New and advancing communications technologies have been changing the way we work for years. But when the pandemic reached Australian shores, it’s safe to say that video technology quickly moved into the mainstream and became the dominant way in which organisations and their workforces communicated.

More than this however, this technology became a vital part of the recruitment process, providing employers and managers with the opportunity to meet candidates face to face, albeit virtually, to conduct interviews and gain a better sense of the skills and personal characteristics of job applicants.

While basic video technology certainly allows organisations to adhere to social distances rules, they are also more time-consuming and, dare we say it, a rather clunky solution.

As a result, we introduced interactive digital video interviewing to some of our clients who had perhaps been reluctant to use this technology in the past. Interestingly, they became fast advocates who have expanded the ways in which they use and benefit from this methodology in part because the way it is applied is adaptable. The technology can therefore assist employers in matching organisation specific recruitment processes and meeting human resources goals.

If you are finding your current video recruitment methods time-consuming, cumbersome and ineffective, here are some benefits to embracing digital interviewing platforms that are specifically designed to help simplify your recruitment process.

Streamline your pre-screening process

When advertising a role, it is easy for busy employers and hiring managers to become overwhelmed with the number of applications. Finding the time to narrow it down to a shortlist can be challenging. This is where digital interviewing platforms come in, helping to streamline and speed up the process.

A function of video interviewing technology is that it allows employers and their recruitment partner to quickly identify key talent through a simple rating system. Not only can applicants be scored through a five-star system, but also rated based on specific skills and traits that have been identified by an employer as being important for the role. These could include “leadership skills” or “problem solving ability” for example, or technical skills specific to the role requirements.

For those involved in the recruitment process, whether it be a manager, team leader or senior staff member, they can watch all candidate application videos or just the top ranked by their recruiter and quickly select those who progress. This can be undertaken in their own time, without the need to block out hours each day to conduct preliminary interviews.

National Manager for Baytech and CozWine Ed Milne, who has helped numerous organisations implement this technology within their recruitment process, explains that this flexibility has been of significant benefit to employers.

“Our clients have really enjoyed the increased flexibility one way video interviews afford them when reviewing candidates sent for a role,” he says. “The ability to screen people in between other daily tasks, meetings and appointments increases the speed of the entire process, seeing a final shortlist pulled together much more efficiently and collaboratively.”

Maintain physical distancing and achieve wider organisational input

During the current climate, it is of course important to adhere to social distancing regulations, and digital interviewing platforms provide an effective solution. Until the candidate needs to be at a workplace, the entire hiring process can remain contactless.

But even in the future, when the threat of the pandemic is not so omnipresent, the ability to watch applicant videos via distance allows for team members in other offices, states or even countries, to quickly have their input. This speeds up the process from application to placement, while also achieving the input from team members that may be required.

Optimise your workforce

The ability to screen applicants via distance also allows organisations to optimise their workforce efficiency, by spreading the workload where there is capacity. If one team is under pressure, the responsibility of screening job applicants can be allocated to another team where there is more capacity to complete the screening.

This is beneficial in several ways; not only does it reduce recruitment timeframes, but it also minimises the risk of losing quality candidates to other offers, which can easily happen during a long and drawn-out recruitment process.

Create a thorough follow-up process

Once a shortlist has been established, creating a thorough follow-up with the relevant candidates is simple, with functionality that allows specific questions to be asked of specific candidates should an employer or Hiring Manager wish to know more.

For example, a particular candidate may have broadly explained their technical skills in the workplace, and an employer might like to ask a follow up question specific to their experience within a relevant skill set. The employer or recruiter can then simply record the questions and send through to the candidate to respond via a new video. This also provides the candidate with the opportunity to sell their experience, giving employers and recruitment consultants a better understanding of their capabilities.

This again saves time and resources for organisations. If there is the ability to ask further detailed questions, managers are better able to narrow down the candidate pool, leaving only a small number which they may choose to interview.

Effective for all industries and roles

This kind of video interviewing platform has been shown to work across a wide range of industries and roles, whether it be entry-level jobs or short-term placements, through to highly specified and technical roles. Bayside Group has had had positive feedback from clients across varied industries and sectors, including wine, food, pharmaceuticals, trades and engineering. Across our brands, well over 1000 applicants have gone through a screening process in this format in the last six months, with positive feedback.

With regards to entry-level roles, this format provides a fast-tracked hiring experience by eliminating those applicants who are not fully committed to the process. Creating video responses as part of the application process means organisations are more likely to receive applications from those candidates who are truly interested in the role and engaged with the company.

According to Ed, for roles that are highly technical and require greater collaboration or panel interviews with several managers, this platform allows those with limited time and availability to all have an input, without needing to facilitate a time and place where everyone is available.

“Several clients who have never considered one way video interviews previously have been impressed with the ability to have several line managers, supervisors and HR all included in the hiring process,” he says. “This really can put an end to multiple senior staff members all needing to block out entire days to conduct interviews.”

Furthermore, the ability to have multiple candidate evaluators means employers can see the scores and star-ratings allocated to candidates by their recruitment consultant, and vice versa. This collaborative and open approach creates a more coherent hiring strategy, allowing a recruitment consultant to build a better understanding of what the client is looking for in a candidate. As a result, your consultant is better able to refine their attraction and screening processes, thus achieving better outcomes more quickly.

A personalised, humanised experience

When it comes to hiring ideal candidates, a resume or single, once-off video interview really only begins to scratch the surface of who they are and their compatibility with an organisation. Instead, watching a video provides a much more human experience for the hiring manager.

When a final interview does occur, the interviewer has likely seen the candidate several times by now and is familiar with them. This doesn’t just allow them to make the interview more specific and ask questions tailored to that candidate, but also enables them to be warmer, as they have already established a visual connection with this person.

“The one-way video interviews add a human element to the screening process,” Ed explains. “And when selected candidates finally start on site, there is already a feeling of familiarity and inclusion, which helps to build a positive relationship between employer and employee from the outset.”

This is true for the applicants too. Once they have been on camera answering application questions, they are more likely to be at ease during an interview should they make it to that stage of the process. Furthermore, employers can upload organisational videos, which provides candidates with a better understanding of the company as a whole. This can help to build engagement and begin establishing an enticing Employee Value Proposition from day one.

Click here to arrange a demonstration, or contact your recruitment consultant to learn more.