Video Interviewing: The Solution For Winter Weather?

Winter might bring with it the promise of the holiday season with all its merriness and cheer, but it also brings the promise of inclement weather. For many this means blizzards, icy roads, and shoveling piles of snow. Bad weather conditions can really wreak havoc on your hiring schedule, especially if you’re looking forward to speaking with a great candidate who is now snowed under.

In fact, according to predictions, this winter is looking to be a colder one than last year by far for NYC, Philadelphia and DC. The east coast especially has some serious snowfall accumulation to look forward to if the predictions for winter 2013 are correct. So how will employers connect with the candidates they need to fill important positions quickly if the area is under a blanket of snow?

Video interviewing might actually be the answer to employers’ winter wonderland blues. Thanks to the power of video interviewing, employers and candidates can connect without riding a snow plow into the office.

Here are some reasons to consider video interviewing this winter season:

Goodbye Danger!
Winter is a magical time with snow falling, holiday jingles and delicious eggnog. But it can also be a very dangerous time of year. Weather conditions can make even a trip to the mall a tricky proposition if the ground is covered in ice.

You don’t want candidates to risk life and limb just to come in for a job interview during a snowstorm. Considering today’s economic climate though and the negativity attached to canceling a job interview, this is just what your candidate might consider doing.

Instead, connect with your top talent through video interviewing and there’s no danger involved. In a live, interactive interview process you can speak with top quality candidates face-to-face, just like you would in an in-person interview. Better still, if some members of your hiring team can’t make it into the office because of the weather, you can record these interviews to view later.

Goodbye Wasted Time
During periods of inclement weather, the likelihood of your top talent will making it into your office 10 minutes early lowers exponentially. There are traffic jams, bad road conditions and reroutes to consider. The snow outside might look lovely, but it can also spell tardiness for your candidates.

Instead of wasting time waiting for talent to show up, or juggling complicated schedules when one late candidate messes up your whole day, consider switching to a video interview.

In one-way video interviews for instance, employers and candidates don’t even have to be on the same schedule at all. Your talent can record their answers before making a snowman, while you can curl up with a cup of hot cocoa and watch the video interview answers from your computer, or even your mobile device. This will waste less of your valuable time in the hiring process and make it easier to connect with great candidates sooner.

Winter can be a tough time for employers focused on hiring top talent to grow their companies. But don’t let the snowflakes outside stop you from getting the talent you need inside your office. Video interviewing can be a great solution to keep you, your candidates, and your company out of the cold.

What are some ways video interviewing can help you cut down on winter weather blues and focus on hiring the best candidates? Share in the comments!