Comments on Just What the World Needs: Times are a Changin'

More good science??!!?? No matter how much science...

2007-06-01T00:14:00.000-07:00

More good science??!!?? No matter how much science and logic you try to put behind recruiting, the best recruiters use their instincts. No one can convince me that a video isn't more helpful than a black and white piece of paper that took the candidate months..maybe even years to perfect. Aside from skills, being a good fit is a big deal these days as companies attempt to brand their culture, and you simply can't get that in writing.

How can you judge personality in a few minutes??? Easy! We do it everyday. Your waiter greets you at the table and you immediately know if you will get exceptional service or anticipate a free dessert. As humans, and as recruiters, we are incredibly intuitive and we weed out the good from the bad within just a few short seconds.

In a video, you can't hide the way you can in vague and uneventful words. You are completely exposed and held accountable for who you are.

Kristi... Thanks for your reply.Frequently after s...

2007-05-31T06:41:00.000-07:00

Kristi... Thanks for your reply.

Frequently after someone is hired the water-cooler effect takes place several months later. Someone says, "I wish we knew then what we know now about so and so."

If it takes several months to understand someone's skills and personality approach in the workplace, why do people believe they can make skill and/or personality judgements after reviewing a several minute video resume?

Studies, e.g., SHRM, show that resumes are inherently untrustworthy. It's highly likely in my opinion that video resumes also have a very low validity coefficient.

My opinion is that there should be more good science involved in the candidate selection process. Good job fit obviously benefits both candidates and their employers.

OK. I basically agree with everything you've said!...

2007-05-30T15:16:00.000-07:00

OK. I basically agree with everything you've said! Video Resumes (including the one in question as awesome as it is!) are all over the place because they're brand spanking new. No one knows what to say, how to act or dress, where it should be filmed...it's every man for himself until we figure it out as an industry how to incorporate them into the ever-so-changing landscape of recruiting.

If I got 50 would I watch them?? You betcha! Maybe not all the way through, but I'd certainly peak at each one. It'd make for a nice dessert after eating chicken all the time.

A video resume does not integrate into present hir...

2007-05-30T13:11:00.000-07:00

A video resume does not integrate into present hiring processes especially at the top of the candidate selection funnel. Also, most candidates do not do well in front of a camera, and most of the typical video is a rehash of what's already on their resume. The reviewer's inherent bias starts immediately when the video begins as it does when someone shows up for an interview.

A structured video interview on the other hand is helpful near the bottom of the candidate selection funnel especially if the candidate is not geographically close to the interview site.

If each candidate submitted a video resume and there were 50 candidates, would you review them all? The reasonable answer is no. You'd only review the candidates that made your short list by some other means.

The video resume in question is entertaining, but it tells very little about his IT knowledge. Some likely would say that it has nothing to do with his IT subject matter expertise.

The interest in video resumes shows that candidates are looking for a better way to represent themselves than with the standard-traditional, self-authored resume.