If you are one of the many recruitment professionals utilising Skype for interviews, you are not alone. The ability to be able to ‘see’ an applicant at the screening stage is why more than 85% of recruiters have used it. With some studies suggesting non-verbal communication carries up to 93% more impact than the spoken word, it makes sense.
Recruiters prefer Skype over telephone interviews because it helps them make more informed hiring decisions. Selection has vastly improved thanks to the video element. Its three-dimensional process makes it possible for interpersonal skills to be assessed at an early stage in the recruitment process.
Those who advocate Skype point to its ability to tap into a global talent pool while saving time and money. But does Skype have disadvantages over recruitment-specific Video Interviewing software? The answer is simple. Yes, it does.
Skype vs Video Interviewing Software
While some Video Interviewing solutions will offer an almost identical experience to Skype, there are others that deliver much more. With features designed especially for recruitment professionals, they provide tools to make the process easier, fairer, more engaging and much more convenient. Shortlister, for example, provides a one-way Video Interviewing solution. Here’s what that means:
One-way Video Interviewing
What if you could enjoy all the benefits that interviewing via Skype brings without the hassles of having schedule and conduct those interviews? That is what one-way Video Interviewing delivers.
If you want to keep the recruitment process on track and ensure fairness, while gauging non-verbal cues, Shortlister is the solution. Its software allows pre-prepared questions to be answered at any time, anywhere. The interviewer and the candidate are not on the call at the same time. This means Video Interviews can be conducted around the clock. Because questions are the same for every candidate, interviews are consistent and fair.
One-way Video Interviews help recruiters screen large numbers of candidates quickly and effortlessly. It removes the headache of scheduling and frees up time that would have been spent on video calls.
Two-way Video Interviewing
If you use Skype or a similar solution that uses the two-way Video Interview method, both the candidate and the recruiter have to be on the same call at the same time. The disadvantages can be huge. What if your candidate is on the other side of the world? Time zones, question inconsistencies, the chance of interviews veering off-topic and, of course, discrepancies in the length of each interview are just a few of the problems associated with two-way Video Interviewing. In fact, unless the recruiter is highly disciplined, the screening process can end up taking longer. Ultimately, the decision-making process will be impaired by a lack of consistency.
Skype: branding and scheduling limitations
The jobseeker market is a challenging place. What are you doing to raise the profile of your organisation while recruiting? Skype has limitations that are not likely to raise awareness about your brand. That is why Shortlister offers bespoke branding to make your organisation stand out from the crowd.
Another major advantage of using Shortlister is the ability to free yourself from the burden of scheduling. Imagine not having to hang around the office after hours or take chunks out of your day to make calls. Think of the time you can save.
Shortlister brings structure to Video Interviews
Consistency should be a priority in recruitment. Not only does it make the process fairer, it identifies the best talent – quickly. Being consistent ensures the validity of interviews and removes any perceived interviewer biases.
Shortlister guarantees consistency with a structured approach
Its software is designed to let recruiters pose the same, consistent questions. Shortlister also offers scoring guides. These correlate to key factors associated with each vacancy. They ensure that candidates who score well during a Video Interview are those who will perform better in the role than applicants who did not score so highly.
Remember, unstructured interviews waste time, resources and fail to identify the necessary traits that separate good candidates from the not-so-good ones.
