VideoCVs - would you offer them to your clients & candidates?

[David Padgett]

SeeMeCV offers a range of video recruitment solutions to recruiters, employers, universities etc. We are about to embark on a marketing campaign targeting recruiters who would like to start offering a video service to their clients and candidates. The SeeMeCV system offers a fully branded & seamless service for recruiters, which requires no back end system integration whatsoever.

I would greatly appreciate feedback from the Recruitment 2.0 community on whether the time is right for recruiters, candidates and clients to start making better use of technology. The concerns of potential candidate discrimination are well documented, but in this market when job seekers need to stand out and impress the employer are they more willing to take the risk? Or are employers terrified of receiving CVs with photos, let alone videos for fear of being accused of discrimination? VideoCVs can certainly expedite & improve the traditional recruitment process saving the recruiter, candidate and employer – time, effort and money.

I have attached a short video demo of the system below to show how easy it is to use - it is 3 simple steps.
(NB – at the end of the video there is a mention of some links to the “right” for further information - these will be present when the marketing campaign commences)

We are just finalising the revised pricing for the Asia Pacific & ANZ Region, but the idea is that the fraction of one placement fee should cover the platform costs for the year.

So, would you use it, and how much would you be prepared to pay on a monthly basis for this service?

Many thanks in advance for any feedback.

Regards,

David
[e-mail]

[Paul Jacobs]

Hi David

Yes I too would like to hear others thoughts - especially those of recruiters / employers.

From my perspective the traditional CV / resume is very one-dimensional. Most recruiters would go straight to the career history section and quickly see if there is any relevant experience - do the old job title match up. I think many recruiters will say they are too busy to look at video CVs. Some of the video CVs I've seen don't do the jobseeker any justice. However, with this whole social networking thing, jobseekers are thinking a lot about their own personal brand and if video CVs take off it will be jobseeker-driven, not employer / recruiter driven. What I believe has major potential is the area is 'video interviewing', where a candidate responds to some job-relevant questions and these are reviewed as part of the pre-screening stage, by the recruiter and/or hiring manager. This is more useful and targeted for the recruiter etc.

The best video CVs I've seen mash up the traditional CV with video and examples / portfolios of work etc. LinkedIn does the old endorsement thing, but when mates endorse mates and the endorsements are always glowing (it's a public forum) - and one often feels an obligation to respond to an endorsement request or return the endorsement love, I question the efficacy.

[David Padgett]

Paul,

I believe we are just at the start of the shift towards greater use of video in recruitment whether it pre-recorded introductions in CVs or with live video interviewing. Video is the fastest growth area on the web and it is becoming standard in online marketing, advertising, news, communication and entertainment – it is part of a social change.

The current job market dynamics and economic climate requires individuals and companies to think and act differently. Necessity is the mother of invention, and there is no better time for innovation and change than when the chips are down. People don't have a choice - adapt or die.

If a job seeker was still handwriting their CV and posting it into the employer or recruiter how high will their success rate be in today’s wired world? This will be repeated in the future if the job seeker just provides the one dimensional view of themselves using a current CV. Good candidates want to “give” more and savvy employers “need” more – it is simple evolution.

This need married with the digital convergence happening online is blurring the gaps between job portals, career/social networks, online communities, social media, company websites, career planning, education, news & entertainment. This truly is the Perfect Storm for innovation and change in the recruitment industry!!

Some will adapt, some will die.....just like the automotive industry and the airlines.

Consumers, Candidates and Hiring Mangers are all raising their service expectations across the board, online and offline. The recruitment industry cannot fight this trend, they need to embrace it and leverage it to their benefit.

I think recruiters who are too busy to consider a candidate's personal video when they are being positioned for a job is something that needs to change. A recruiter needs to absorb as much information on the individual as possible to ensure they are appropriate for the role – failure to add this core value will simply result in margin pressure or client dissatisfaction. Spending 2 mins upfront on a video can save lots of time later for the recruiter and more importantly, the client.

Like any new trend the quality of the videoCVs will be variable in the early stages before they become mainstream and there are more examples for people to follow, but as long as the viewer (employer/recruiter) bears this in mind then this should not be to the detriment of the candidate’s chances.

I believe the push to v-recruitment can come from the candidates, the recruiters and the clients. If the positioning of the video is to answer the usual opening interview questions (when opinions are most quickly formed) “Tell me about yourself” or “Why are you the best person for this job?”, then surely this will help everyone make a more informed decision about whether to progress to the time/expense of a formal discussion.

In the future, videoCVs may become mini “showreels” where the individual’s personal brand can be displayed, only time will tell.

[Paul Jacobs]

Hi David - I know this is on the negative side (not intentional), but thought this article provided some considerations for candidates when using video CVs - and includes some good tips for overcoming barriers.

[Debbie Booth]

Hi David. From a client perspective, the time factor to view the video CV's would be of concern to me. I would be interested for candidates who are of interest after viewing a written CV first. Debbie

[David Padgett]

Hi Debbie - I quite agree. We would recommend that the video should only be watched once the CV has been reviewed and that the candidate is clearly relevant to the position. The video merely provides an additional insight into the candidate before deciding to move them to the next stage of the process. The actual effort it takes the candidate to prepare their videoCV and for the recruiter to watch it is relatively minor, but it's value is significant to both parties in helping them make informed decisions about suitability. Both can save time, effort and money as a result. David

[Jason De Mamiel]

Interesting, we released VDO Recruiter 12mths ago that gave Recruitment companies the ability to hold video interviewing between candidates and consultants.

The take up in Australia has been slow compared to the USA and UK/Europe where they have braced the technology a lot more.

We are working on new video technology where it can be used for other things in Recruitment.

If you go to http://www.globologic.com you will see another usage of video for interacting with visitors to your website.

Video is the next big thing that will take the Recruitment Industry to be more interactive with customers and candidates.

[David Padgett]

Hi Jason, Although the usage of video is somewhat more widespread in the US and UK than in Australia, the recruiters using the technology are still in the minority, but its use is picking up in all areas. Video is becoming the new mainstream media on the web whether for recruitment, marketing, education, entertainment or general communication. Every new technological adoption starts with the early adopters and then the early majority, before it reaches a tipping point. The industry is not quite there yet but those recruiters and candidates who are prepared to use the technology (at the right time & in the right way) and add new value into the traditional process for clients, are seeing results. A short candidate video provides increased insight, convenience and reach for all parties - a WIN:WIN:WIN really is possible.
David