Josh TolanOne in five U.S. jobs is held by a worker under contract. And within a decade, contractors and freelancers could make up half of the American workforce, according to this 2018 NPR/Marist Poll.
Maybe your company uses contractors to increase staff temporarily for a big project, or perhaps you’re preparing for a transition in the growth cycle. It could also be as simple as short-term employees fitting the hiring budget.
No matter the need, temporary employees play a key role in ensuring everything continues running at full speed.
Video interviews offer an easy way to interview talent anywhere, at any time — but there’s more to this process than just efficiency. Here are four of the top benefits of using video interviews to hire contractors:
1. Provide flexibility
One of the greatest reasons the gig economy is booming today is the increasing demand for workplace flexibility. People want to take charge of how and where they spend their time.
Talent professionals would be remiss if they didn’t notice the evolving work environment. Thankfully, 72% of talent professionals are aware, according to LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends 2019 report.
To hire contractors, offer flexibility from the get-go — starting with the interview process.
Video interviews are the first clue that your company values a flexible working environment. Contract candidates can interview from the comfort of their own offices or homes. What’s more, they get to work around their busy schedules by recording one-way video interviews when it’s convenient for them or scheduling a one-on-one live video interview whenever it’s most fitting.
These seemingly small signs of flexibility show the company respects contractors’ time and personal lives.
2. Increase your talent pool
It doesn’t matter if contract employees are in the same time zone as you or even if they can work during your company’s normal business hours. So why limit your candidates to only those who live close by?
Offering video interviews for contractors attracts more available talent into your pipeline. And by not limiting when and where they can interview, you lower the risk of high-quality candidates backing out because they can’t align their schedules with your availability.
Video interviews give you the power to reach the best-fitting contractors, no matter where they’re located.
3. Stretch the budget
Like most companies, you have a limited hiring budget. Of course, unexpected short-term talent needs can quickly turn your expenses upside down. With especially tight budgets, you may even default to risky shortcuts, which consequently result in bad hires.
Video interviews allow you to increase the number of candidates you source while decreasing the amount of time your hiring team spends assessing them. This counter-fluctuation creates space for you to use your budget more effectively.
Additionally, video interviews reduce the amount of money spent on travel expenses for in-person interviews. In most cases, contractors won’t be on location once hired, anyway. So there’s no need to spend time and money getting them acquainted with a work environment.
4. Create a talent library
Chances are, this won’t be the last time you need contract workers. No matter where the company is in its life cycle, there will be future shifts requiring temporary help.
To make the sourcing, interviewing, and relationship management all worth your while, it’s crucial your top choices remain easily accessible. That’s where video interviews come in handy for both your current and future talent needs.
With recording capabilities, each video interview is saved and organized. Also, your team’s collaboration notes and candidate ratings remain intact, giving you a pre-vetted Rolodex of candidates for future opportunities.
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