With a larger applicant pool, weeding through those who aren’t qualified for a position,and finding those who are best suited to your company culture and philosophy requiresall the tools available to you. The problem is that not all managers or human resource workers understand high-tech, up-to-date hiring strategies. But using even the simplest of these options only makes sense in a day when finding the best employees requires more effort and ingenuity than ever.
One such method that is only beginning to be recognized as a valuable, efficient hiring strategy for employers is the use of video clips. In an age of Skype where people talk by Internet phone, and YouTube where any video on any conceivable topic is readily available, the practice of “interviewing” applicants via video should come as no surprise to innovative businesses.
The easiest way to make use of video in hiring is by asking applicants to submit a videotaped response to various interview questions you provide in advance. Not only will youget the applicant’s answers to your questions, but you can literally watch them respond. You can see their mannerisms, view their personal appearance, take time to evaluate how they react to stressful or unplanned questions and more.
To begin, prepare a simple list of questions on a variety of topics, both job-specific and generalized. Ask every applicant who applies, and whom you consider a potential candidate, to respond to each of the questions in front of a live web cam. If they don’thave access to the necessary technology, offer it via your company’s HR or IT department.
It’s not unreasonable to ask that applicants who are to be seriously considered should takethe time to respond to your questions. And in today’s workplace where schedules are filled to the brim with meetings and added responsibilities, “interviewing” applicants viavideo also saves the time that would once have been spent face-to-face with a variety of candidates.
Video interviews are only one of many possible hiring strategies that companies aredesigning to help them more efficiently and effectively hire the right employees for position openings. Other methods include essay writing, quizzes, “what-if” questions andmore. Each one can help you use available tools to locate qualified applicants with less effort, cost and investment than might be possible otherwise.