Video interviewing does more for your company than reducing costs. While it is a great alternative to traditional interviewing, it doesn’t sacrifice any of the qualities of the face-to-face experience. Rather, it transitions it to eye-to-eye. The camera focuses on a candidate’s (and the interviewer’s) face and gives insight into whether there is interest in the position. With the eye-to-eye experience, neither the interviewer nor the talent has to travel to a third location. They can stay in their home or office (or interview on the go with a mobile app). Video interviewing not only decreases costs but it also improves the employer brand and employee culture.

1. Reduces Turnover

According to a report by Payscale, 57% of companies see retention as a problem, but you can stop the problem during the interview process before it starts. A candidate who has a positive experience goes into the company with an optimistic attitude. This confident and encouraging predisposition before entering the office space promotes a particular employee culture from the beginning.  Sarah Dwyer, Global Talent Acquisition Leader at Hypertherm said, “We’ve found that this small service makes our candidates incredibly comfortable and they end up enjoying their interview, which helps when you have an incredibly diverse talent pool.” An established company culture means happy employees, and happy employees mean a reduction in turnover rates. A reduction in attrition from the average 60% in 4 years gives employees a sense of stability in not only the company, but their managers as well. Inconsistency in the hiring process can instill a sense of doubt in the company, and ultimately break down a healthy employee culture.

2. Searches for Innovative Talent

Millennials are the candidates entering the workforce. They are a technologically engaged generation, with 68% of 18-25-year-olds searching for jobs on their mobile phones. What better way to find the ones who are looking for a technologically advanced company than by video screening? Since Millennials are tech savvy and spend so much time on their mobile devices, they want a company who is on the edge of innovation. A technologically engaged company will attract engaged candidates. They have the ability to see not only their cultural fit, but their technological fit as well.  More importantly, organizations can find the candidates who foster a sense of innovation.

3. Improves Candidate and Employee Interaction

So how does video interviewing help a company hire for cultural fit? Well, it gives employers the chance to find someone that fits the company standards for culture. In fact, 89% of new hires fail in the first 18 months because of a cultural mismatch. Even more importantly, video interviewing gives the current employees an opportunity to meet the talent without the travel that it would normally require. Dwyer said, “In our line of work, with this kind of company, it’s necessary to be as sure as possible when you extend that [job] offer.”

Especially for an employee-owned company like Hypertherm, it is critical others have the opportunity to meet the candidate, not just the hiring manager. As they were hiring for multiple locations, they needed to interview qualified candidates from various places. But with language barriers, phone interviews only exacerbated communication problems.

4. Narrows the Talent Pool Sooner

Using virtual interviewing gives a better understanding of a candidate and how their personality fits into your organization quickly. Video screening allows recruiters and hiring managers to evaluate candidates up to 10 times more quickly than traditional or phone interviews. Phone screening simply can’t give you the whole picture. There is no body language through a phone call and certainly no opportunity to see how the candidate pays attention to detail in their surrounding or their attire. Dwyer added, “And while phone screens give you some information, they don’t tell you a complete enough story for the kind of person we are trying to hire.” For the candidate to add to the employee culture, the office atmosphere, the hiring manager has to have a complete story of the candidate. That’s something that can only be achieved during a face-to-face interview, or even better, through a video screening.

Employee-owned companies like Hypertherm thrive on a positive and stable culture. A healthy interview process can be the catalyst for a well-developed employee culture. Video screening is the best way to ensure your dream candidate is not only qualified but culturally fit as well, no matter the distance.

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