The video interview has often been looked at as a Plan C, a next-best option, typically saddled behind the phone interview. Why, though? Why in an era where connectivity is so readily available from a plethora of service providers, do we rely so often on a method of single-sensory communication? Why, especially during a time of global pandemic when the public relies upon social human beings to stay more than six feet away from each other, do we not use a resource and tool that is innately more social and a greater source of signaling and language?

You are already working remotely …

A massive amount of work is done remotely, even if it is in an office. The majority of communication is done over email, decreasingly on the phone and minimally face-to-face. We have forced technology toward a place of isolation I don’t know we ever really meant to get to. Consider the number of emails you send and receive each day. Consider the Slack or Glip direct messages you may receive every day…from within the same office space. We have been working remotely within ear-shot for quite some time.

You have a lot of options. Seriously, a ton …

Video conferencing, and for recruiters and hiring managers, the video interview, provides an opportunity to use technology in a way that allows us to be more social, and I believe we are missing the mark if we don’t properly consider the benefits of adding it to our toolset, at least periodically. By at least trying video conferencing applications such as Zoom, Google Hangouts, GoToMeeting or Microsoft Teams, during a time that it is socially conscious to do so, we might better prepare ourselves to enhance day-to-day business by transforming what is business-as-usual. 

The traditional hiring process isn’t perfect …

Recruiting potential talent is a long and involved process that isn’t just expensive in regards to money but also in time spent. Effectively engaging candidates from other states or countries is logistically difficult to plan and can be costly. While it can be effective, becoming a proficient over-the-phone communicator is a skill that takes still more time, which is in short supply, to learn. The learning curve is sharp and during uncertain economic times, don’t you want to make choices and employ methods that take out the guesswork and reduce factors that might contribute to a poor hiring choice?

Some languages are universal …

Nonverbal communication is typically far more effective than verbal communication. We respond to things like body language without consciously recognizing the cues. It is not subject to context, definition or meaning. Video teleconferencing presents the interviewer with a living and breathing representation of the candidate to not only gauge interest in the job but also shows how an individual physically handles an intense, high risk and high-pressure situation. As human beings, the most effective communication occurs when we are in the same room; when verbal and non-verbal communication becomes one cohesive projection and we see the actual person—not just their voice or words free of context. Effective teleconferencing apps and the video interview are your next best options in a world of limited resources and, at the moment, potential contagions. 

---

At Recruiters Websites, we encourage all of our clients, potential and present, to expand their digital skill-set and give some of these services a real chance. You could cut costs and increase your effective reach. And you could put a face to the voices on the other end of the line. That’s probably good for everyone involved.

Stay safe and wash your hands.