Video killed the interview star: Does picture-in-picture affect interview performance?

Abstract

Although technology-mediated selection interviews have become more prevalent in practice, research on this phenomenon has failed to keep pace. One pressing need is to understand the dimensions upon which technology-mediated interviews might differ from one another. Particular aspects of synchronous video technology may negatively affect interviewees, and those negative effects may be exacerbated by the evaluative nature of the interview. We explored this question by investigating the effects that one such aspect, the picture-in-picture window, has on interviewees. This study used a 2 (picture-in-picture vs. no picture-in-picture) x 2 (evaluative framing vs. nonevaluative framing) between-subjects experimental design to test the hypothesized relationships. We conclude that presence of a picture-in-picture window during a video interview did not directly affect interview performance or applicant reactions but did increase cognitive load. This suggests that picture-in-picture technology affects interviewees in a potentially detrimental way. We discuss how research and practice should navigate these findings.