Video resume is a trend that appeals to digital native candidates. Many find it easy, fast and more intuitive to produce than writing a CV. But will this fad catch on in the recruitment and selection area ?
Not so fast, experts say. The “video resume” concept attracted the world’s attention when the social network TikTok announced that it was entering the recruitment space with the launch of TikTok Resumes.
In an interview with The New York Times , Kayla Dixon, TikTok’s brand marketing manager, said the social network launched the benefit to help young people gain professional baggage and get hired.
Do you agree with the executive? Do you believe that creating a video resume script eliminates sending your CV?
Some professionals in the field agree with Kayla, others disagree and there are still those who partially support the speech. If you want to know a little more about this debate, pros and cons, of using the tool, you are in the right place!
In this article, we will also point out at what stage of recruitment the video resume can be used and how to evaluate it.
What is resume video?
A video resume is a recording that describes a person’s experience and professional qualifications. It’s a way for candidates to show their personality, create a great first impression to recruiters, and emphasize their talent and skills.
Just like a paper resume, the professional candidate for the vacancy needs to detail in the recording the essentials of his personal and professional trajectory, highlighting the following aspects:
- education;
- experience;
- interests;
- why should the company hire you?
However, contrary to what some may think, it is not a simple video clip of what is written in the curriculum. It takes creativity and resourcefulness with the camera to put together a winning resume video!
Some experts point out that the mechanism allows an employer to understand how candidates present themselves. But can recording replace the curriculum? Will the way we share resumes change forever? Are job seekers comfortable with the trend? Can unconscious bias be eliminated?
Keep reading the article to understand this scenario from the perspective of recruiting people.
Will video resume replace CV submission?
Does it make sense that the written resume will someday go the way of the fax or the pager, of obsolescence, to be erased from the history of recruitment?
In most recruiting, experts suggest, video CVs are often complementary , meaning they are accompanied by a traditional candidate CV in text format.
In practice, video CV recording is a tool that allows candidates to show communication skills and creativity in a way that is more challenging than on a traditional CV.
The video can also explain and highlight some points about the candidate’s life experience – such as a gap in the job – something that in the normal resume would be difficult to explain or difficult to interpret by a recruiter.
The video resume is currently being treated as an additional tool to the R&S process and does not exclude the traditional CV.
Now that we know the importance of video resumes, let’s look at some of the top reasons why video resumes are gaining popularity among recruiters and employers.
Advantages of using video resume
There is a lot of discussion among HR professionals about the effectiveness of talent selection through video resumes.
Most recruiting experts consider this type of recording as an additional recruiting marketing tool to especially attract young creatives.
In their view, instead of thinking that the company will hire people based on a video clip (an argument used by people against the movement), their thinking should be focused on generating leads for their hiring funnel.
Here are some advantages of adopting video curricula in the R&S process:
Establish A Connection Between Recruiters And Candidates
With the pandemic process, new work models and ways of hiring emerged, mixing face-to-face, hybrid and remote modalities.
Video resumes play a key role in making a recruiter and employer feel connected and confident about the candidate. By going through a candidate’s video resume, recruiters can establish a connection and see how they fit into the organization.
Enable Collaborative Contracting
With video, it’s easier for other team members to participate in the screening process, promoting more collaborative decision making.
The team can easily review video submissions at their convenience and provide feedback to help identify the most relevant top candidates for in-person interviews.
Perhaps the most important aspect of a collaborative hiring process is increasing the chances of more assertive hires regarding cultural fit . Employees often have differing perceptions of what it means to be part of the organization.
When multiple team members are involved in the early stages of the hiring process, it provides a broader conception of the candidate’s cultural fit in the company.
Reduce Discrimination
Collaborative hiring can also limit the impact of unconscious bias on the recruitment process. The involvement of several employees makes room for transparency and reduces the risk of prejudice and discrimination against candidates.
The video application process itself is discrimination-free. All candidates are asked to answer the same set of set video questions that can be easily compared on a case-by-case basis.
Handling of automated and identical questions for each candidate minimizes bias and potential errors in judgment in the recruitment process.
Improve Candidate Experience
The ability to apply with video engages the candidate in the early stages of the hiring process. Yes, video recording may seem like a barrier to some candidates. However, it ensures that only the most motivated and interested candidates apply.
Video allows for more personal and candid responses, and most candidates appreciate the opportunity to present a more authentic side in a comfortable environment.
Disadvantages of Video Resume
On the other hand, some recruiters are convinced that this technology can never replace a traditional resume and the opportunity to meet a person face-to-face . Some of the main disadvantages are:
Takes Time
Many recruiters say they don’t have the time to watch every video clip of candidates’ resumes. If there is no technology behind this video review, the time to review videos can be a barrier.
Selection Bias
Some argue that video eliminates bias, others argue the opposite.
Recruiters who are against video CV formatting point out that if the candidate is not tech-savvy, or their creativity and communication skills are not strong, it can affect judgment about their other skills.
Judge By Appearance
A recruiter may miss out on some good candidates because only those who have good technical equipment, are tech-savvy, or have the financial resources to ask for professional video editing support will be able to apply.
In addition, an organization can be accused of discrimination due to the fact that a video resume shows age, race, gender, disability, etc.
When using the tool is appropriate in R&S
According to a recent survey , 79% of employers say that a pre-recorded video of a candidate is very helpful during the hiring process, and 61% of job seekers believe that sharing more about themselves in a video would help them get a job.
But in practice, when would it be appropriate and effective to ask candidates to apply in video resume format?
It depends on the job the recruiter is hiring for and the skill set they are looking for in the candidate.
There are jobs for which a video resume would be appropriate, such as a teacher, salesperson, marketing analyst, flight attendant, etc.
But there are also jobs as an accountant, truck driver or software developer where using a video resume may not be the best selection strategy.
Candidates with these jobs may be brilliant in their area of expertise, but they don’t need to focus on presentation or communication skills. These competencies may not be relevant to the new role, but they would be evident in a video and would not allow them to be selected.
At what stage of the process is it ideal to request the video resume?
As already highlighted in this article, the candidate recording works as a professional cover letter.
That’s why video is used in the first stage of the hiring funnel . The candidate’s recording and CV can be filtered by a software (ATS) that will trace the appropriate correspondence with the vacancy advertised.
However, some recruiters prefer to humanize this process and watch the videos. However, it all depends on the context. With the strong turnout of candidates wanting to submit this type of footage, it will be difficult for the Talent Acquisition specialist to analyze the footage take by take.
How to evaluate a video resume?
An ideal professional presentation video is 2-3 minutes long. In this time, the candidate must quickly expose their personality, attitudes and skills.
If you plan to hire talent based on the script of a video resume, check out a few items from that footage, such as:
- Is the person able to speak freely, naturally, without reading a script?
- Can the candidate present the main points of his career in a short period?
- What does the candidate’s body language reveal?
- Does the person look directly at the camera or try to avoid it?
- How confident does the person appear to be?
If “creative thinking skills” is one of the essential or desirable skills for the job, then this will give you a good idea of the extent to which the person is actually capable of “thinking outside the box”. Does he apply his creative skills in this online video too?
How good is the person at promoting himself as the best candidate? Do you know afterwards why he would be a great hire and what benefit he would bring to the company?
Did the candidate go further and even include some testimonials in which he lets other people talk about his past performances and achievements? That’s a goal for the candidate, right?
