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Are you biased?

Bias (/ˈbʌɪəsd/), a preconceived opinion about something or someone, according to the dictionary.

I admit, it’s difficult to know if I am biased myself at times. Only when I am confronted with an opposite view, or see things suddenly in a different light, I do realise I probably was.

When you hear the same thing or opinion often enough, you may start to believe it being true. So, last week I attended a workshop with recruitment agencies and passionate recruiters all wanting to change the industry for the better. The topic was whether video recruitment made sense or not.

Video recruitment is only suitable for a few roles
We frequently hear in discussions that video interviewing is only for office jobs and sales roles, and not fit for blue collar type or specific scarce IT candidates. However, one recruiter made an interesting remark that gave a fresh and surprising turn to the discussion. She was under the impression that video recruitment would not only be suited for office roles, but actually also very effective for specialized trades.

She encountered so many passionate welding professionals that lacked certain preferred qualifications her clients required. With each application, the candidate was rejected based on the CV; not the right MIG welding certificate. But the recruiter knew these people were passionate and capable professionals that could be great matches for the job!

Looking beyond the traditional selection criteria
She argued that when using a video interview, the recruiter would be able to provide the client with a much more complete and telling picture of this welding professional. The welder would get the opportunity to provide valuable insights in the great projects (s)he had run, and showcase passion for the art of making great precision welds. The recruiter was convinced that these complemented candidate profiles are the ultimate way to challenge clients to look beyond the CV (the candidate’s real potential), and break with standard selection criteria. In this story the bias is not so much in employers rejecting the candidate based on missing qualifications, but a bias towards technology and for whom a personal video presentation fits and for whom not.

Enrich your pool of candidates; supercharge their CV
So many talented and motivated candidates – who may very well be a great match for the job – are not even able to pass the first, often text automated, selection round because employers are only looking at the typical ‘CV skills’ as a first selection criteria.

Instead of sending through that CV to your client or colleague, send a video CV of the candidate instead. No matter what, a welder or IT professional also needs to work in a team and forms part of a client’s company culture. Pretty important.

It’s time for businesses to help break through the bʌɪəs/ and see, review, and present candidates in a new way. Happy Hiring!


 

Infographic | Why Video Recruitment Works | Download