3 Social Media Myths Made True by Video Interviewing

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It’s been almost a decade since social media hit its stride, and companies are still grappling with how to get the most out of this multi-faceted mode of communication.

Now, another technology — video interviewing — is also hitting its stride. What happens when these two technologies collide in the employment market ? Some interesting synergies, that’s for sure.

Some video interviewing solutions now feature integration with LinkedIn and other social media channels, so recruiters can reach out and connect with job candidates in these online spaces. For many companies, the combination of social media and video interviewing platforms transforms social media from murky waters into a more meaningful recruitment tool. It also changes some of the myths floating around social recruiting into valuable truths for talent acquisition professionals:

1. Social Media Is Free Cost-Effective

By now, most companies realize that social media isn’t really free. To maintain a strong presence on any social media site, you must devote employee(s) time to creating and managing that presence.

However, with the integration of video interviewing and social media, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn can become even more powerful sourcing tools for recruiters. Use is skyrocketing: At Montage, the number of candidates who registered for their interviews via LinkedIn so far this year has already far exceeded the total for all of last year. This data is one measure of the value of social media in a company’s recruiting efforts.

2. Social Media Is for Candidate Conversion

Marketing departments may or may not be acquiring new customers directly through social media, but recruiters can bring new candidates directly into the hiring process via social media integration with video interviewing platforms. Such integration allows candidates to move from job posting to screening with one click — and, as an added bonus, candidates can log in using their LinkedIn account information.

Moreover, candidates can also immediately see which of their connections already works for this potential employer. Recruiters can reach a wider range of niche candidate groups and can review candidates’ LinkedIn profiles in the same screens as their responses to on-demand interview questions.

3. Social Media Is the Only One Way to Connect With Millennials

The impact of millennials on the world of recruiting is already being felt as companies begin to cater more to their preferences in the hiring process. Companies are focusing on social media, with good reason: an Aberdeen Group study found that 73 percent of 18-34-year-olds found their last jobs through social networks. 

However, once these younger candidates enter into the hiring process, how do you keep them engaged? If you work video interview technology into your hiring process, you can offer millennial talent multiple opportunities for frequent, personalized communication.

The combination of social media and video interviewing is the true one-two punch: pique younger candidates’ interests on LinkedIn or Facebook, and hold their attention all the way to the job offer through video interview solutions.

We know that time-to-hire is too long in most companies, but video interviewing helps engage candidates and speed the process along more quickly. Millennials stay social via screens and smartphones, and nothing is more natural to them than engaging with potential managers and coworkers in face-to-face video dialogues.

The social media-video interviewing duo may not achieve the infamy of Batman and Robin or peanut butter and chocolate, but it does open new doors for talent acquisition. When recruiters invest in video interviewing, they can also gain an innovative solution for harnessing the power of social media.

By Michele Ellner