The Power of Video Interviewing 5 Comments

web cam

Meeting online through video has evolved from an easy way to connect grandparents and grandkids via Skype to a fully integrated part of the talent acquisition lifecycle.

How did it happen so quickly? What’s the promise of integrating video interviewing into your workflow? And, what’s next for this technology?

I will be publishing a series of posts over the next month on this topic – and will analyze where video interviewing fits into talent acquisition. I’ve been in touch with Montage, a solution provider in this emerging space, and this post series on video interviewing will be done in collaboration with them.

First, let’s note from the beginning that video interviewing is not interchangeable with the video resume. The video resume as a concept had some promise, but that’s quickly dissipated. A video resume is a one-way, candidate-to-employer device that gained notice more for its failures and flops than for its successes. It’s asynchronous, often clumsy, rarely responsive to employer needs, and worst of all, anxiety-inducing for HR managers.

Video interviewing, on the other hand, can be integrated with applicant tracking systems, can be configured to employers’ needs and workflows, and builds a relationship between candidate and employer in a way that resumes and phone screens are capable of.

Secondly, video interviewing is far more than Skype or web conferencing. Done right, video interviewing is an end-to-end brandable solution that download-free, scalable and configurable to your workflow. It offers distinct capabilities and advantages: panel interviewing, enhanced candidate experience and engagement, and candidate support. Best of all, video interviewing is a solution drives higher quality hires and enhances your brand while reducing costs. As I mentioned earlier, Skype and its ilk are nice for connecting family and friends … but they can’t deliver the experience – for the candidate and for the hiring manager – a video interviewing solution can.

Another common concern I hear when conferring with my fellow practitioners is whether or not video interviewing is discriminating. Namely, what does the EEOC think of this practice? Does it enable discrimination? The short answers are that the EEOC has opined on and approved the practice of video interviewing, and views video in the same light as an in-person interview. As an employer, once you make the decision to fill a position, you’re not incurring any more risk by video interviewing than you are following your typical workflow. For a longer answer, read and watch what EEOC Associate Legal Counsel Carol Miaskoff said.

Now that I’ve addressed the most common concerns about video interviewing, let me highlight some benefits that I’ll expand upon in future posts. With video interviewing, savings and efficiencies are immediate and significant. Just as important, but less frequently cited, are the improvements that it can achieve in candidate selection. To get a truer sense of a candidate earlier in the process and in a way infinitely more meaningful than a resume is nearly priceless. As employer adoption becomes widespread of candidate video profiles that include recorded responses to job-specific questions, the value will only grow. You can spend half an hour phone screening a candidate whose organizational fit you’re likely to determine in the first few moments. Or, at your own convenience and from any web browser, you can observe the candidate for a fraction of the time and get to a stronger decision much faster.

As a recruiter, you’re enabled to make earlier, smarter decisions for your stakeholders in ways previously impossible. On top of that, good vendors enable multiple stakeholders to get eyes on a candidate at this stage – no more relying on the recruiter to reference notes, memory and subjective opinions. And, we haven’t even touched on the live virtual interview, which I’ll address in future posts.

 

About Jason Buss

Talent HQ’s creator and editor is Recruiting & Diversity Leader, Jason Buss. Talent HQ is a premier online news and information channel for the Recruiting and Human Resources community.

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  • Posted on: Monday, August 8th, 2011