OP Pohjola: Video interviews in summer recruitment

With thousands of candidates applying, the recruitment process needs to be clear, consistent and efficient, while maintaining a positive candidate experience.

Video interviews have been part of OP Pohjola’s summer recruitment for several years, and as the number of applications has grown, their role in the recruitment process has become increasingly important.

Video interviews give every candidate the opportunity to be seen

At OP Pohjola, the video interview is integrated directly into the summer recruitment application process. Candidates submit their application and answer 2–3 video questions related to the role as part of the application.

The questions focus on key skills and competencies required for the role, with candidates providing short video responses of around one minute each. This gives every candidate the opportunity to showcase who they are, their skills and their personality through video.

“Summer recruitment is one of the most important touchpoints for showcasing your employer brand.”

A well-structured recruitment process

A recruitment process of this scale requires careful planning well before the application period begins.

November – Planning and coordination

Hiring managers and recruiters begin planning for the upcoming summer recruitment, identifying their hiring needs.

December – Preparation and getting ready to launch

Recruitment profiles are defined, video interview questions are prepared, internal approvals are obtained, and job postings are published.

January–February – Applications and candidate assessment

Candidates submit their applications and complete the video interview. The project team and hiring managers review applications and video responses and select candidates to move forward in the process.

February–March – Interviews and selection

Shortlisted candidates are invited to live interviews, where the final hiring decisions are made.

CLEAR ROLES ENABLE RECRUITMENT AT SCALE

‍The project team is responsible for coordinating and scheduling the overall summer recruitment process, allocating recruitment responsibilities, and defining recruitment profiles and video interview questions. Hiring managers contribute to defining hiring needs, assessing candidates, and conducting interviews. This clear division of responsibilities enables OP Pohjola to recruit hundreds of summer employees consistently across Finland, even with thousands of applications.

Scaling recruitment without compromising the candidate experience

Despite the high volume of applications, the candidate experience has remained a key priority. According to a candidate survey conducted by Recright, candidate satisfaction with the video interview stage of OP Pohjola’s summer recruitment reached 87%.

Candidates particularly value being able to complete the interview at a time that suits them, having the option to re-record their responses if needed, and receiving clear instructions on the process and its different stages. (Recright, Candidate Survey 2025)

OP Pohjola’s case demonstrates that high-volume recruitment and a positive candidate experience can go hand in hand. Video interviews enable an efficient and consistent way to assess candidates, while also giving every candidate the opportunity to showcase their personality and skills as part of the application process.