Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/207525
TekTober The Virtues of Video Digital interviewing saves time, money, and most importantly, improves quality of hires. By Russ Banham When the prospect of digitally interviewing job candidates using video emerged about seven years ago, the idea was touted as a cost-effective alternative to the traditional phone screening processes. Now, as more recruiters embrace the concept, they're learning that video interviews also are a powerful weapon in the war for talent. Both Aon Hewitt, the large employee benefits consulting firm, and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, which tallies more than 14,000 employees at two facilities, are discovering virtues in video beyond mere dollar savings, giving each organization a competitive leg up in their talent acquisition strategies. "We're leveraging video on behalf of our clients, but are also using it internally for our own hiring needs," says Kathy Kalstrup, global RPO leader for Aon Hewitt. "We believe it significantly improves the quality of candidates, providing a consistent way to screen them using the same standards." While video recruiting has many advocates for these and other business reasons, it has yet to catch on widely. According to a study by Aberdeen Group, only 31 percent of organizations currently invest in this interviewing technique. What would explain this protracted lack of interest? Chalk it up chiefly to a fear of change—the "If it ain't broke, why fix it?" mentality. Another factor is the cost of the technology.