ABSTRACT
Introduction : While moving to a virtual fellowship selection process was mandated by the coronavirus pandemic, hesitancy remains when it comes to a complete transition away from in-person interviews. To help programs with their decision making, this project aimed to document the experience of program directors and applicants undergoing a virtual selection process as we enter a post-pandemic era. Materials and Methods : Applicants and program directors involved in the 2020 Canadian Colorectal Fellowship Match were recruited to participate in this qualitative study via email. All programs carried out their selection process as per their protocol. Structured phone interviews were completed. The perspectives of applicants and program directors were extracted using directed content analysis. Results : All 6 program directors and 5 of 10 applicants participated. Main goals of the interview for both applicants and program directors were to share/gather information about the program and assess the fit between applicants and programs. Benefits of virtual interviews included reduction in the financial, opportunity, and environmental costs. However, it was noted that assessment of fit and interpretation of body language was more challenging. Conclusion : Virtual interviewing is a feasible alternative to face-to-face interviews for Canadian Colorectal Fellowship programs, with clear benefits from an environmental impact perspective. Further research on how to assess fit fairly through a virtual platform may be useful in developing a selection process that is just, while appreciating our role as healthcare leaders in the climate crisis.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The Coronavirus 2019 pandemic necessitated a rapid uptake of video-based interviewing within the personnel selection process in healthcare. While video-based interviews have been evaluated previously, we identified a gap in the literature on the implementation of video-based interviews and how they compare to their face-to-face counterparts. METHODS: A scoping review was conducted to consolidate the available literature on the benefits and limitations of video-based interviews and to understand the perceived barriers associated with transitioning away from face-to-face interviews. A search strategy, developed in concert with an academic health sciences librarian, was run on Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, PsycInfo, and Cochrane Central. The search was performed on March 31, 2020, and updated on February 21, 2021. Studies that implemented and evaluated the impact of video-based interviewing in healthcare were included in our study. Review articles and editorials were excluded. RESULTS: Forty-three studies were included in our scoping review, of which 17 were conference abstracts and 26 were peer-reviewed manuscripts. The risk of bias was moderate or high in most studies, with only four studies having a low risk of bias. Both financial costs and opportunity costs associated with the selection process were reported to be improved with video-based interviewing, while no studies explored the impact on environmental costs. Technical limitations, which were not prevalent, were easily managed during the interview process. Overall, video-based interviews were well received by both applicants and interviewers, although most participants still reported a preference for face-to-face interviews. CONCLUSIONS: While video-based interviewing has become necessary during the Coronavirus 2019 era, there are benefits from a financial, opportunistic, and environmental point of view that argue for its continued use even after the pandemic. Despite its successful implementation with minimal technical issues, a preference still remains for face-to-face interviews. Reasons for this preference are not clear from the available literature. Future studies on the role of nonverbal communication during the video-based interview process are important to better understand how video-based interviewing can be optimized. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: This scoping review was registered with Open Science Framework.