How to Create a Better Candidate Experience Through Video Technology

During the hiring process, candidates aim to win over employers, while employers aim to win over (top) candidates. In other words, hiring is a two-way street – or, at least, it should be.

Too often, however, employers forget that the interviewee isn’t the only one being judged. Every time a candidate interacts with your company, they’re judging your organization. From the career site itself to the actual interview, every touchpoint helps a candidate decide whether or not they want to work for you.

A less-than-stellar candidate experience can damage both your employer brand and your company’s overall brand. CareerBuilder’s 2015 Candidate Behavior Study found that 69 percent of job seekers say they are less likely to buy from a company if they had a bad interview experience with that company!

The good news is that CareerBuilder also found that a positive candidate experience can have the reverse effect, with 69 percent of job seekers saying they are more likely to buy from a company that treated them with respect during the hiring process.

So, a positive candidate experience can help you attract more talented employees and more customers. There’s no reason, then, not to invest in your company’s candidate experience.

One way to create the kind of candidate experience that attracts top talent is through the adoption of the latest technology. Candidates love it when an organization uses tech to make the hiring process simple, convenient, and quick.

Video interviewing technology can be an especially powerful tech tool when it comes to boosting the candidate experience at your organization. Here are four ways that video interview tools can help you improve your employer brand by giving candidates a better experience:

1. Video Brings the Candidates to You

The candidate experience starts way before you bring candidates in for the first interview – it starts with how you attract talent. A strong presence on social media or within the community can do an employer brand some good, and one foolproof way to enhance your company’s branding is to showcase it via video.

Take cloud-computing company Rackspace, for example. Its career site hosts a series of videos called “Culture in Motion,” which illustrate what it’s like to work for the company. Covering everything from a day in the life of the average employee to holiday-themed festivities, these videos give job seekers candid glimpses into the company and its culture. It’s talent acquisition at its finest.

2. Video Helps Candidates Showcase Their Personalities

Video isn’t just a good way for employers to attract talent; it’s also a great way for job seekers to wow potential employers.

Many job seekers have decided to use video technology to help them stand at from the competition via video resumes, which allow them to show off who they really are.

Video resumes may not be able to replace traditional resumes entirely, but they can be powerful supplements. A paper resume can give an employer a rundown of a candidate’s skills, but a video resume can give employers a taste of a candidate’s personality and professionalism (or lack thereof!).

Giving interested candidates an opportunity to really sell themselves via video might be just what your candidate experience needs.

3. Video Connects You With Long-Distance Talent

One easy way to transform your candidate experience is to open up your positions to a wider audience via live video interviews. That way, candidates from all around the globe can apply to your company. All they need is a webcam!

Considering that more candidates prefer video to the phone when interviewing long-distance (47 percent vs. 36 percent, respectively), implementing a video interview option for faraway candidates will likely gain your company some serious goodwill.

4. Video Makes the Whole Process More Convenient

The key to creating a top-notch candidate experience is to make the hiring process as simple as possible. The more convenient it is for job seekers to apply and interview, the more likely they are to finish the process. In fact, CareerBuilder found  that three in five candidates don’t bother completing the application process if they feel it is too complicated or too long.

It’s not just long-distance candidates who can enjoy the convenience of video interviews. One-way video interviews – which allow candidates to record their interviews on their own schedules, no matter where they are – can make the interview process simple for everyone.Recruiters, hiring managers, and job seekers don’t have to scramble to align their schedules. Instead, the process works in a smooth flow that is convenient for all.

How’s that for a candidate experience?