However, there is hope.  Like all cycles in new “progressive” technology, there already have been several iterations of this type of candidate presentation tool, and the industry is moving toward a hybrid model of resume-plus-video interview-plus-references-plus-social network all in one digital representation of a job candidate.

Here is what is Good and Useful about tools in the future that will include Video Interviews with other pieces of candidate due diligence:

• • • Videos are only one piece of the total candidate due diligence in these new combination products, so the emphasis on the visual is downplayed a bit.
    • Video Interviews are quite easy to produce now and too widespread in marketing and media to ignore.
    • The younger generations are growing up on video, so the video CV is a logical extension for them.
    • The technology is easy to use, and the equipment is inexpensive.
    • It saves time to look at a 2-minute video interview rather than do a 20-minute phone screen
    • It saves time to look at a 5-minute all-inclusive candidate presentation rather than spend hours scheduling a first interview round to find out the fit.
    • It saves money to watch a 20-minute Interview rather than fly a candidate in and put him/her up in a hotel.
    • Having access to on-demand all-inclusive showcases of candidates allows hiring managers to choose when to interview, instead of tying them down to disruptive schedules during the work day.
    • More and more Employers are creating branding videos of their own on their own Career Pages to attract Candidates. It just follows that soon Employers will be accepting branding videos from candidates as well.
    • The industry needs some collaborative rules or accepted behaviors for Video Interviews. This can be easily accomplished by blogs such as this.
    • Technically, most corporations are now pretty savvy in regards to rich media viewing software, and Flash is an accepted program that is widely installed. Flash is cross-platform, meaning if it works on one computer, it will work on any other with Flash installed. Flash is small and lightweight, but carries a robust video control platform. You never have to leave your webpage to view the video. Flash can be embedded right into the page. http://blogs.zdnet.com/Stewart/?p=344
    • As technology marches on, rich media viewing will become cleaner and quicker.

The bottom line is that currently, yes, there are downsides to the tools out there labeled “Video Resumes” (or Video CVs), as discussed in a previous blog post. However, the Good News is that vendors such as InterviewStudio have now worked through the technology challenges to aggregate all of these disparate (but important) pieces into a single robust, time-saving information platform for screening, due diligence and selection.

Technorati Tags: candidate, digital representation, discrimination litigation, due diligence, Flash, job candidate, minute, progressive technology, Resumes, technology, video, video control, Video CV, video interview, video resume, Video resumes

These are all instances of “live” video or “real-time” video – coming to you as it happens.

There are several vendors in the employment market jumping into this product/service category, basically repackaging a video conferencing tool like Webex or copying the  newer Skype tool:  LiveHire, CareerCam, GreenJobInterview, to name a few.  You can use these services over your computer to talk with a remote person and/or see them on your screen with the use of a webcam in realtime.

By now, most everyone in the employment marketplace has heard the phrase “interview videos” or “video interviews”.   These are canned videos (or stored videos) that contain a job interview, wherein a candidate is usually answering questions they received earlier from an employer, and then the employer can go watch them anytime via online password.  These videos are available to view (securely) at any time since they are stored on a server that is available 24 hours a day.   A job seeker simply needs access to a computer with a webcam on it (or plugged into it).  Usually the built-in microphone on any computer will suffice for audio quality, but many people plug in a stand-alone microphone to enhance the sound when they are recording their videos for their interview.

In some instances, the potential employer will send their preferred interview questions to candidates via email ahead of time, or they will post their questions on their employment website.  In these cases, the job seeker simply uses his/her own computer/webcam  to videotape themselves answering these questions, and then “uploads” their video clips to YouTube or to a place on the employers website, so the employer can watch it later.   Job seekers have to know a bit about technology to do this all themselves.

There are other sites, like our own InterviewStudio.com site, which walk job seekers through this “videos for interview” process in an easy step-by-step tutorial.  Candidates get to choose their own interview questions from a list of 20 that are appropriate for their job function. When each question is answered, that video clip gets uploaded automatically to our site where all clips are stored securely behind passwords.  Job candidates who choose to do their video interviews this way are being proactive, and have a “marketing tool” to then email out to any employer or recruiter of their choice.  In this case, the job seeker owns his/her own showcase including the video interview, and can choose who can view it.   Candidates obtain a URL address for their InterviewStudio “showcase” from their account online and they can type this into an email they are sending or can even upload this URL into an applicant tracking system text field to be stored along with their other candidate information.

Videos for interview purposes are becoming more popular with employers, since it saves them several days or even weeks in the screening process.   The key is to make sure the videos they are viewing are professional, and useful as a compliant screening tool—meaning that videos for interview purposes will soon have rules and governing guidelines for both job seekers and employers to conform to – whether the video interviews are live or canned for viewing later.

Technorati Tags: computer, employer, employment market, employment marketplace, Europe, interview, interview videos, JOB, Job Interview Video, Job Interview Videos, traveling in europe, video, video conferencing facility, video conferencing tool, Videos Interview