The Effect of Psychological Need Satisfaction on Performance and Applicant Reactions to Asynchronous Video Interviews (Study 1)

Asynchronous Video Interviews (AVIs) are a relatively new assessment and selection technology, allowing organisations to evaluate large numbers of applicants more efficiently and at lower cost than face to face (F2F) interviews. AVI use has increased substantially in the recent year, brought on by the current COVID-19 recession which has seen unemployment rates rise rapidly in a short period of time, combined with social distancing measures. While AVIs offer tangible benefits to both organisations and applicants, technology-mediated interviews are not necessarily equivalent to their F2F counterparts in terms of applicant reactions (job applicants’ attitudes towards the hiring process and organisation), and how applicants’ interview performances are evaluated. Additionally, current dominant models of applicant reactions may be more suited to investigating applicants’ reactions to an entire selection process, rather than reactions to specific assessments. In my PhD dissertation, of which this experiment forms part, I will present Basic Psychological Needs Theory (BPNP, a sub-theory of self-determination theory (SDT)) as an alternative framework through which to study applicant reactions. This experiment seeks to investigate whether an intervention (a company video message that has been rated by pilot participants as being higher in empathy and humour than the control condition) shown to participants during their AVI can reduce participants’ anxiety levels, improve perceptions of the hiring organisation, as well as their interview performance (as rated by independent interview evaluators). This experiment uses a randomised 2-group between subjects design with an experimental and control condition.