Have you heard the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words! Well, what about the video? The average frame rate is 29 fps (frames per second), so we could say 30,000 words. On that light note, let’s start exploring the relevance of video-based testing and fundamental human resources!
Well, you have seen the explosion of YouTube likes on the net, which shows that there are many interested in video technology once it starts running smoothly. With so many firms of people adapted to this technology, the large ones create products to facilitate that need (volume sales with lower prices). So now you have cell phone companies that allow cameras on phones at almost zero cost, broadband operators that allow the general population to get a fast connection at a cost never seen before, and high-profile shows like CNN promoting Ireporter to create the “hipness” of using such technologies for the masses.
With such technologies present, why hasn’t this craze been quickly absorbed by the employment industry? As noted above, video can deliver precision that has never been viable in the HR scene before. It is claimed that the online jobs market will increase to 20 billion in 2009 from 3 billion in 2003. With this growth, no doubt, more and more jobs will leak through this route. Once the web was a place for tech lovers, it is now commonplace.
Sure there are filters these days, but how far can you go with the skills to combine databases with increasing responses to each job? Also, how many calls do you need to make to get the right connection to the best candidate? With these thoughts, here comes our notion of efficiency. Do something that can leak quickly without taking away from the quality of traditional methods. Video can offer just that.
Now there are many ideas or partial solutions, but none that offers a real solution, or so you think. For example, a product called Captivate from Adobe, looks at first glance like a product that allows you to easily create video-based questions … Well, wait a minute, read the fine print: Do you know how to use Flash or not? have an integration reporting tool – yikes! That got complicated! Or how about the costs associated with integrating such technologies? They seem too …
One has to believe that for the HR industry to use video, it has to be on budget, save them more money than they are currently spending, and address practical issues. So, let’s examine them to see video viability in these key areas.
Video technology has to be readily available for quick deployment, and as I have explained, the average budget cell phone has video technology.
Video technology needs to be integrated at no additional cost (or significant cost) into today’s media. So, the idea is that everything is simple, from uploading the video to running the tests, reporting the results via the network, the cell phone, etc. For best results, everyone should reside on a platform that is easily managed.
The time factor and current expense should be reduced while improving the quality of the candidates by expense. This is a practical reason for a change.
You just have to go to supercandidate.com to see that this exists! However, the importance of such technology must be weighed against usability. What would you use it for. Sure there is video technology (which means images, motion and sound), but how could you improve your selection process?
Consider a technical job where the person offering the job understands the processes critical to that job. Recording a video to show that process and then uploading it to a question asking a potential candidate to provide a correct procedure could make a fundamental difference between the right person for the position and someone who only has skills on a resume. How about a customer service role where reaction to an irate customer could mean the difference between repeat business or lost sales? Once again, the sound bite recording of the department where the work will take place can easily be transferred to the interrogation process for precision never achieved by traditional techniques or text-based questions, just imagine the role of customer service. client included bilingual skills, how relevant native language skills could be exploited in the selection process.
The bottom line is that video evidence can really work for those who require pinpoint accuracy for jobs where the person is expected to be well-informed for a role. For example, someone after simple writing skills will not see any improvement in using video-based accuracy tests. However, there are a large number of skilled trades that depend on a prospective candidate’s up-to-date experience and the best way to see if they have the skills before interviewing them or, worse yet, placing them in a job, is to allow interaction with the original employer. , using network and video technology to greatly improve your filtering process while unnecessarily eliminating the costs and time constraints you currently have by not implementing such methods.