Julia Weeks
Video interviewing has proven time and time again its value when considering remote candidates for opportunities. However, did you stop to think about the value a video interview presents when considering local candidates?
1. Flexibility
When you decide to use live video interviewing when considering local candidates, you are providing more flexibility not only for yourself but also to the candidates.
If you stop to think about the typical time a face-to-face interview consumes, you probably figure about an hour, maybe two hours depending on the type of position you are interviewing for. This kind of time can make it difficult to coordinate your busy schedule, as well as the candidate’s schedule.
Think about it. If a candidate is currently working, it is likely that he is trying to keep his job search under cover when it comes to his current employer. This means that he will have to think up an excuse as to why he will need to be absent from the office for two or more hours in a couple of days. Not only will the candidate need to plan for the actual time for the interview, but he will also need to factor in any time needed to prepare and travel to and from the interview site.
Having one face-to-face interview can result in your candidate having to take at least half a day off work. Talk about inconvenient!
On the other hand, if you offer the flexibility of a live video interview, the candidate may have a little more time at hand, and it may be more convenient for you and him to coordinate scheduling that works for both of you.
2. Better than Phone
Sometimes, if a candidate is unable to easily request time off work, or if your schedule is limiting in your ability to bring the candidate in for a true face-to-face interview, you may find yourself having numerous phone interviews with the candidate.
When you start having more than one or two phone interviews with a candidate, you need to ask yourself if the phone interviews are really required, or if you are simply attempting to replace a face-to-face interview with these phone calls.
A live video interview can take the place of these numerous phone calls, saving you time and giving you better insight to your candidates. Not only will you have to rely on the candidate’s tone of voice when answering questions, but in a live video interview you will also be able to see the candidate’s expressions and reactions to your questions. This allows you to understand the candidate so much more than you would be able to in a limiting phone call.
3. Outside of the Box
When candidates notice that you are offering the latest trends in interviewing, such as video interviewing, it will affect the candidate’s view of your company. Rather than being a stuffy company, set in the older ways of business, candidates will understand your company to be an advanced business that encourages new and out of the box thinking. This is very attractive to many candidates today and will greatly improve your company’s brand.
What are some other reasons you might consider video interviewing local candidates?
Image: Sergey Nivens/BigStock.com
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