if you could only see someone's face. So, for me, that is definitely the negative [side of pre-recorded interviews]” (Participant 11, female, Black African person, between 23 and 40 years old, entry level employee).

4.1.2 Subtheme: comfort associated with the interview format

The participants discussed the comfort associated with the interview format as a subtheme of their experience with virtual interviewing. The participants explained that, with asynchronous video and synchronous online interviews, they could decide where they would like to undertake the interview from, including in the comfort of their own home:

“So, with the live interviews, or online interviews here, it is beneficial because you can do it wherever you are at the comfort of your own home, or if you're not in the same province. So, I think that's what is beneficial on the candidate's point of view” (Participant 14, male, Black African person, between 23 and 40 years old, entry level employee).

“For me, my experience, I enjoyed the aspect that I got to be myself, and I enjoyed the fact that some of it was in my control, besides the timeframe [of the] questions. I was also in an environment that was very comfortable, I was very relaxed. That also helped in making my experience very pleasurable” (Participant 7, female, Black African person, between 23 and 40 years old, entry level employee).

4.1.3 Subtheme: lack of human interaction

The participants spoke about their candidate experience with asynchronous video and synchronous online interviews, citing human interaction as a key element of the process, as substantiated by the following quotes:

“I think I would prefer the live one to be able to see the other person [and be] able to interact with them” (Participant 9, female, White Person, between 23 and 40 years of age, senior manager).

The lack of real-time interaction during their asynchronous video interview experience was especially highlighted as a concern:

“Whereas with the not-live [pre-recorded interview], there's just you, basically speaking to a brick wall, like there's no one else, it's just yourself recording videos of yourself ” (Participant 5, female, Colored person, between 23 and 40 years old, entry level employee).

There were, however, opposing views, as certain participants enjoyed the asynchronous virtual interview format, and their experience was positive:

“For me, it was just overall the interaction that I enjoyed, and the [asynchronous interview] system itself was very easy to work with. I mean, the explanations were easy” (Participant 10, female, White Person, between 40 and 55 years old, middle manager).

Some even explained that despite the lack of human interaction, a pre-recorded interview reduced their anxiety and stress from a live virtual interview, as demonstrated by the following responses:

“I would prefer the asynchronous video. The reason being that I actually have time to calm down to think about my answers” (Participant 6, female, White Person, between 23 and 40 years old, middle manager).

“From a candidate experience, I would say it [an asynchronous interview] takes out a little bit of the stress in the you know, the pressure environment. It makes it a bit easier, in that sense” (Participant 2, male, White Person, between 23 and 40 years old, senior manager).

4.2 Theme: advantages of asynchronous video and synchronous online interviews

There were certain advantages of live interviews as opposed to pre-asynchronous ones. The subthemes that emerged were fairness and global communication.

4.2.1 Subtheme: fairness

A further subtheme that emerged regarding the advantages of virtual interviews was fairness; specifically that asynchronous video and synchronous online interviews are consistent and fair, in the sense that all candidates are asked the same set of interview questions. Participants felt that the consistency of questions ensures that every candidate is measured against the same criteria, thus eliminating bias. The following quotes support these findings:

“Every candidate has got the opportunity to answer the exact same questions” (Participant 3, male, White Person, between 40 and 55 years old, senior manager).

“I would say, if you have pre prepared questions in a live interview, I think that would be the main similarities [allowing fairness as the same questions will be used by candidates]” (Participant 2, male, White Person, between 23 and 40 years old, senior manager).

4.2.3 Subtheme: global communication

Another advantage of virtual interviews is global communication because you can communicate with any candidate around the world at any time due to the advancement of technology. Candidates can work from a different province or country and attend an interview from any location. These perspectives are substantiated by the following responses:

“The nice thing is that organizations and recruiters now have access to global pools of talent, thanks to the available technology which allows communication [with candidates] across the globe. Hence, candidates can take the interview from a totally different location than that of the organization's premises” (Participant 13, male, Black African Person, between 23 and 40 years old, entry level employee).

“I think moving forward, it's just really aligning and creating connections with people that are going to be more on a global scale, or people that are location based, [or] not near each other to do face-to-face. So, I think it's really just going to open the platform for more globalization collaboration to occur in that sense” (Participant 4, female, White Person, between 23 and 40 years old, middle manager).

4.3 Theme: disadvantages of asynchronous video and synchronous online interviews

Some disadvantages were mentioned in the semi-structured interviews regarding both asynchronous video and synchronous online virtual interviews. The subthemes that emerged were one-way communication as well as technology.

