With the marketplace for talent growing ever more competitive, smart companies are recognizing that a process that reduces time and cost to hire can provide a significant competitive advantage. Hiring managers are increasingly willing to explore new methods of attracting, interviewing and hiring talent.

Combine this with rapid technological progressions such as online bandwidth, network speeds and computer cameras, and you’ve created the perfect environment for one such methodology to thrive: video interviewing.

Mention video interviewing in some HR circles and you will be bombarded with concerns about its legality, technical requirements and how it fits into the current hiring process.

Yet there’s no denying that video interviewing has moved beyond the trend phase. Fortune 500 companies with significant hiring needs, recruiters interviewing geographically disperse candidates and high-tech companies whose candidates “live” online all use this technology.

But the user base is still growing, and more mainstream companies are adopting the technology, too. A recent study by Aberdeen Group reported that 32 percent of organizations are investing in video interviewing, compared to 21 percent of organizations in 2012.

What’s more, some video-conferencing vendors tout a reduction in time to hire by up to 50 percent and a cost per hire savings of up to $1,500.

Assuming video interviewing is something your organization would like to explore, below are a few tips to ensure you’re using the medium most effectively:

Recognize video’s limitations

Video interviews can be a powerful tool for conducting initial meetings with candidates, often as an alternative to phone screening. The information gained from a candidate’s body language is valuable for separating candidates who otherwise might not be differentiated via a phone interview.

However, whenever possible, meet a candidate in person before extending a job offer. Depending on the type of position, seemingly trivial interactions such as how the candidate greets the front desk, shakes hands with their interviewer and establishes eye contact can shed important light on how well that person will represent your organization.

Prepare ahead of time

Just as you would thoroughly prepare for a face-to-face interview, you should do your homework prior to a video interview to ensure a smooth interaction.

Have your questions — and follow-up questions — ready. If you’re in the habit of interviewing candidates without a written list of questions, you should rethink that approach with video. Any hesitations or gaps in communication will be magnified if there’s a delay in the audio and/or video feed.

Conduct a practice run. Minimize technological glitches by testing the video feed during a test run with a colleague.

Using Skype? Exchange usernames a couple of days before the scheduled interview to avoid last-minute scrambling.

Connect at least 15 minutes ahead of time, in case there are technical issues. Ask the candidate to do the same.

Practice looking into the camera. Even the most seasoned interviewers will need to adjust to the dynamic of interviewing someone who is not physically present.

Be mindful of your presentation

Do you work in a cubicle or open floor plan? If so, find a private space, such as a conference room, free from noise and distractions.

Arrange for a plain background behind you — anything else could be distracting.

Set your cell phone on silent, log out of instant messenger and turn off your email.

Brightly colored and boldly patterned clothes might look great in person, but on video they can be distracting. Stick to solid, neutral colors.

Make the job seeker comfortable

You don’t want to screen out an otherwise strong candidate because they’re not experienced with video interviewing — so it’s your job to make them comfortable. Before you get started, ask the candidate if it’s their first time being interviewed over video. If it is, explain the process and what they can expect. Setting the stage and acknowledging the potential for delays will help set them at ease.

Establish eye contact

You wouldn’t interview someone in person with your head buried in their resume, so don’t make that mistake with a video interview. Make sure that you’re always facing the camera, and look at the lens (not the screen) when directing a question to the candidate to simulate eye contact.

Outline the next steps

Once the interview is over, let the candidate know the next step in the hiring process. Doing so will help establish trust, while projecting a professional, organized image for your organization.

Just as becoming an effective face-to-face interviewer takes time and practice, so does video interviewing. Hopefully the steps above shorten the learning curve and get you off to a great start.