Check out iCIMS' latest blog post from iCIMS blogger Eileen Kern.

iCIMS has rolled out Video Cover Letter as part of our own hiring process, and as an organization we couldn’t be more excited about the results we’re seeing. Our very own technical recruiter, Nicole Tucker, gave a quick snapshot of her experience with Video Cover Letter in a recent interview available on VentureBeat:

Technology will continue to play an even bigger job in the recruitment process. At iCIMS, we are currently using video cover letters, and the results have been very impressive so far in terms of quantity and quality of candidates. Job seekers now have the opportunity to represent themselves beyond a piece of paper in order to make a stronger impression on recruiters and show they are dedicated to investing time and effort.

Video is also proving to be an exciting topic in the recruiting world at large. According to a recent Aberdeen report, there is a notable correlation between the use of video recruitment tools and an organization’s ability to achieve recruiting KPI:

With a strategic, business-driven approach to video, 81% of organizations were able to achieve organizational key performance indicators (KPIs). Additionally, organizations were two or three times more likely to improve recruiting (time to fill, cost per hire, hiring manager satisfaction) and business metrics (customer retention and customer satisfaction) after implementing video.

Video can support organizations throughout different stages in the hiring process, including cultivating engagement, screening, interviewing, and onboarding processes. An organization contemplating the introduction of video into its recruiting strategy should consider the following possibilities:

• Create Videos that Promote Your Company Vision

Video advertising is hardly a new concept, and many employers include videos within their career websites or job posts to describe company values and illustrate other reasons a job seeker may be interested in working with their team.

These videos may inspire a job seeker to connect with your company or to apply for a position, and on a larger scale will help you make a positive impression on today’s job seekers—who could become future employees, customers, or partners.

• Ask Candidates to Submit a Video

Candidates now have the chance to shine as well when they submit video materials to supplement their employment application.

Candidates benefit from the chance to stand out by presenting their unique qualifications, and employers benefit from saved time and money as part of their hiring process. Additionally, both candidates and employers may use previously-submitted videos as a starting place to drive future conversations.

• Chat Face-to-Face with Real-Time Video Interviews

Employers are also turning to video technology as for long-distance and high-convenience interviewing when in-person interviews may be costly or logistically impractical.
Live video interviews provide the conversational benefits of an in-person interview, allowing a candidate and one (or more) key stakeholders to speak fluidly among each other. Additionally, an interviewer may easily reference notes or supporting materials during the interview to keep the interview on-topic and effectively dive into the candidate’s qualifications.

Check out iCIMS' latest blog post from iCIMS blogger Eileen Kern.

Video and Compliance

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has stated that, provided an employer utilizes video as part of an EEO-compliant hiring program, “EEO laws do not expressly prohibit the use of specific technologies or methods for selecting employees” and thus are compatible with technologies such as video.