4.3.1 Subtheme: one-way communication

Participants agreed the main disadvantage of an asynchronous virtual interview is that it only facilitates one-way communication; as such, you are not able to build rapport with your interviewer or ask them questions if you perhaps do not understand the question:

“With the not live [pre-recorded] video you don't know the interaction with someone” (Participant 1, female, White Person, between 23 and 40 years old, middle manager).

“The not-live [pre-recorded] version is only a one-way, so you don't really perceive people's reactions to your responses such as with the live version” (Participant 4, female, White Person, between 23 and 40 years old, middle manager).

4.3.2 Subtheme: technology

The participants discussed how candidates must have access to the necessary infrastructure, technology and the internet to undertake virtual interviews effectively:

“…video interviews can be limiting in a sense of, if you do not have the proper equipment, [or] if you do not have the facilities or the Internet to actually conduct the interview itself, it can be a disadvantage, as opposed to having a face-to-face interview” (Participant 7, female, Black African, between 23 and 40 years old, entry level employee).

An unreliable internet connection, and a possible lack of tech savviness were specifically identified barriers that could prevent a smooth interview process. The following quotes support these findings:

“…an internet connection can make a huge impact on whether it [the virtual interview] will be successful or not. Whenever there's a lag or something, and the answers don't get through, then that can cause a problem for the candidate” (Participant 8, female, White Person, between 23 and 40 years old, middle manager).

“Disadvantages are internet connection issues, response time limitations, background noise or distractions, and lack of IT [information and technology] savviness; and when I say lack of IT savviness, I mean, tech related problems might unintentionally screen out candidates who aren't tech savvy, but [are] otherwise well qualified” (Participant 12, female, Black African, between 23 and 40 years old, entry level employee).

5 Discussion

5.1 Participants' experiences of asynchronous video and synchronous online interviews

The findings explored participant experiences of asynchronous video and synchronous online interviews. Participant views differed with respect to their experiences when it came to using the different modes of interviewing. The various subthemes that emerged under this main theme were lack of non-verbal cues, comfort associated with interview format, and lack of human interaction.

5.1.1 Lack of non-verbal cues

Non-verbal cues include body language or even gestures conveyed during communication (Isbister and Nass, 2000; Uzun, 2020). Participants explained that they preferred live interviews because pre-recorded ones entirely lacked non-verbal cues. They preferred to have some form of affirmation that the interview was going well, through non-verbal cues, which are not present in pre-recorded interviews (as supported by SIPT which explains the lack of non-verbal cues when it comes to computer-mediated communication). According to (Hemamou et al. 2019), interviews that include non-verbal cues tend to correlate positively with interview performance. This includes phenomena such as hand gestures and eye contact. This is consistent with the findings of this research. (Miller et al. 2018), (Proost et al. 2021) and (Seiter and Weger 2020) also noted that candidates preferred to receive some sort of non-verbal cue such as a head nod; to know the extent to which the interview is going well or not and, for that reason, the candidates within their research preferred face-to-face interview experiences, since a lack of non-verbal cues in virtual interviews was considered unsettling.

5.1.2 Comfort associated with the interview format

Concerning the subtheme of comfort associated with the interview format, participants explained that they had a positive candidate experience when it came to virtual interviews. They explained that going through the interview experience in the comfort of their own home or chosen venue was rewarding. (McKinley et al. 2021) and (Oliffe et al. 2021) similarly explain that candidates feel more comfortable and relaxed when the interviews take place in their homes. They explained that a certain naturalness could be associated with taking part in interviews in a comfortable and well-known environment, and such interviews seemed to be considerably smoother. (Jenner and Myers 2019) explain that participants feel uncomfortable in private one-on-one settings, as it can sometimes be too intimidating or uncomfortable, whereas, in a setting such as one's home, one may tend to feel more comfortable. This paper's findings affirm this position. (Mirick and Wladkowski 2019) also explored the idea of conducting virtual interviews in the comfort of one's home and found that it was preferred by a considerable number of candidates for some of the reasons mentioned above. One of the participants reiterated that since she had an infant and could not leave home, it was more convenient and comfortable for her to conduct the interview at home.

5.1.3 Lack of human interaction

Participants explained that although face-to-face interviews offer the most authentic form of human interaction, they would prefer live interviews as opposed to pre-recorded ones, as they are at least able to engage with the interviewer and ask the interviewer questions during live interviews. Participants explained that they felt more comfortable when human interaction was part of the interview process. These views aligned with the SIPT which criticizes CMC for being characterized by impersonal interaction and a lack of social cues. This is further concurrent with the findings of (Conrad et al. 2017), who explain that candidates show higher participation levels when there is a human interviewer present (whether physically or virtually). The findings support some of the benefits of virtual interviews such as saving candidates time and money, while creating convenience (Bamba et al., 2021; Kraeutler, 2021). Virtual interviews are also used to enable communication among people that are in different parts of the world, including different time zones (Davis et al., 2020; Gray et al., 2020). They are further used to reduce admin by means of screening. This is convenient for HR professionals as they will not have to schedule several interviews in real time (Torres and Mejia, 2017).

