by Sven Larsen (@zemoga)
There are a lot of people looking for jobs, but theres definitely a shortage of talent.
Pharmaceutical companies are facing a specialized knowledge skills gap, whether thats due to Baby Boomers exiting the workforce or incoming talent without enough experience. This requires businesses to get better at how they recruit and find the most qualified candidates – before the competition. One way to do that: tapping into the power of video.
Whether thats using a Google+ hangout, Skype or specific recruiting technology for video interviews, companies can use video to expand their talent pool, create “stickier relationships with job candidates, reduce their recruiting spend and eliminate the typical job search/job fill headaches faced by hiring managers and candidates.
Using new video capabilities, companies can reach candidates from anywhere in the world without flying them in for an initial pre-screen. With so much work being done in virtual offices, companies can use video to recruit and retain talent pools outside their own geography.
Regardless of where a candidate is located, an in-person interview requires coordinating calendars and schedules, which can delay the interview process by weeks or months. This lag time could result in missed opportunity.
With a video interview, job seekers can use a Web cam (companies like GreenJobInterview.com will send one out if youre not Web-enabled) and participate in the interview at a time and place that is convenient for them. This ends the stress of remembering if you called in the week prior with a plumbing issue, flat tire or stomach flu.
A video interview much like an in-person interview also lets the interviewer and candidate pick up on social cues and body language. Thats helpful for determining cultural fit or picking up subtleties that may be missed in a phone call or assessment test.
For hiring managers, video technology doesnt require them to take time out of their day or away from their core responsibilities to meet with an applicant. Instead, they can preview the video at night, on their mobile device or however and wherever its most convenient for them. And, they can watch it multiple times to further influence their evaluation and decision.
Another way video interviews save time is that they can be shared. This ends the interview burnout that happens to candidates who are required to spend hours meeting with various team members. Instead, they participate in one interview. This ensures consistency, both in the types of questions employers ask the types of responses given by candidates. Hiring managers can also reach quicker consensus on hiring decisions and make sure theyre assessing candidates fairly. Because video interviews can be a bit more structured, hiring managers are making decisions based on skills and qualifications, not a mutual love of Rescue Me or a particular sports team.
Pharmaceutical companies that use video in their recruiting process can create a better candidate experience, which is essential as every potential employee may also be a potential customer. They can also demonstrate forward-thinking prowess by using the latest technology in how they attract talent.
Video is definitely the next step for recruiting. Job seekers should take time familiarizing themselves with the technology to get camera ready. Business should plan to power their recruiting process with video to save on transportation costs, remove scheduling hassles and attract top talent.
Roll tape!