A belated Happy New Year, everyone! As you can see, we’ve not posted in a couple of weeks. And that is because we are quite busy.
A good thing…eh?
Along with some very positive signs in the 2012 executive hiring market, I am pleased to inform that a concept we first reported on nearly four years ago–the Video Interview–is at last gaining broad acceptance with hiring managers. In 2008, the idea of interviewing candidates via broadband video was just gaining traction. But even then, most people were not using Skype (or had ever heard of it).
Now in 2012, the term telepresence–made popular by the marketing team at Cisco Systems–is part of our everyday business lexicon. What is more, telepresence is quickly becoming a popular tool in the candidate recruitment process.
Several of our clients connect regularly with out-of-town candidates via Skype. It saves them many thousands of dollars in T&E expenses. And it is easy to use. Plus, one cannot beat the price….IT’S FREE!
And…The Green Suits saw this coming! From our May 2008 “Video Interview” post:
With the cost of hiring being impacted heavily by the skyrocketing price of energy, some talent acquisition managers have already started considering alternatives to the traditional face-to-face interview. But now, many are opening up to the idea of staging parts of the process virtually, with the Video Interview.
Over 40 years ago, AT&T was already thinking about the idea of video-communicating. (At right: a rendering of the first AT&T PicturePhone prototype).
But as recently as [2006], the thought of staging a video interview might have struck most talent scouts as interesting, but probably too complicated and expensive to pull off. And, they would have been right to think that way; video interviews were costly, hindered by technological incompatibility, and, very difficult to schedule and complete.
But now, the planets are lining up in favor of the video interview. Consider these developments:
- Broadband internet speeds are rapidly increasing (supporting very good video transmission capability);
- More notebook and desktop PCs have pre-installed webcams (new Macs already have them);
- The spread of WiFi hot-spots has enabled greater scheduling flexibility;
- Software compatibility issues have been eliminated, or greatly reduced.
According to Henry DelAngelo, a marketing executive with DelAngelo Consulting LLC, the day of the video interview has arrived:
“The prospective employee does not have to travel in order to be face-to-face interviewed. The hiring manager can conduct a Virtual Interview efficiently, without the hassle and expense of travel.”
Can you imagine the impact on your hiring budget, and the thousands of dollars in potential savings?
Still, the Video Interview is not for widespread application, thus it should be used carefully. We recommend staging Video Interviews, when:
- Your talent pool is hundreds or thousands of miles from your location, you can save thousands of dollars in T&E while achieving a quality interviewing experience;
- You have to fill a position quickly, but time constraints make interview scheduling a nightmare. Video interviews can be staged at any time…before, during, or after regular business hours;
- You must narrow your candidate field, quickly;
- You want to get a better sense of the candidate than could be gotten with a conventional telephone interview. This may be especially important to you if the executive you hire will be client-facing.
This final point is obvious, but merits repeating: do not hire any executive candidate without holding a subsequent (and literal) face-to-face interview round, or rounds. There’s a lot to be learned from that first handshake.
The Virtual Interview: a very green element in your hiring of talented green business executives.
One added reason for the popularity of telepresence is the explosion of mobile technology; every device sold has a built-in camera.
For candidates and hiring managers alike, there are some critical steps to staging a successful Video Interview that bear repeating:
IS THAT A BRA HANGING FROM MY CANDIDATE'S TREADMILL??? Make sure you stage your office or interviewing location like a television studio. Make things neat and presentable. If possible, sit for your interview with a wall behind you.
- If you are new to Skype then you will need to register with them. Pick a handle that looks and sounds professional. Our Skype handle is TheGreenSuits.
- The Video Interview creates a virtual TV studio effect. REMEMBER THIS: if your office is a mess, you must tidy it up…and stage it like a TV interview set. About six months ago, we interviewed an executive candidate via Skype whose treadmill appeared in the background; it was festooned with ladies undergarments! Thus, it is best to stage your interview set well, and if at all possible, to seat yourself before the webcam with a wall behind you.
- Where you interview is important. Find an appropriately private indoor place, for sure. Do not interview in a bar, or a restaurant, or your kid’s swim meet, or a parking garage. Big, empty conference rooms tend to echo. Be mindful of ambient noise; turn off anything that beeps or bleeps or buzzes including your office phone and all mobile devices.
- Dress appropriately. No, that doesn’t mean ties and jackets. But it does mean wearing clean, nicely ironed casual dress shirts or blouses. And fellas…you might want to lose the Five O’Clock Shadow. Save the formal business ensemble for your actual face-to-face interview, to follow.
- Be on time. Most Skype calls I engage start within 60 seconds of the start time.
- Be mindful of your body-language. Sit up straight and don’t fidget. Remember that the person on the other end of the call is watching you and taking note of your soft-skills.
- LOOK INTO THE CAMERA. It is common when Skyping to fix your gaze at the other party’s video. But when you are speaking make sure to look directly into the lens. Soften your eyes. Don’t rush. Be natural.
- And, last, enjoy the experience!
