HR Directors across the UK are increasingly relying on new technology to support recruitment processes, according to new research from recruitment consultancy OfficeTeam.
Close to nine in 10 (89 percent) of senior executives labelled it ‘somewhat’ or ‘very’ challenging to find skilled professionals. Small (91 percent) and medium-sized (90 percent) businesses find it most difficult.
To cope with the challenges, more than four in 10 (41 percent) of UK HRDs report increased use of video conferencing for interviews compared to three years ago.
Over half (56 percent) of HR directors said access to better conferencing tools was an impetus for the increase, while 41 percent cited an increase in recruiting domestic, out-of-town candidates. A further 32 percent said the increase in video interviews was due to more interest from international candidates.
As the economy increasingly globalises and more and more employees work away from the office, recruitment methods will need to keep pace. HD video and fast internet connections have allowed video recruitment to become viable for recruitment, and improvements planned for the future – such as 4K Ultra HD – will continue to bridge the gap between real-world interviews and virtual replacements. Online assessment, such as psychometric testing, is also useful in helping HR remotely sift through candidates.
Phil Sheridan, Managing Director of OfficeTeam UK, said: “Hiring managers are increasingly finding it difficult to source skilled local professionals and are turning towards technology to assist them in the hiring process. Video conferencing allows hiring managers to conduct a visual and verbal assessment of the candidate, which is particularly useful for those who have a long journey to navigate.”
“It is very important that candidates treat video interviews as they would a normal face-to-face interview. Hiring managers will still be assessing physical attributes such as non-verbal communication, professional attire and confidence when being interviewed on screen.
“Technology is continually advancing, so it only seems fitting that businesses take advantage of the ease of convenience it offers. However, video conferencing will not and should not replace traditional means of assessing and hiring a candidate, which can only be gleaned from an in-person meeting.”
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More research on Video Interviewing
Provocative piece. Although a vendor, I’d like to point you towards some excellent case studies from companies such as Wm Morrisons Supermarkets Plc, UK Power Networks, EA Games, CERN and Sellafield Ltd. who are happy users of asynchronous video interviewing in their recruitment process. The big benefit for most of them is not the time and cost savings (which of course video interviewing offers) but the confidence that they’ve brought the best candidates forward to the next stage of the recruitment process the because video selection has proven more effective than telephone screening.
Feel free to get in touch for any more info.