5.2 Advantages of virtual interviews

The subthemes of fairness and global communication emerged as the advantages of these interviews, each of which is briefly pitted against extant literature.

5.2.1 Fairness

(Bergen et al. 2020) mentions that the best way to ensure fairness in an interview is to stick to a set guide and refrain from asking questions that resort outside the guide. This is an advantage when it comes to pre-recorded virtual interviews, because candidates are asked the same questions without deviation. This is corroborated by this research's findings, wherein participants mentioned that the pre-recorded video is a fair interview process, because everybody is asked the same questions. Similarly, (Nørskov et al. 2022) found that candidates considered robot-assisted interviews to be fairer than face-to-face interviews. However, when it comes to pre-recorded virtual interviews, there is an element of unconscious or subconscious bias that creeps in, where you might judge someone without realizing that you are doing it (Bergen et al., 2020; Jebaraj et al., 2021). For example, (Otugo et al. 2021) highlight that people tend to gravitate toward candidates who remind them of self, thus likely rendering an interviewer's preconceptions of a candidate like themselves, favorably biased; of which such preconceptions may linger throughout the interview, creating a halo effect despite perceivable shortcomings throughout the interview. (Otugo et al. 2021) further opine how candidates who appear (based on the pre-recorded interview) to be from a lower social status or those whose recordings may be encumbered by connectivity glitches due to poor technological infrastructure (as is sometimes the case in developing countries like South Africa), may fare unfavorably in the interview process due to interviewers' negative subconscious bias toward such issues. Thus, the element of unconscious or subconscious bias needs to be considered even if pre-recorded virtual interviews may be perceived to be fairer than face-to-face and synchronous virtual interviews.

5.2.2 Global communication

(Zuofa and Ochieng 2017) proffer that global communication renders virtual interviewing advantageous as it allows parties to connect from anywhere across the globe. The shift to virtual workspaces largely increased in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era, consequently increasing virtual working arrangements (Nesindande et al., 2024; Franken et al., 2021). Participants in this research considered the ability to interview candidates globally to be advantageous. They further appreciated that the relevant interview parties were not compelled to be physically present, enabling the interviewing process to occur from any location. (Donaghy et al. 2019) similarly revealed the positive participant experiences regarding the limited need for mobility for participation in virtual interviewing. Conversely, (Davis 2021) found encumbrances like potentially unstable internet connectivity to render virtual interviewing disadvantageous.

5.3 Disadvantages of virtual interviews

The drawbacks of virtual interviews encompassed one-way communication and technology as the pertinent subthemes.

5.3.1 One-way communication

Communication occurring in a single direction only allows for information to either be sent or received at one point in time and not simultaneously (Uzun, 2020). This is the case with asynchronous virtual interviews, which lack in-person presence (thus limiting interaction between parties), as do synchronous online interviews although they allow for two-way communication (Nadarzynski et al., 2019; Turner-Cobb et al., 2019). The MRT criticizes communication media that lacks physical gestures and cues as this results in an impersonal interaction experience. Likewise, some participants in this research perceived the lack of cues and gesturing in asynchronous interviews as disadvantageous due to the limited opportunity this afforded candidates to create rapport and a connection with their interviewer and gauge the development of the conversation, although (De Dijn and Van De Mieroop 2023) contradict this finding, citing that digital mediums for virtual interviewing do not particularly curtail rapport-building. Other participants' perspectives contradicted the above-outlined participant views regarding the necessity of rapport-building, citing that not having to speak to a person physically or in real time alleviated some of the stress and pressure generally associated with interviews and gave them additional space to carefully consider their answers without feeling intimidated. Such participant views conform with (Siddiqui and Aslanian 2020), who asserted the less intimidating nature of pre-recorded virtual interviews compared to live virtual and physical interviews. (Gray et al. 2020) further note that introverted candidates may be averse to physical interviews and those with limited technological savviness may be intimidated by live virtual interviews due to the stress and anxiety such interviews may induce.

