Summer 2014
Video Interviewing: A Real Plus! Judith Russell RN, BSN, Vice President, Client Solutions – Healthcare Division,
Video interviewing is a fairly new tool that has entered the recruitment space as an enhancement to the hiring process while bearing minimal negative attributes. If you and your organization have not utilized this option, you may want to try it. In contrast to the advent of the video resume, the use of video interviews has steadily grown as the technology has become more affordable and easier to use. According to a study conducted in 2012 for GreenJobInterview, “Just over half (52%) of the respondents said they have used video interviewing (all industries).” The larger the employer, the more likely the usage – almost six out of 10 employers representing 1,000 to 5,000 employees uses remote video interviews. Accordingly, just over 67% of the respondents who do live virtual interviews have used FaceTime, Skype, or Google + video chat to conduct them. And almost 48% of them have used a live virtual supplier platform. Organizations are trying out various methods to see what virtual interview delivery works best for them.* Each video interviewing tool has its pros and cons: FaceTime works only among Apple devices; Google+ requires users to register with Google and obtain a Gmail account; Skype, though it is the most popular with more than 250 million users worldwide, has some security issues. Recording each interview to review at a later time also presents its challenges. Hence, many larger companies tend to use video suppliers like GreenJobInterview, HireVue, InterviewStream and Montage Talent. Their platforms offer all sorts of services and reports that a large employer may prefer. Naturally, the service comes at a price. In a recent article of the Washington Post (February 11, 2014), Hilton Worldwide stated they had revamped their talent strategy to rely heavily on digital video interviewing technology, a tactic the company said has helped them better evaluate candidates, cut interviewing costs and speed up hiring. Using the Web-based platform HireVue, the McLean, Va.-based lodging giant conducted more than 12,000 video job interviews in the past year and a half and is now planning to expand its use of HireVue to help fill a broader range of positions in its 300,000-person workforce. I talked to some health care HR recruitment/talent acquisition specialists to find out what they thought are the key advantages for utilizing video interviewing. Donna Dabeck, Manager, Nurse Recruitment and Retention for NorthBay Healthcare in Fairfield, California has been
conducting video interviews for the past four years. After evaluating a few products, Donna and her organization decided to use Skype because of the low cost. Their use of video interviews is primarily for management positions such as pharmacy and nursing. Instead of flying candidates out for their first interview and later their second interview and physical, they have now implemented this tool for the initial first interview. Donna handles all of the administrative tasks such as sending a camera if needed, doing a pre-run with each candidate to ensure a comfortable and professional interview, setting up the conference room and instructing the hiring managers. So far Northbay has conducted approximately twenty video interviews in the past four years which translate to a minimum savings of $22,000 in travel costs, not taking into account any search fees that would have been saved. They have hired 50-70% of these candidates. Two other recruitment specialists from larger health care systems chose to work with a video interview supplier – GreenJobInterview. One is a recruitment programs manager and client in the northeast, and Brenda M. Mensink, Recruitment Advisor at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Ariz., is the other. The northeast recruitment programs manager began using GreenJobInterview about a year and a half ago when her organization began looking for new tools to enhance efficiency. The organization fills approximately 1,800 positions per year. Initially they conducted a pilot using video interviewing with one recruiter who managed a large volume of entry-level research positions. After conducting 50-60 very technical video interviews, they expanded this service to additional recruiters (4-5) as well as hiring managers. They found that a new recruiter could be trained to start using the tool within 12 hours and candidates within 24 hours. Both the recruiters and hiring managers are extremely happy with this tool and have experienced very few kinks during its implementation. Since adopting video interviewing, they have seen a reduction in the time it takes them to fill a position and, because of the technology and services provided, have seen a lessening of recruiters’ workloads. Brenda M. Mensink and the team at Mayo Clinic were looking for a Web-based solution for the hiring process that would provide a cost savings; offer flexibility and convenience; and, most importantly, enhance the candidate experience. They began with a three month trial for candidates in all specialties especially the hard-to-fill
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Summer 2014 positions. In addition, they established specific criteria for using this service such as requiring a minimum 75 mile distance for the candidate to a site. In early 2013, GreenJobInterview was able to integrate their services with Mayo Clinic’s Applicant Tracking System. Previously, use of this tool at other sites of Mayo Clinic was communicated to other recruiters via “word of mouth,” and now, they expect to see a marked increase in its use. Since 2010, they have conducted roughly 1,000 video interviews and have saved approximately $700,000 in hard costs. They rate GreenJobInterview’s customer service as exceptional and the technology as superb and easy to use. In fact, Mayo Clinic is now researching the use of “one-way recorded interviews.” This would include a list of questions that would be delivered to a candidate in a web link and the candidate would answer each question via video.
By far, the greatest metric that organizations use to judge the use of video interviewing to be a success is the reduction in travel costs. Depending on hiring volume, organizations that use live virtual interviews instead of flying in candidates save thousands to millions of dollars. Improved time to hire is also important to companies, as the quicker a position is filled, the quicker that new employee occupies a needed role and becomes productive. It’s also important to note that companies are paying more attention to the importance of the candidate experience, which can significantly impact the employer’s brand and the candidate’s decision to accept an offer.* *Obtained Permission to quote/use parts of the 2012 Video Interviewing Survey conducted by HRmarketer, on behalf of GreenJobInterview.
NAHCR • P.O. Box 14365 • Lenexa, KS 66285-4365 • Phone: 913.895.4627 • Fax: 913.895.4652 • Email: nahcr@goAMP.com