By Frank Mulligan ñ Accetis International, Talent Software & Recruit China
Itís always good to pontificate on whatís going to happen in the hiring market because sooner or later you get it right. You can happily forget all the times that you were wrong because they donít count, right?
Sometimes you find supporting material for your assertion because you were right. At other times because your internal radar leads you to material that supports your premise.
Sometimes you just canít tell where it all came from, and sometimes, you remember.
Video seems to hold that grip on me. I have pushed its likely adoption date forward by a matter of years, despite obvious evidence to the contrary. But finally, something is happening, and increasingly video is moving in the direction of mainstream adoption.
Video Takes Off
According to a study by the http://www.online-publishers.org/ target=_blank>Online Publishers Association (OPA), video viewing online has reached the point where it is a routine practice for many Internet users.
The numbers are interesting because they point to a critical mass situation that has to impact the hiring process very soon. If everyone is using video in the normal course of their life, they will ask themselves why it is not used more for hiring.
The OPA video study was focused on the US but China is due to leap ahead of the first world countries in broadband usage, so it should be applicable here too. Plus we are just about to get 3G, just as soon as they get the nitty-gritty problems sorted out.
The study found that 24 percent of Internet users accessed video at least once a week during 2006, while 46 percent watch video at least once a month. Looking back at previous new technologies this implies we are just at the stage when video will go mainstream. We have already crossed the chasm. 24% of internet users is not just early adopters, and we are already in 2007 so the figure must be higher now.
Another magazine called Career Journal also detailed how candidates are using simple digital video cameras to create short ëvideo Resumesí. The efforts seem to have paid off for some of the candidates because they got what they wanted; a job offer.
The logic of video seem inescapable to me. Broadband is practically free in many countries and itís always on, always fast. All you have to do is connect a cheap USB camera to the PC and say Action!. No editing is needed because if you donít like the first attempt you just do it again until you get it right.
Storage costs have also trended towards free and companies are now in a position to accept Resume videos and not worry about storage costs. Itís even a useful way to model excellence for training.
Video in the Mix
If you are considering creating a video for yourself, or allowing candidates to submit videos as part of their job application, my suggestion would be to create 4 short segments that run together. Each segment answers one simple question and should last no more than 3-5 minutes. When you do this on a real video you will soon see how long 5 minutes really is.
For candidates I would suggest a brief personal introduction, a description of the top project that you have done, an overview of what you want to do and where you want to go, and finally, the logic of your fit with the company you are sending the video to. Anything more and you may lose the attention of the hiring manager.
For hiring managers my suggestion would be to get your questions direct from the horseís mouth. Ask the hiring manager about the profile of the perfect candidate and the questions he would ask that person to confirm the validity of their candidacy. Then structure 4 questions around this analysis. Just using the questions themselves might be a good start.
Another option would be to create a corporate video that can be used for hiring. Not the typical kind of ëlook!, we are greatí advertising video that no one trusts any longer. Instead I am thinking of something that takes a look at what it is really like to work in your company. An honest, open look behind the curtain. This can be placed on any and every page of your hiring website, and itís not that expensive to produce.
Itís also a great way to do volume hiring, or for graduate hiring. The video can viewed by multiple parties in multiple locations, and the hiring managers can get an immediate sense of the candidate. At least sufficiently to make a decision to move forward, or not.
Youtube Hiring
Whether you decide to take the video route or not, video has a logic and a momentum of its own. Take a trip over to Youtube right now and you can see individuals discussing the interview they had with your company, both before and after. Itís not necessarily a pretty sight.
You can see companies who offer speaking tips for the interview, or list the 10 thing you should not do at interview. The possibilities are endless and you can see an end-game that involves the courts and local labor law.
Luckily for both candidates and companies, Youtube is an organised mess, so there is little danger of companies actually checking Youtube in a systematic way. Not right now anyway.
However, incorporate video into a site like Wetfeet or Vault, and you have another big video booster. The Vault has done this already, but only for Video Resumes, and no doubt Wetfeet is not far behind.
These sites offer you an internal view of working conditions in a company, and offer a variety of services that allow job seekers to assess individual companies and network with each other about their experiences.
To my mind video enhances Wetfeet and Vaultís validity. When they introduce video for these ëinsiderís viewsí you will be able see your fellow job applicant or employee making a commentary about their company and be sure that the comments are coming from the heart. Written comments always have the taint of the poison pen letter. You are never sure of the politics behind the assertions.
The Vault is also available in China right now so HR departments better prepare themselves for a much more open approach to every aspect of the http://english.talent-software.com/?p=244 target=_blank>hiring cycle.
Email frank.mulligan@recruit-china.com
Frank Mulliganís blog - english.talent-software.com
