Video interviews are a tool that has been available for some time. Still, your firm, before the pandemic events of 2020, most likely did not utilize it to the full extent of its technical capabilities. In-person interviews are the tried and true method, the most widely used approach for determining the viability of a candidate. The phone call is a classic technique for which numerous strategies have been developed to gather the most information out of a medium that is, in terms of sensory input, limited. 

Now we have to do things differently. We have families. We have friends. We have dogs that eat on a very strict schedule. Simply put, we have responsibilities and we have to be as safe as we can while still getting back to work. You are providing talent to a host of different industries, all of them vital in one way or another, and some are literally in worlds where decisions are life and death.

Hiring cannot stop. We know that your first inclination would be to isolate, slow down, to use caution as a means of preservation, but our economic survivability and viability is dependent upon progression. We must continue to grow and to provide the services all of our clients not only expect but rely upon. What we do has an expanding effect on every single member of this interconnected economic web.

The video interview is a way to make consistently effective hiring decisions under circumstances that are currently less than ideal. Conditions will improve and we will return to a state of normalcy, but this is a time of transition. It is important we maintain momentum going forward, while being careful not to be too careful and stall. What are the benefits, you may ask? Well …

Expedience

Hiring for executive-level positions is a long and detailed process. Bringing the right candidate from across the country or from around the world is a drawn-out process, full of scheduling complications, conflicts and costs. Well-conducted video interviews are an efficient way to avoid the lull. It may take several sessions to get the read you were looking for initially, but don’t be discouraged. Just like anything else, video interviewing is a skill and requires some practice to become fully acclimated. However, despite the learning curve, the contacts you make and the conversations you have are generating valuable leads—a resource you would otherwise not have.

A Closed Conversation

A fair amount of the candidates you are going to be seeking out are passive. In a typical situation, these professionals would be in an office, most likely surrounded by many distractions or opportunities to be pulled away from the process of you trying to open their eyes to new opportunities. COVID-19 has forced many to stay at home, coincidentally away from all the potentially disastrous distraction present in their former working environment. This is a unique opportunity to have a conversation where a working professional can be frank about their ambitions and where they see themselves without the worry of being overheard by a coworker. They have the time to talk and you now have access. 

An Opportunity for Resupply

You know your industry. Working on-site or remotely, you know what it takes to be successful, what hard and soft skills a candidate needs to be an effective and impactful leader. Use video interviews to seek out new talent, getting as much out of this method as possible, filling up your “bench” and planting the seeds of possibility in those you can motivate to make a profitable change. The more interviews you conduct remotely, the more information you will be able to gain consecutively. 

Where some see disaster, we must understand the opportunity to do the most with our time and our resources. Video interviews are easily accessible tools and provide opportunity for you to quickly and securely reach out to real leadership capital.

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