Does media richness influence job applicants' experience in asynchronous video interviews? Examining social presence, impression management, anxiety, and performance

Abstract

Asynchronous video interviews (AVIs) have become a popular alternative to face-to-face interviews for screening or selecting job applicants, in part because of their increased flexibility and lower costs. However, AVIs are often described as anxiety-provoking or associated with negative applicant reactions. Building on theories of media richness and social presence, we explore if increasing the media richness of AVIs, by replacing “default” text-based introductions and written questions with video-based ones, can positively influence interviewees' experience. In an experimental study with 151 interviewees (M_age = 28.08, 56% female) completing a mock interview, we examine the (direct and indirect) impact of media richness on perceived social presence, interview anxiety, use of honest and deceptive impression management (IM) tactics, and ultimately interview performance. Results showed that media richer AVIs help increase interviewees perceived social presence and improve their interview performance. Higher perceived social presence was also associated with lower interview anxiety and facilitated using IM (especially other-focused tactics). Our findings highlight that there might be ways for organizations to embrace the practical benefits of AVIs while still ensuring a positive experience for interviewees.