Video Interviews

Master this essential documentation concept

Quick Definition

Remote interview sessions conducted through video conferencing technology, allowing real-time visual and audio communication between interviewers and candidates.

How Video Interviews Works

flowchart TD A[Documentation Need Identified] --> B[Schedule Video Interview] B --> C[Prepare Interview Questions] C --> D[Send Calendar Invite with Video Link] D --> E[Conduct Video Interview] E --> F[Record Session] F --> G[Screen Share for Demos] G --> H[Take Real-time Notes] H --> I[End Interview] I --> J[Review Recording] J --> K[Transcribe Key Points] K --> L[Create Documentation] L --> M[Share Draft with Interviewee] M --> N[Incorporate Feedback] N --> O[Publish Final Documentation]

Understanding Video Interviews

Video interviews have become an essential tool for documentation professionals, enabling them to conduct remote research sessions and gather critical information from subject matter experts, stakeholders, and end-users regardless of geographical constraints.

Key Features

  • Real-time visual and audio communication through video conferencing platforms
  • Screen sharing capabilities for demonstrating processes and workflows
  • Recording functionality for later review and transcription
  • Multi-participant support for group interviews and collaborative sessions
  • Chat features for sharing links, documents, and follow-up questions
  • Integration with calendar systems and scheduling tools

Benefits for Documentation Teams

  • Access to remote experts and stakeholders without travel costs
  • Ability to capture non-verbal cues and visual demonstrations
  • Flexible scheduling across different time zones
  • Recorded sessions serve as permanent reference materials
  • Reduced time-to-documentation through immediate clarification
  • Enhanced collaboration between distributed team members

Common Misconceptions

  • Video interviews are less effective than in-person meetings for gathering detailed information
  • Technical difficulties make video interviews unreliable for professional documentation work
  • Video interviews cannot capture complex visual processes or demonstrations
  • Remote interviews result in less engagement from participants

Transforming Video Interviews into Accessible Knowledge Assets

Technical teams increasingly rely on video interviews for various purposes—from user research and stakeholder discussions to expert consultations and training sessions. While video interviews offer rich, nuanced information through visual cues and demonstrations, they also create a documentation challenge.

When your team conducts video interviews through platforms like Zoom, valuable insights and technical requirements often remain trapped in recordings that few people have time to watch in full. Team members might spend hours searching through lengthy video interviews to locate specific information, or worse, recreate interviews because the original content isn't easily accessible.

Converting your video interviews into searchable knowledge base articles solves this fundamental problem. By transforming interview content into structured documentation, you can tag important sections, highlight key technical insights, and make every interview discoverable through search. For example, when a developer needs to understand specific user requirements discussed in an interview from months ago, they can quickly locate the exact information without watching the entire recording.

This approach ensures the valuable knowledge captured during video interviews becomes part of your organization's permanent, accessible knowledge base rather than remaining isolated in video files that grow increasingly difficult to manage over time.

Learn how to automatically convert your Zoom interview recordings into searchable knowledge base articles →

Real-World Documentation Use Cases

Remote Subject Matter Expert Consultation

Problem

Documentation teams need to gather technical knowledge from experts located in different offices or working remotely, making in-person interviews impractical.

Solution

Conduct structured video interviews with SMEs to capture their expertise, including screen sharing for technical demonstrations and process walkthroughs.

Implementation

1. Identify key SMEs and their availability across time zones. 2. Schedule 60-90 minute video sessions with clear agendas. 3. Prepare specific questions and scenarios beforehand. 4. Use screen sharing for technical demonstrations. 5. Record sessions for later reference and transcription.

Expected Outcome

Comprehensive technical documentation created from expert knowledge, with recorded sessions serving as ongoing reference materials for future updates.

User Experience Research for Documentation

Problem

Understanding how end-users interact with products and where they struggle with existing documentation requires direct observation and feedback.

Solution

Conduct video interviews with users while they navigate products and documentation, observing their behavior and gathering real-time feedback.

Implementation

1. Recruit diverse user participants. 2. Set up screen sharing to observe user interactions. 3. Ask users to think aloud while using documentation. 4. Record sessions for analysis. 5. Follow up with specific questions about pain points and suggestions.

Expected Outcome

User-centered documentation improvements based on actual usage patterns and feedback, resulting in more effective and accessible content.

Cross-Team Process Documentation

Problem

Complex workflows span multiple departments, requiring input from various stakeholders to create accurate process documentation.

Solution

Organize multi-participant video interviews with representatives from each department to map out complete workflows and identify handoff points.

Implementation

1. Identify key stakeholders from each department. 2. Schedule group video sessions with 3-5 participants. 3. Use collaborative tools during the call to map processes. 4. Record discussions for later analysis. 5. Follow up individually for clarification.

Expected Outcome

Complete cross-functional process documentation that accurately reflects real workflows and includes all stakeholder perspectives.

Software Feature Documentation Interviews

Problem

New software features require detailed documentation, but developers and product managers are distributed across different locations and time zones.

Solution

Conduct video interviews with development teams to understand feature functionality, use cases, and technical requirements for comprehensive documentation.

Implementation

1. Schedule interviews with developers, PMs, and QA teams. 2. Request live demonstrations of new features via screen share. 3. Document edge cases and error scenarios. 4. Record technical explanations for accuracy. 5. Validate understanding with follow-up questions.

Expected Outcome

Accurate, comprehensive feature documentation that covers all use cases and technical details, reducing support tickets and user confusion.

Best Practices

✓ Prepare Structured Interview Guides

Create detailed interview guides with specific questions, topics, and time allocations to ensure comprehensive coverage of all necessary information during video sessions.

✓ Do: Develop question frameworks tailored to different types of interviews (technical, user experience, process mapping) and share agendas with participants beforehand.
✗ Don't: Don't conduct interviews without clear objectives or rely solely on improvised questions that may miss critical information.

✓ Test Technology Before Critical Interviews

Ensure all video conferencing technology, recording equipment, and screen sharing capabilities are working properly before conducting important documentation interviews.

✓ Do: Conduct test calls with participants, verify recording permissions, and have backup communication methods ready in case of technical issues.
✗ Don't: Don't assume technology will work perfectly or wait until the interview starts to address technical problems that could disrupt the session.

✓ Record and Transcribe for Accuracy

Always record video interviews when possible and create accurate transcriptions to ensure no critical information is lost and to enable future reference.

✓ Do: Obtain explicit permission to record, use reliable recording tools, and invest in quality transcription services or software for accuracy.
✗ Don't: Don't rely solely on handwritten notes during interviews or skip recording due to convenience, as this often leads to missed details.

✓ Follow Up with Validation Sessions

Schedule brief follow-up video calls to validate documented information and clarify any ambiguities that arose during the transcription and writing process.

✓ Do: Send draft documentation to interviewees for review and schedule 15-30 minute validation calls to address questions and corrections.
✗ Don't: Don't publish documentation without stakeholder validation or assume your interpretation of complex technical information is automatically correct.

✓ Create Comfortable Interview Environments

Establish rapport and create comfortable virtual environments that encourage open communication and detailed information sharing from interview participants.

✓ Do: Start with casual conversation, explain the interview purpose clearly, and allow participants to ask questions about the process and documentation goals.
✗ Don't: Don't rush into technical questions immediately or create formal, intimidating interview atmospheres that may inhibit participant responses.

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