Does Your Company Accept Video Resumes?

By Catherine Gray, COO of Corp Shorts.com

Have you received video resumes as part of job seekers’ applications? If so, join the club. If not, you will soon. Research shows, 89 percent of employers and hiring managers are willing to watch video resumes. Are you?

You should be. Video resumes increase your chances of hiring the right person for the right job—the first time. The reason is simple: Video resumes are the next best thing to a face-to-face interview. It makes the screening process faster and easier than ever before. Video resumes show a candidate’s:

• Personality – You can almost instantly determine whether the candidate’s personality fits the position, department, organization, etc.
• Professionalism – See how a candidate conducts himself, whether he dresses professionally, if he pays attention to details, etc.
• Passion – Get a sneak peak of a candidate’s enthusiasm and charisma, including body language
• Perseverance – Taking the initiative to make and send video resumes demonstrates diligence and commitment, which are usually key indicators of a candidate’s work ethic
• Communication skills – Immediately see whether a candidate is articulate and whether he can express his skills and qualifications effectively

With running times between only one and three minutes, video resumes are a quick way to gain a wealth of information you can’t get from a paper resume.

Time and Money
Your time is valuable. You need to fill a position with the best possible candidate in the least amount of time. Video resumes enable you to save time by not meeting with the wrong person for the job.

You save money, too. Video resumes virtually eliminate unnecessary travel expenses during the prescreening process because you won’t be flying in the wrong candidates. You have the peace of mind of knowing that you’re meeting with candidates that you already know have what it takes to do the job.

Let’s face it: Although ultimately rewarding when a candidate is hired and is a good fit for the job, the hiring process is generally not a fun experience. By saving time and money—and giving you more of an insight into the caliber of candidates you’re bringing in for face-to-face interviews—video resumes make your job easier. Management is happy. Recruiters are happy. Candidates are happy. Video resumes make the entire process as painless as possible.

A New World
Hiring in this new digital world makes recruiting more efficient. Using the Internet as a screening tool helps you find the best candidates. And, generally speaking, the most qualified, motivated, and tech-savvy job seekers are using video resumes as the primary way to connect with employers.

The game is changing. Make sure you’re ready and willing to accept video resumes from job candidates. Video resumes are not the wave of the future, and they’re not a fad. They’re right now and coming to an inbox near you.