Using video tech in recruitment
By John Rudland
If you have changed social work job roles regularly throughout your career, you’ll know the basic processes involved. Once a hiring manager has reviewed your CV, you’ll hopefully be invited to an interview where you’ll have a chance to sell yourself and your skills in person to the interviewing panel. We’ve started to see an increase in technology being used within the recruitment process; particularly for more senior social work positions.
Action! How video interviews are becoming more mainstream
Over the past year, we have noticed that hiring managers are more open to using video interviews; technology has made it much easier for them to function in the same way as face-to-face interviews.
Systems such as Skype, Facetime, WhatsApp Messenger and Google Hangout are great conferencing tools because they allow groups of people to join in a safe online environment, conducive to formal interviews.
John Rudland, Executive Search Consultant, Sanctuary Executive tells us:
“When it comes to senior positions, hiring managers understand that to find the right people for the role, they may need to recruit from a wider geographical net. The ease of video conferencing is hugely beneficial for both clients and candidates for several reasons.”
“For candidates; it means that they can have a formal job interview without the pressures of taking time off work and factoring in travel expenses. It also means that they may be likely to apply for jobs which are further away than they are used to – particularly for interim roles where they might go in to manage a specific project before moving on elsewhere.”
He adds:
“For clients, they may find that video conferencing can make it easier to coordinate the hiring teams. Typically, when it comes to senior recruitment, interviews are conducted by a panel comprising of Directors of Service (or Assistant Directors), Heads of Service and HR Directors. These people are incredibly busy, so it can be a logistical challenge to find suitable times for all. Video conferencing addresses these challenges, helping to speed up the process for everyone involved.”
Accessible to all – no heavy investment required
When it comes to senior recruitment, we know that time is of the essence. The quicker our clients can fill their senior positions, the sooner they will be able to lead their services towards positive outcomes for children and adults.
As mentioned, video conferencing enables hiring panels to get together for interviews even when their diaries do not match up, which allows them to find the right candidate faster than ever before. The proliferation of systems such as Skype and Google Hangout means that the technology is not only accessible to all parties involved (with no financial investment required), but the functionality of these systems is incredibly intuitive, making them very easy to use.
Sanctuary Executive works closely with local authorities across the UK to offer a bespoke consultancy service. To find out more, get in touch.