5.3.2 Technology

Reliable technology is fundamental to effective virtual interviewing. Existing literature affirms that virtual interviewing cannot successfully occur without reliable technology like a cell phone, laptop, internet, or connectivity (Davis, 2021; Donaghy et al., 2019). The SIPT further alludes that the lack of sound technological infrastructure may adversely affect CMC in terms of the quality of information exchanged between the relevant parties (Haywood et al., 2020). This research's participants emphasized the challenges associated with candidates not being technologically literate or having limited expertise in the use of technological tools, as this lowered their likelihood of being successfully hired. This somewhat aligns with Otugo et al.'s (2021) assertion that interviewers tend to form negative biases toward candidates seemingly exhibiting limited technological savviness during virtual interviews, thus diminishing their employment prospects. Participants further expressed how candidates may be affected by connectivity issues or loadshedding, potentially encumbering the virtual interviewing process, whether synchronously or asynchronously. (Marbin et al. 2021) and (Nørskov et al. 2022) similarly highlight how technological glitches may have an adverse effect on interview ratings.

6 Practical implications

This research provides HR practitioners with an understanding of the advantages and disadvantages characterizing virtual interviews, particularly from the HR recruitment candidate's perspective. This understanding therefore allows these practitioners to leverage the firsthand perceived advantages of virtual interviews toward ensuring an enhanced candidate experience, while simultaneously allowing the practitioners to employ alternatives to supplement the shortcomings of these relatively novel and unconventional recruitment methods.

Particularly, HR professionals should opt for a balanced approach when using virtual interviewing. For example, candidates should be afforded the opportunity to participate in a combination of pre-recorded and live interviews, as each candidate's strengths may be differently placed (some may excel at pre-recorded but not live virtual interviews and vice versa). Additionally, those affected by challenges such as poor infrastructure and connectivity during a live virtual interview would benefit from an additional pre-recorded interview, as their hampered performance during a live interview may not truly reflect their capabilities.

7 Limitations and recommendations

This research was not without limitations. Despite an exploratory qualitative approach being most suitable due to the research's relative novelty, the potential advantages of quantitative and mixed method research approaches were forfeited. Additionally, the sample including 10 females and four males meant that male perspectives were underrepresented. Since the sample consisted of participants from a single organization within the HR recruitment industry, the research could not ensure a broad range of perspectives from diverse industries, thus limiting the generalizability of the findings. The nature of purposive sampling (which was employed in this study) also limited the findings' generalizability. Also, the study comprised categories of participants who were both successful and unsuccessful in their job interviews and ultimately, their applications. Therefore, unsuccessful candidates might have been biasedly inclined to negative perceptions of virtual interviewing owing to a potentially frustrating virtual interviewing experience.

The authors therefore advise future researchers to consider leveraging the benefits of quantitative or mixed method methodologies in future similar studies. For instance, future mixed-method studies could be used to reconcile interviewers' perceptions regarding the benefits and shortcomings of virtual interviewing (qualitative enquiry) with candidates' assertions regarding the same (quantitative enquiry). It would also be wise to include a more balanced sample representation in terms of gender, as some perspectives could be gender-unique or prevalent. Including organizations from more diverse sectors such as information and technology, financial services, as well as marketing and telecommunications (which commonly employ virtual interviewing), in future studies to garner more diverse insights regarding the candidate experience of virtual interviewing is also advised. The adoption of sampling methods which allow the inclusion of a more widely representative target sample would further be ideal. Employing a more comprehensive participant selection approach to minimize possible biases (such as from unsuccessful candidates) must also be considered in future.

8 Conclusion

Research on virtual interviewing has been relatively scant thus far. Meanwhile, the amplified use of virtual interviews during and post the COVID-pandemic era necessitates their deeper understanding to enhance candidates' overall experience of them. Thus, the research contributes toward existing literature on virtual interviewing by highlighting the factors to be considered when using non-conventional methods of recruitment such as live and pre-recorded virtual interviews. The study sought to explore candidates' overall experience with virtual interviewing systems, their perceived advantages of using such systems based on their experience, and the disadvantages of the same. Participants stated that while disadvantages such as one-way communication and inadequate technology hindered the effectiveness of virtual interviewing, advantages such as fairness and global communication render such interview formats essential in the future world of work. The findings meaningfully contribute toward understanding the candidate experience behind virtual interviews, as candidates' feedback is pivotal in informing the processes involved in improving virtual interviewing systems. Thus, this research may pertinently advise HR practitioners and organizations regarding the nuances of virtual interviewing in a manner that encourages the improved use and effectiveness of such systems. From a digital point of view, this research illuminates the effective adaption of virtual interviews for the sake of enabling a positive candidate experience, as virtual interviews will continue to increase in the future of the recruitment field due to digital and technological advancement.

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