Video CVs - a fad or the next valuable recruitment tool?

The way an individual often brands themselves to potential employers or recruiters is by creating a resume. They may embelish them from time to time or exaggerate their accomplishments a little bit but let’s face it: resumes are that boring document that lists the chronoligacal order of our working lives :-)
The Internet has made this procedure a little bit less dreadful with the advent of video resumes. If you open the YouTube and type “video resumes” you get several pages of them. The quality of the clips may not be great, made with cheap video cameras, but they are short, funny and up to the point. Thus, video resumes have the potential to become a major method to market and brand individuals seeking positions within competitive environment.

Recruitment agencies are already seeing the huge potential behind this service. They allow candidates to create video resumes and send links to potential employers. There are even job boards dedicated to helping create and then post such resumes.

While video resumes cannot fully substitute the traditional applicant CV, short videos with applicants answering to several questions may turn out very useful. Such service, guided by professional recruiters, can provide more depth and understanding of candidates at a lower cost than a face-to-face interview.

Have any recruiters or big billers had any experience in using video as a tool to introduce candidates to clients. Do we know if clients actually want them?

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Permalink Reply by Jerry Albright on July 18, 2008 at 9:52am

Morning Gavin. Nice topic. I appreciate what you're doing with Big Biller. This topic is something I was facing last year when I decided I needed to provide a service far and beyond my competitors. Let's face it - many agencies are spending thousands of dollars each year just to have access to the very same resumes their competitors have. They then go and send a plain old Word resume like everyone else. It really is astonishing how little emphasis has been put on presenting your candidate to your client.

I've done a ton of research in this area over the past year and I've got to say - it will be quite a while (if ever) before video resumes take over. Several reasons come to mind - not the least of which is that most candidates do not have a video cam. Sure - some of the IT guys do and more of the younger generation do - but I'm still placing people older than me and don't see them running out to by a video camera and setting it up just to do an interview with me.

But they DO ALL have a telephone. Most people have a phone on them 24/7.

So let me put in a shameless plug for what I've been doing. (Yes - RBC is a place to discuss innovation and this is innovative).

I have designed and developed (with a great team's help) the very first tool designed specifically for presenting your candidate to your client using technology that does not change the candidates experience at all. Yes - I can say it's the first because I went looking for this last year and nobody had/has done anything like it.

Simply put this tool adds audio to the resume for an experience unlike anything your client has ever seen! Using Verbal Summary you can add audio - your telephone interview/screen/assessment (whatever you want to call it) right on top of the resume. The client just clicks a friendly link and they are immediately looking at not only the resume - but listening to the interview you've conducted. They don't have to download anything, sign up for any accounts, punch in any passwords or ask HR if it's OK to look at a video resume. They just open the resume like they always have!

The reaction from my clients and others using the tool has been overwhelming. This IS the way resumes are going in the near term. Years from now – who knows. But the resume needs a makeover and it’s here!

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Permalink Reply by Peggy McKee on October 7, 2008 at 12:58pm

I don't really believe a video resume will be the most powerful tool for video.
I think the video interview is where the value is....but there are issues.
People aren't comfortable with video yet. Both technologically and just personally (who likes their own mug?).
But just as marketing is moving toward different mediums, candidates and recruiters must go there as well.

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Permalink Reply by pam claughton on October 7, 2008 at 1:58pm

Agree with Peggy on this. I see value in using video for live interviews from remote locations and have clients who do this now prior to flying a candidate in. I'd like to do a lot more of this, ideally interview all candidates via a web cam feed instead of phone, so I can always 'see' them. I see value in that.

I'm going to be a bit blunt in saying I have no interest in a 'video resume'. For two key reasons, first of all, time. I can review a resume in less than a minute and know if I want to know more about the candidate. A 'video' resume would take more time out of my day and would not add to productivity.

Secondly, it doesn't accurately portray the candidate in the way that a live video interview would. All a video resume will truly show is how comfortable someone is in front of a camera. Which is great if they plan to be an on-air sports reporter and are attractive. The reality is that for the majority of candidates, this will work against them, not for them.

Just my two cents....

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Permalink Reply by Adam Peterson on October 7, 2008 at 2:59pm

Hi Gavin,

I'm fairly well versed in many facets of Video in Hiring. I think the first thing to understand is that there are several options out there. I personally don't think video resumes will take off, and can support my assumption as CareerBuilder took down their video resume capability (see article here) because candidates simply weren't doing them. To add video into a hiring process takes a very clear definition of process, motivation, and the value proposition to the different parties involved.

I run a Video in Hiring group here on RecruitingBlogs and would suggest you review some of the content, and even potentially join and participate.

I am closely involved with a video company, Vipe, but am always interested in learning others' point of view and am happy to have a discussion - both learning your thoughts and potentially sharing my experiences.

Let me know what I can do to help,
Adam

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Permalink Reply by Gavin Chase on October 7, 2008 at 3:40pm

Thanks for your thoughts Adam. If you want to share your views on Want to be a Big Biller? that would be great. I think this is a topic worthy of discussion as we move forward. :-)

Adam Peterson said:

Hi Gavin,

I'm fairly well versed in many facets of Video in Hiring. I think the first thing to understand is that there are several options out there. I personally don't think video resumes will take off, and can support my assumption as CareerBuilder took down their video resume capability (see article here) because candidates simply weren't doing them. To add video into a hiring process takes a very clear definition of process, motivation, and the value proposition to the different parties involved.

I run a Video in Hiring group here on RecruitingBlogs and would suggest you review some of the content, and even potentially join and participate.

I am closely involved with a video company, Vipe, but am always interested in learning others' point of view and am happy to have a discussion - both learning your thoughts and potentially sharing my experiences.

Let me know what I can do to help,
Adam