Harper Creek Community Schools Improves Candidate First Looks Using Spark Hire Video Interviews

Harper Creek Community Schools is a Kindergarten through Twelfth-grade public school system in Battle Creek, Michigan. The district comprises three elementary schools as well as a middle and high school. HCCS also houses three Great Start Readiness Programs for four-year-old children. Responsible for hiring across the district, HR Director, Tammy Chapman, was eager to gain insight on candidates during the screening process. 

Additionally, the HCCS hiring team was looking for a better way to submit candidates to principals. With these goals in mind, the team at HCCS knew it was time to revamp their hiring strategy. 

Beyond notes on a resume

Chapman and her team kept running into the same issue during their initial screening process. After reviewing scores of applications, the hiring team at HCCS would select a handful of candidates to move onto their first round of interviews. However, after completing a preliminary interview with these candidates, the team kept finding disconnects between what was listed on candidates’ application and their in-person presence. “There are times when what you read on a resume does not match what you see and hear from the applicant in-person,” explains Chapman.

The process of submitting candidates to principals was also feeling more and more lackluster. They wanted a more engaging and informative approach, something that went beyond notes on a resume. 

Discovering video interviewing

Chapman first heard about video interviewing during a conference. Though it wasn’t a tool she had considered before, the technology quickly piqued her interest. Once she discovered what it could do for their hiring process, Chapman was all in. Shortly after, HCCS started working with Spark Hire to transform their hiring strategy. 

Getting started with the platform was easy and straightforward. “The customer service is outstanding. The fact that I have a Customer Success Manager says it all. Spark Hire truly wants us to be successful in our search for staff.” adds Chapman. 

Improved candidate insight

Since getting started with the software, Chapman and her team have seen major improvements to their screening process. Having candidates complete one-way video interviews provides the hiring team with much more insight into a candidate’s personality and actual skill set. “This process gives districts a faster and more accurate glimpse into applicants’ skills and abilities. Hearing straight from candidates through their one-way video interviews carries much more weight than our gut feeling about who we should interview,” says Chapman.

Being able to sift through quick, digestible video clips instead of a pile of resumes has also drastically decreased their time to hire. “We no longer feel like we need to have a large number of interviewees to ensure we get the best team member. Spark Hire helps us narrow the applicants in a fair and legal way,” says Chapman. 

Chapman and her team are also more confident submitting candidates to principals for review. One-way video interviews have improved collaboration and team communication, as principals are able to quickly and easily rate, review, and comment on prospective applicants throughout the process. She knew they’d found their tool during an annual budget meeting. “ALL of our hiring supervisors asked if we were going to ensure we continued to use the [Spark Hire] platform for hiring,” says Chapman.

An invaluable hiring tool

The team at HCCS was able to tackle every one of their hiring initiatives using Spark Hire’s software. With better candidate insight and a more informative and collaborative submission process, the team has seen a significant decrease in their time to hire and a huge improvement in their quality of hires. Additionally, Spark Hire’s top-notch customer support has secured the software as an invaluable hiring tool for HCCS.