Video Interviews......the way forward?
I recently worked on a piece of recruitment which I think was one of my most favourite jobs I have ever worked on. Why? For a few reasons really. I had been furloughed for a while so was super keen to get back to work, and yes, I needed the money as well, but it was the desire to use my brain. The level of applications was like nothing I had ever seen before but as I started making my way through the first 100 CV’s I had received within the first 24 hours; some great CV’s were starting to stand out. By day 3, the phone lines were manic, and I was still receiving about 100 CV’s a day. I had never seen anything like it.
Fast forward to submitting my short list a few weeks later and it was the longest short list I have ever submitted. And I LOVED every single one of the candidates. Every single candidate could do the job, every single candidate would have fitted into the business and my client was faced with over 15 CV’s for 2 roles. How could I make these amazing people come a bit more alive? I wanted my client to interview all 15 but we know that just is not possible. Then along came Video Interviewing.
Sunday morning I trialled a platform that delivered this in a simple, straight forward manner which if even I could work with, then I knew it would be the way forward. Within a few days, I had 15 videos to submit to my client, with specific questions asked to everyone, making the pieces of paper that were their CV, spring to life right in front of their eyes. My client could hear the passion in the candidates’ voice as well as get a feel for them as a person as not all questions that I asked were work related. Why would they be when culture and fit into a business is just as important?
My client now has a final short list for 2nd stage interviews which are happening next week. And what have we learnt by changing the recruitment process?
For me, I have learnt that change to the interview process is much better than I had imagined. And whilst I am a huge advocate for people and not technology, I have learnt that the right technology really does get the best out of people.
For the candidates, all but 1 were not phased by this additional process and all fully embraced it. The 1 who did not enjoy it at all, did not come across as well as I had hoped she would, it was then up to me to explain this to my client. They interviewed her on my recommendation and the candidate literally blew them away. But the candidate was honest about the process at interview, referred to not being comfortable with it but it aligned with one of their core values, bravery. She was quite simply, brave.
And what about the client? Well time will tell but with 5 candidates at final interview for 2 jobs, I like to think it has worked.
And I hear people asking, what is the cost for this additional step in the recruitment process? Nothing. Not to my clients anyway. I think it is hugely beneficial and this is a cost that I am more than happy to cover. So many recruiters sit there and say, “oh we’re different” and “we’re experts” but what makes someone different? And are they good different as no one wants bad different or average different. So once your plans for recruitment settle in this crazy year, lets’ have a chat about how video interviewing can improve the interview process for you. As whether we like it or not, 2020 has changed everything beyond more than we could ever have imagined. So, let us take the positive in those changes and embrace them. That is what I am trying to do anyway.
Email: jo@winhurstrecruitment.co.uk
Tel: 0115 975 6513
@winhurstrec