HireVue is a digital interviewing tool that enables companies to optimize their recruitment process and more efficiently evaluate candidates. This AI-powered service assesses candidates remotely using video, audio, and AI technologies. In this article, I will share my experience and give you a few tips and tricks on how you can prepare to ace your next HireVue interview.
Over the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in two different HireVue interviews from two competitors in the same field, EY, and Deloitte. On the one hand, EY asked me three long and elaborate questions (see example below) and only gave me 30 seconds to prepare, making it difficult to structure my responses properly. Deloitte, on the other hand, had a total of 8 questions, but they were shorter, and I had a full two minutes to prepare, making it simpler to organize my thoughts and successfully answer the questions.
Example of long-form question asked (EY):
- New technologies and new ways of doing business are emerging all the time. In such a disrupted environment, you must embrace innovation or risk being left behind. We believe that having an innovative mindset is critical in this time of near-constant change. That’s why at EY, we recruit people today based on their mindset – not just their skill set. With a focus on innovation in mind … Provide a recent example of how you leveraged your expertise on a specific technology or topic to drive innovation and impact the results of a project, organization or role. What steps did you take? What challenges did you face? What was the end result?
Examples of short-form questions asked (Deloitte):
- Tell me about yourself and why you are interested in this position.
- Provide an example of a challenging situation you faced and how you overcame it.
- Describe a project you worked on and the results you achieved.
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Here are a few tips and tricks I wish I knew before going into my first few HireVue interviews:
- Practice all the most common interview questions ahead of time so you know how to respond before you begin.
- Make the most of your preparation time! If you are unsure what to say after the initial preparation period, use the entire length of your first take to gather your thoughts and figure out how you want to answer so you can be much more confident in your second take (remember, that will be the one and only take you will have). It’s better to have one really good take rather than two average ones.
- During the preparation period, develop a bullet point list of the points you intend to cover; don’t stare at it, but use it in case you run out of ideas.
- Be confident and, if possible, look at the camera – this will make it appear as if you are speaking straight into the viewer’s eyes – it’s a simple way to differentiate yourself from others, as eye contact (even virtually) goes a long way.
HireVue is a useful tool for companies looking to optimize their recruitment process, but it can also be a difficult experience for candidates. If you are prepared, you’ve been practicing interview questions, and you know what to expect, you will be able to navigate the HireVue process with confidence and give yourself the best chance of standing out against other applicants.
If you want to learn more about my experience with HireVue, practice behavioral interviews, or have any questions, feel free to email me (oliver.decroock@lawrence.edu) or schedule an appointment.
Oliver De Croock ’24, Student-Athlete at Lawrence University majoring in Economics and Data Science. Oliver works as a Career Peer Educator at the Career Center and is the President of the Lawrence University Business Networking Club. Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn.