Video Interviewing's Biggest Fan

One of the biggest fans of video interview technology is someone who you’d least suspect: someone who has been in the business of hiring people for over 45 years, and is very hesitant to adapt to changes in recruitment process and technology. 

Meet Phil Freeman, an administrative recruiter in Ohio.

One of his local clients had an office in Chicago, and was struggling to fill a position there.  With their track record of success using Phil as a recruiter, they asked for his help (even though the job was hundreds of miles away).

He used the traditional sourcing and searching methods: Posting a job ad, browsing for candidates on LinkedIn, and conducting traditional phone screens.  Knowing that he was up against a tight timeline as his client was conducting their own search, he knew he had to get his candidates in front of his client sooner.  That’s where video enters the equation.

After reviewing 26 resumes, Phil had narrowed his search down to two candidates.  Both recorded video interviews with their iPhones.  The hiring managers virtually met the candidates sooner, had an immediate connection, and made a hiring decision that day.

Now, Kathryn has a job.  And Phil has another happy customer – in another market.  All thanks to a little tool called TalentRooster.

Phil wrote us an email to say:

"I have heard that there are employers who have TalentRooster and – for whatever reason – don’t use it. To them I say "huge mistake...huge." I know from experience, it works like a charm."

BONUS: Tips Phil offers his candidates before recording their Video Interview (he won’t mind if you use them too):

•  Make sure there is a blank wall behind you.
• Make sure there are two lights on both sides of their web cam for good facial lighting.
• Start and end your video with a smile.
• Your answers can be short (20 seconds each is plenty).
• Record your video in a quiet area – you want to avoid any background noise (excess noise from your TV, radio, children, dogs barking, etc. distract from your video).
•  Ensure that your appearance is professional (remember, this is a different form of a first impression), and position the camera so it’s a shoulders-up shot.

Savvy Recruiting Firm Using Video to Market Candidates

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, right?  A recruiting firm based in New Jersey is taking full advantage of this adage by using video interviews to market their candidates.  Recruiters interview hundreds of candidates but only find jobs for a select few.  Some estimates state that over 90% of candidates interviewed are never placed! 

A recruiting firm based in New Jersey decided to use TalentRooster technology to their advantage and improve these grim statistics.  Each week their internal recruiting team meets to discuss the best candidates that are still available.  Then they created this powerful marketing piece and send it out to every client and prospect in their database.  The response has been overwhelming as clients can immediately identify candidates that might be a fit for their needs.  What a powerful tool to help job seekers find employment and ensure your business is maximizing every candidates opportunity for employment. 

Skype Changing The Job Interview Process

This week Time magazine published an article touting the virtues of video interviewing - Yea!!  While we couldn't agree more that video is a phenomenal idea for HR / Recruiting professionals, we think the fine people at Time missed a couple crucial points....  Following are some thoughts to consider before live streaming with a candidate. 

1.  You are trapped!  If you Skype and the candidate isn't a fit - too bad.  There's at least 20 minutes you'll never get back.  With TalentRooster candidates create pre-recorded videos, answering questions specific to your needs.  Video interview can be viewed 24/7 and turned off at any time without hurt feelings.

2.  Time.  With live streaming you have to pick a mutual time that works, which is more complicated than it sounds.  Plus you have to hope that neither party is relying on a wireless network our you'll risk the connection timing out. Video interviews are HD and pre-recorded, which means they are bullet proof.  Watch them at your leisure.

3.  Quality.  Remember Max Headroom from the Pepsi ads?  With live streaming the videos are often not in real time - they lag, have audio visual sync issues and in general are hard to watch.  TalentRooster pre-recorded videos do not have any of these issues. 

Video is a great thing for HR / Recruiting professionals eager to find significant savings within their recruiting budgets.  Contact TalentRooster to learn more about this powerful tool.
Time Article

30,000 Video Interviews Uploaded

An ideological shift is taking place in HR and recruting offices thoughout the U.S.  Advancements in video technology have presented a better way to screen and source candidates.  Video Interviews are becoming a staple in recruiting as professionals enjoy the cost savings derived in both time and money.  Companies like TalentRooster.com provide the ability to see and hear job seeking candidates answer questions specific to needs before a moment of time is committed to a phone screen or live interview.  A compelling factor to note is that the average view time of each video is around 35 seconds, despite the fact that videos can be much longer. It is equally as important to note that a video is not intended to replace the face to face interview, but merely to serve as a tool to ensure only the best candidates get past the front door.  Once you've enjoyed the benefits of this powerful technology it's hard to believe that we relied on paper alone for so many years. 

Recruiting Firm Studies Video Interview Impact

Following are some actual numbers from a TalentRooster client, a branch that was slow to adopt TalentRooster at first but is now using it regularly. The plus sign shows the approximate date in 2012 on which the branch started using TalentRooster more heavily. Note how this branch has seen a steady increase (that wasn’t seen the previous year) since starting to use TalentRooster.

Below is the GM chart for a branch that started out as a strong TalentRooster user but that has slowed down of late. The X sign shows the approximate date where the usage slowed. Note how the GM has slowed as well.

Certainly, there could be other factors for the GM increases and decreases at these branches, but it’s also fair to suggest that using TalentRooster videos in the hiring process can help you increase your bill rates, close the order faster, and secure your client’s loyalty.  You can’t be in staffing today without using video!!

Candidate Records Video With iPhone - Lands Job!

It's happening more and more and we absolutely love it!  A candidate living in Charlotte, North Carolina was moving back to central Ohio.  While conducting her job search, she came upon TalentRooster video interview technology.  She pulled out her iPhone and created this video, which she uploaded to TalentRooster.com.  A recruiter found the video, sent it over to a perfect fit client and a "live" interview was immediately scheduled.  Guess what?  She got the job in record time, all because the video told the hiring manager exactly what he needed to know BEFORE he ever met the candidate!!

Video is smart, green and the future of recruiting!  Contact TalentRooster.com to learn how easy it is to add video to your recruiting process!

RemX Bringing Video Interviews To The Big Apple

One thing that will never change in the rules of recruiting is this, "you know if someone is right for the job in the first 60 seconds of an interview." RemX Specialty Staffing, a national recruiting firm focused on high-end placements in Finance & Accounting, IT, Office Staff, Science/R&D, and Engineering, is taking advantage of a new powerful video technology tool that will help speed up their hiring process. This strategy will enable their clients to see and hear candidates, before committing to an initial interview.

“RemX clients will see and hear candidate videos before committing to a live interview”

“Video is a logical technology in recruiting, and we are proud to be the first national provider taking full advantage,” says said Tony Christodoulou, the Market Manager managing director for greater New York.

In partnership with TalentRooster technology, RemX will present candidates in a video where they will answer questions specific to a client’s needs. The net effect is faster hires and better qualified candidates securing the first in-person interview.

“A professional video provides 80% of the information a client needs before committing to a live interview with a candidate,” says TalentRooster founder, David DeCapua. “Clients can assess communications skills, see eye contact and detect passion in a matter of moments. Better yet, our videos are iPad friendly and available 24/7 for managers and their designees to view and comment.”.
With the constant evolution of technology, it's only natural that it made its way into the search, recruiting, and staffing world. The business of making that perfect placement never sleeps, and neither does video. RemX has seen the light and hopped on board with what will be a game-changer in their placement strategy. Being able to use video to reach clients nationwide is unmatched and another way that RemX is going that extra mile to set themselves apart. The success will be evident, and TalentRooster is the best step towards RemX’s new initiative. The time and money saved by using video is tens of thousands, and the convenience is remarkable.
TalentRooster is the future of the hiring process and here today because of a need that had to be filled —; quicker placements, with better candidates and fast. Video interview technology is the most potent tool in talent acquisition since the advent of the job board, and TalentRooster has a customized solution to meet universal recruiting needs.

TalentRooster, founded in 2010 is the fastest growing provider of video interview technology to HR and Recruiting

Video Interview Firm Surpasses 1,000 Uploads Per Month

Human Resource professionals, recruiters and talent acquisition managers must know a good thing when they see it!  As video interview technology continues to become a staple in recruiting, TalentRooster is quickly becoming the number one provider.  Since the start of the second quarter, over 1,000 videos per month are being uploaded to TalentRooster.com.  Granted there are other video providers, no one else is enjoying such explosive growth.  The reason?  TalentRooster was founded by a search, recruiting professional with 20 years of industry experience, which explains why their software is so popular in recruiting.  

“TalentRooster enables hiring managers to see and hear job seeking candidates answer questions relevant to their openings, before committing to a live interview” said founder David DeCapua.  “Let me be clear – video is not a replacement for the live interview, but rather video is the ultimate screening tool”, said DeCapua. 

Video technology demonstrates that your firm is current and forward thinking, which will help attract top candidates.  Whether your firm hires 50 or 50,000 people per year, video technology will save you untold amounts of time and money.   Go to TalentRooster.com to learn more! 

Video - Becoming More Integrated Into the Job Search

TalentRooster was highlighted in an article in USA Today College about how video is moving full speed ahead into the job market.  Hiring managers are requesting video over paper resumes and job seekers are realizing how important it is to stand out from the crowd.  College students, especially, understand how imperative it is to have video skills in order to keep up with the social media centered world we now live in.  

“If only they would meet me, I know they would hire me” is the phrase most commonly said among job seekers who keep hitting dead ends in their search.  Video interviews (also known as video resumes) are a way to do just that; have an employer meet you.  Putting your face, personality, skill set and professionalism on the front line is guaranteed to make you unforgettable.  TalentRooster enables you to create a digital video profile that includes a resume, personality profile, computer testing scores, links to social media accounts and the video interview.   

Read the article from USA Today College here -> Video resumes revolutionize job search  

Spherion Franchisee First To Offer Video Interviews

As the employment market continues to improve, recruiters and human resource professionals are utilizing powerful new technologies to expedite the age old recruiting process.  Traditionally companies have a need and place ads on job boards, local media and company websites, which draw hundreds of responses – most of which are not qualified. Resumes are sourced; phone screens conducted and ultimately first interviews are extended. 

The average length of a first interview is forty minutes and statistics show most hiring managers know within ninety seconds whether or not they will hire a candidate.  Less than five percent of those that receive a first interview will be extended an offer for employment. 

Spherion franchise owners, Scott and Eric Overmyer, found a way to use technology and improve these grim statistics.  Beginning in April, Spherion will begin utilizing TalentRooster video technology to market their candidates to local businesses.  “We are excited to bring this powerful technology to Northern Indiana and believe it will provide a unique differentiator for our brand” said Eric Overmyer.  “We can now introduce candidates via video, enabling our clients to see and hear candidates answer questions relevant to their needs.  Eighty percent of the uncertainties are addressed by the video, before our clients invest any of their valuable time”. 

TalentRooster is a video screening tool utilized by hundreds of human resource and recruiting professionals.  Go to TalentRooster.com to learn more. 

Stay Ahead of the Times with Video Interviews

Admit it, if you hear someone say “My grandmother knows how to text” you are shocked and probably follow that with “Wow, good for her!”  Well, staying up-to-date with recruiting strategies and the hiring process is just as important as staying in the loop with smart phones and their latest “app.”

It’s human nature to be against or hesitant to change; big and small.  It’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks and when someone has their own hiring process, it’s even harder to break those “successful” habits.  The phrase “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” also applies to the argument of not wanting to include Video Interviews into existing recruiting processes.  Fair enough, but Video Interviews are meant to improve, help and perfect the hiring procedure.  They speed up the process and get job seekers in front of clients faster; quicker process = more hires, right?  With 23, 425 videos uploaded to our site to date and 100+ uploaded every day, we know we are doing something right and this technology is working!

Meet Phil, the Senior VP of Dawson Resources – He has 47 years of staffing and recruiting experience and he couldn’t speak more highly of using TalentRooster video technology in his interview process.

Top Five Reasons Recruiters Resist Video Interview Technology

Video interview technology seems like such a sure bet, offering a far more efficient way to source candidates and reduce recruiting costs.  This blogger is betting big that every company will use video within the next three to five years; it’s as logical as replacing your horse with a car.  Still many recruiting & HR professionals have been slow to adopt video.  Following are the primary reasons why:

1.    Education – Most people don’t know a whole lot about video technology.  Although it’s growing quickly, few have seen a demo or understand how helpful it can be.  Perhaps the beta max “video resume” forever tainted their opinion.

2.    Resistance – The belief that job seekers aren’t willing to create a video. Talk about the inmates running the asylum.  Recruiting & HR professionals spend an inordinate amount of resources sorting resumes; the idea that a “candidate won’t” shouldn’t even be on the table.  This same pattern existed when many companies began only accepting electronic resumes.  The fact is that HR Recruiting needs to make video a requirement for consideration – problem solved!

3.    Discrimination – Believe it or not, this model is not the most common objection!  Most HR & Recruiting professionals realize that social media and technology have completely changed the way company’s source talent.  The bottom line is this – if your practices are not discriminatory today, do not use video or any technology and change that philosophy.  Then again, there are those that still require their children to wait 30 minutes after eating, before going back in the pool.

4.    More Work – Already there are not enough hours in the day!  Adding video will simply take additional time that you don’t have.  In actuality, video will end up giving you more time back as you won’t be spending time with candidates that aren’t a fit. The ability to “see and hear” a job seeker answer questions of your choosing before committing to an interview, is a game changer.  Plus you can review and share the videos with other hiring managers 24/7.

5.   Job Seekers Don’t Have Access – Are you kidding me?  Even Grandma Skypes! The fact is any motivated candidate will find a way to create a video interview.  Technology today is so cheap and user friendly that anyone can do it.  It just takes a tiny bit of initiative from an applicant. 

Video interview technology is the most potent tool in talent acquisition since the advent of the job board.  TalentRooster.com has a customized solution to meet your recruiting needs.  

Click here to learn more. 

Recruiting 2.0 - Working Smarter with Video

As a hiring manager, how many times have you said “The resumes I am getting do not match what I’m looking for.....”?  Well, now is the time to rethink your hiring habits and see what you can do to improve your results.  For starters:

1.      The proof is in the details – Your job description is everything; it should be detailed, but not a novel.  Make sure that important “must haves” are at the top to catch those quick readers in their tracks before they hit the “apply” button.  A job seeker wants to read, submit and move on to the next.  Keep details short, sweet, to the point and use bullet points when necessary. 

2.      Get certain steps out of the way – If your process includes such things as an application on your company website or forms that have to be completed, then include them in your initial application; the dedicated job seeker will do all steps required and do them well.  The goal is to get the right people in the door and hired fast! 

3.      Meet them before they walk in your door – As mentioned in previous blogs (and by living in our everyday culture), technology is everywhere.  Require your candidates to make an effort, other than clicking “send”. Have them complete a quick Video Interview with questions tailored to what they need in order to succeed in the role you are trying to fill.  This will eliminate any and all frustration of spending time with the wrong candidate for the job.  You will know in 30 seconds whether or not a candidate is worthy of YOUR time.  

4.      Make your move – Don’t drag your feet with the perfect fit as the status of an active job seeker can change by the hour.  Hiring is a careful process and needs to be taken with caution, but don’t hesitate if the talent is there and willing to join your team.   The number one “killer” of finding the perfect candidate is time.  If you know the candidate is right, get the process moving! 

Investing in these practices will take time and patience, but the results will speak for themselves.  So, don’t waste any time and get started.  To learn more about video interviews click here. 

Video Interview Provides Edge over "Paper" Candidates

Video Interviewing has been catching fire by saving hiring manager’s time and money, so such a process should be used with care.  A video interview shouldn’t be something thrown together at the last minute; it should be created, perfected and then presented.  What are the steps one can take to create the best video interview? I’ll tell you.

Choose Wisely:  Video Interviews are not optimal for all job openings.  When the position calls for lots of face-to-face work, interaction with customers and over the phone skills, then a video interview is just the ammo you need to show off your skills.  Showing a potential employer your verbal and non-verbal communicative abilities will increase your chance for hire.  If they bring you in for a "live" interview, it's like a second as they know what they're getting!

Tailor your Q & A: The beauty of being “in the know” of what is expected of your next position is using that information to your advantage.  If there is a question you believe the hiring manager would want to know, answer it in your video!  Candidates that demostrate specific knowledge about a company or position will stand out from the others.   

Save more Time: If you're a job seeker that just can’t make it into an office, not a problem!  Simply record your video interview at home, review and send it to the hiring manager!  The beauty of technology is that it’s everywhere.  A camera isn’t far away which means a video interview isn’t far behind; take advantage of all possibilities!  Show a potential company that you stay current with technology!

Review and Reflect: Now that you've captured of your personality, post it on all of your social media sites!  You’re not depending on a paper resume like everyone else, so use this tool to demonstrate that you took initiative, far beyond clicking "send".   Social media is powerful - you never know who will see or forward it.  Go to TalentRooster.com to learn how to make the perfect video profile!    

Job Fair Season Perfect Time To Add Video Interviews

Finally the weather and the job market are beginning to heat up! To meet the expected hiring needs, many companies host job fairs at hotels, conference centers or career service centers at local universities.  Hundreds or thousands of candidates attend these events, handing out resumes to anyone willing to speak with them.  If you're a recruiter or HR professional, what's the point in attending these events if you can't remember each candidate?

Unless you're "Rainman" chances are you forget a person within 24 hours of meeting.  But if you are meeting hundreds of people in a short period of time, you will remember even fewer.  Returning from a recruiting event with a stack of resumes is pointless if you can't remember the person!  Fortunately, there is a solution - video!

Next time you have a job fair to attend, contact TalentRooster and have them set you up with pre-recorded video interview technology.  This way you can record every candidate, rate and share them with other hiring managers immediately.  Imagine meeting the ideal candidate, filming them on the spot and sending over to a hiring manager - all within minutes.  Plus, all of your candidates are housed in a video repository, where only you and your designees have access.  You can view them 24/7 and they are iPhone / iPad friendly. 

Once you give video interview technology a chance you will never look back.  It makes sense, saves time and will significantly improve your process.  Let TalentRooster show you how. 

A Powerful Screening Tool for HR and Recruiting

With hundreds of resumes to review on a daily basis, recruiters and hiring managers need an efficient, scalable solution for filtering and identifying the right candidates. Video interviewing empowers recruiters and HR professionals to engage qualified candidates faster, and improves collaboration with hiring managers.

Recently my business has been looking for a technology professional, who possess not only technical skills, but the ability to communicate well with others.  It sounds like a simple problem, but it isn’t.  In reality many technical people lack the communication skills to interface with other employees or clients.  Conversely, those that have the communication skills seldom have the technical aptitude desired. 

Our executive team (much like executives everywhere…) hardly pays attention to a resume or our recruiter’s recommendation – it is so frustrating!  We needed a new strategy and decided to give video a shot.  We received hundreds of resumes, but needed a screening tool that would separate “candidates” from “serious candidates”.  We decided to incorporate video to this process!  Why not require candidates to make a little effort other than attaching a Word document and clicking “send”?

We selected three questions relevant to our opening – questions we believed would help us readily identify the right candidates.   A link was then sent to every candidate that applied, putting the onus on them to take the next step – create their video interview.  The process was very easy and the results spectacular.  Although hundreds of candidates applied, only a handful took the time to respond and create a video, making our selection process that much easier.  The respondents clearly took the time to do it right and invest their time in our process.  We took the video responses and sent them to the executives within our organization – they absolutely loved this technology, which ultimately enabled us to expedite our hiring process.

We partnered with TalentRooster (TalentRooster.com) for this project and couldn’t have been happier with the results.  If you haven’t given video interview technology a serious look, now is the time.  It just makes better sense. 

Video Interview Webinar For Talent Acquisition

As more and more companies come to realize the benefits of video interview technology, many are in need of further education.  Within the next couple of years video will be a requirement for virtually every job application.  Human Resources leadership needs help navigating these uncertain waters and TalentRooster is happy to help.  Please join us on Wednesday February 15th at 4PM EST for an informational webinar.  Attendees will learn all they need to know about video technology, risks, rewards, costs and savings.  Click Here to sign up - it's free and you can jump in or out at any time.  We look forward to sharing this potent information. 

2012 HR Leadership Strategy - Video Interviews

A new year brings the opportunity for self improvement – not only personally, but professionally as well.  Personally you might join a gym, but no one is really watching  or holding you accountable, so most people will give up after a couple of weeks.  Professionally someone is always watching, which is why change is so critically important.  If you are not continually demonstrating that you bring best practices or new ideas that improve the business, someone else will.  Especially today, when we live in an age of information where change moves at the speed of light.  Seasoned professionals no longer have the luxury of doing a good job – we have to do more every day. 

So what are your plans for 2012?  What are you going to bring to leadership that will make them take notice and appreciate the value you bring?  Ten years ago managers had the courage to fight leadership for a website! Today these same arguments are being made for social media exposure.  As logical as both of these seem, it was a battle!  For 2012, make it your goal  to be the leader pushing to add video to your existing application process.  This is another classic example of an early technology (e.g. websites and social media) that most companies will have in the next couple of years.  Video enables you to see and hear candidates answer questions relevant to your opening, before ever meeting in person.  You already forward appropriate candidates to leadership - now you can include their video as well.  How much time and money will that save? 

There are thousands of companies such as Wal-Mart, Ocean Spray, Abercrombie and Fitch, Starbucks that are already taking advantage of this powerful technology.  Heck, even Santa figured out the potency of video!   Santa Uses Video Technology To Hire Team

Make 2012 the year you bring video technology to your company.  It’s a technology that everyone will be glad you introduced! 

Santa Uses Video Interview - Hires Rudolph!

Who wouldn't want to see and hear a candidate answer specific questions BEFORE agreeing to an interview?  Even Santa gets it - he used video technology to "thin the herd" and zero in on the reindeer that best fit his needs.  Click here to see Santa's Experience. 

By the end of 2012 this will be an old story as more and more companies realize the economies of scale that video technology offers.  Ask your leadership for TalentRooster under the tree this year!  Enjoy your holiday season!!

Shake Off The Turkey Coma and Land a Job With Video Technology!!

Now that your turkey induced coma has subsided, it's time to get back to your job search!  The year is quickly coming to an end and you need to have your new career set for 2012! 

So what are you going to do differently that will get you that critical interview?  It's not going to happen by submitting your Word document and cover letter - you should know that by now...  Unemployment is still hovering at near record levels so you are going to have to think outside the traditional box. 

People don't rely on paper anymore - in 2011, 43% of all first interviews were done via webcam.  It's time for you to accept this reality and develop a strategy that works for your career goals.  If you are unfamiliar with social media and video interview technology, spend some time on sites like TalentRooster or YouTube to see how other savvy candidates are standing out form the pack.  Upon completion of your video, think about adding a "click here to meet me" button to your resume, blog and LinkedIn profile.  Allow potential employers to see and hear you, versus viewing a static paper resume.  Your "elevator pitch" might just make the difference. 

When replying to jobs posted on Monster, CareerBuilder and other sites, include your video!  89% of employers revealed that they would watch a video resume if it were submitted to them.  Although most employers have not yet used this new technology as an evaluative tool,  only 17% have actually viewed a video resume, however the vast majority are open to the idea.  These numbers are growing exponentially and it's only a matter of time until every company requires video as part of their applications process.  Get this - the primary reason why employers would value a candidate's video is the ability to assess a candidate's professional presentation and demeanor.  How many times have you said, "if they'd just meet me, they'd hire me"!!  Hiring managers feel the same way - give yourself the chance!  Check out TalentRooster.com to learn how to create your professional video that will move you to the front of the hiring line!!