The hiring and recruitment process can be a long, drawn-out undertaking. With Covid restrictions and remote working, human resource teams have adapted quite well to virtual interviews. However, hiring managers have had to constantly change their calendars, coordinate with candidates in different time zones and living situations like never before.

Zoom interviews just don’t seem to cut it. Screening candidates and going through multiple rounds of interviews has been tiring for both parties. According to Zety, most applicants go through three rounds of interviews before getting an offer, and conducting a phone interview can add 6.8 8.2 days to the process.

Instead of sharing cover letters and paper résumés, asynchronous video résumés give job seekers the chance to record a video or an introductory message at their convenience.

 

 

So what is asynchronous video messaging?

 

Asynchronous videos are pre-recorded videos. They are sent and viewed later as per convenience and not in real-time. Asynchronous video offers more control and flexibility to view, review and respond.

Synchronous communication, on the other hand, is an instant back-and-forth. It happens in real-time and includes phone calls, face-to-face communication as well as live video conferencing.

 

How to use asynchronous video interviews for recruitment?

 

Asynchronous videos can be used to pre-screen potential candidates while hiring. Hiring managers can set custom questions, provide directions, and request applicants to record their responses in the first round of interviews. Applicants responding to the job ads can then prepare and film themselves answering the questions and share the video with the HR manager, who can view it when they have the time.

It makes the whole process much more flexible and hassle-free for both the interviewer and interviewee. It allows you to go through many more applicants quickly, helping you find the right person for the job! No more calendar invites and coordinating across time zones and availabilities.

Here are 5 reasons why video résumés are a good idea:

 

1. Video résumés are convenient

 

Pre-recorded video résumés are convenient for both the hiring organization and the candidates as they can be recorded, viewed, and reviewed later. It’s structured, planned and helps avoid any scheduling conflicts due to time zones and location.

It allows you to pre-screen candidates in a more engaging format when compared to traditional résumés, making the process more enjoyable and stress-free, allowing the candidates’ potential to shine through.

It saves unnecessary back and forth and long email chains just to arrange a time to set up a call or meeting. With pre-recorded video, you can shortlist candidates and get in touch with a smaller pool of candidates, saving you hours on the video calls or phone calls and the trouble of going through a flooded inbox of interested applicants.

 

2. They offer a more candidate-friendly experience

 

Asynchronous videos give applicants the freedom to prepare, record at home, and not be stressed. It puts the candidate at ease and record on their own time, giving currently employed candidates a chance to apply without taking time off work.

By switching to video, you can put a face to the name. As the applicants have been involved and engaged from the start, they may be more motivated to go through with the next stages if they qualify.

 

3. They save time

 

With a video résumé, you can pre-screen and shortlist candidates quickly and spend far less time going through text-heavy résumés. Going through video recordings of candidates is less time-consuming than interviewing candidates individually, in person. Instead, you can pre-set your standard questions for all candidates and collect them all in a clip library to view as and when you have time.

You could easily review pre-recorded videos of several candidates, identify the best ones and narrow down the pool of candidates from the start. Once you streamline and fast-track the whole process, you can hire the right talent for the job and fill the position quickly.

 

4. They help build a connection

 

A video résumé can be useful in assessing a candidate’s communication skills, body language, and interest in the job role. Instead of reading a text-heavy résumé of a faceless person, a video gets up close and lets the candidate walk you through their professional journey and explain the skill set they’ve developed.

At the same time, the standard questions provide a level playing field and make it easier to distinguish candidates from one another, making it easier to compare and eventually find the right fit for the role.

 

5. They allow collaboration within the team

 

The process of shortlisting candidates can be more collaborative with asynchronous video messages if multiple people in the hiring team have access to view the video résumés. The manager that the successful candidate may report to may want to view them too. It helps to reach a collective decision as people can’t always be present at a physical interview.

This way, you can ensure that the candidate meets the requirements before advancing and spending more time on them in the consecutive rounds.

With remote work fast becoming the norm, it’s time to transform outdated recruitment practices and give it a modern approach. Save time and find the best talent quickly in a collaborative, efficient manner with asynchronous videos.

 

Looking for an effective tool to collect asynchronous video résumés?

 

Vloggi is perfect for sourcing and managing video résumé for all your hiring needs. Vloggi has partnered with Vpply, allowing candidates to apply with a video profile. Vpply’s clients set custom fields and questions, track responses, page views, and maintain a video library of candidates that can be accessed, reviewed, and voted on by the whole team.

 

In addition to video interviews and résumé, Vloggi is the perfect tool to collect videos for internal communication initiatives like employee engagement, stakeholder engagement, and milestone celebration videos.

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