Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the number of applications you have to go through? Feel like you just don’t have enough time to go through them to find the best candidates? What if you have a lot of qualified applicants whose CVs look similar… it’s not easy to see from a piece of paper who might be right to invite for a personal interview, who might, as well as skills, have the right mindset and cultural fit? There are companies, however, that have managed find a solution to this talent acquisition problem. Like Deutsche Telekom…
Every year they receive around 5000 applications for 50 positions as part of their graduate program. How do they tackle this task of finding the best candidates through their enormous number of candidates, whilst positioning themselves as an innovative and digital employer? Well, they don’t just talk about innovation, they live it: by replacing conventional telephone interviews with digital video interviews. Here are the outcomes.
Success #1: They screened 60% more in the same amount of time
On average, a recruiter needs 30 minutes to screen a candidate by telephone, and only ten minutes by video. By using video interviews, Deutsche Telekom manages to screen 60% more applicants than if they were to use telephone interviews. We really think that the big thing here is that they’re able to give candidates a chance who, at first glance, might not be judged qualified enough, the so-called “B”- candidates. They might not have the perfect CV but have the right skillset to perform well! Video interviewing allows them to show their potential…
Success #2: 20% more talent discovered
How can HR possibly evaluate a candidate’s competencies given the highly specialised profiles that technical departments are looking for? The results of pre-screening more candidates is striking: Deutsche Telekom found that 20% of the candidates invited to the subsequent assessment centre would not have been invited if had not been for their video interview. Those hidden talents could prove their skills and competencies in the video interview and show that they fit Telekom’s corporate culture.
Where does this success come from?
>> A maximum of flexibility: pre-screening at your own convenience
Asynchronous video interviewing means a huge gain in flexibility. Forget scheduling and traveling conflicts, applicants can do their interview whenever they want, within a set time frame. Recruiters, managers and those involved in the hiring process can review and assess the videos whenever it’s most convenient for them! Also, checking a candidate video answer only takes a couple of minutes. As a result Telekom could easily screen 60% more potentially suitable applicants…
>> A fair and objective process to reveal true talent and cultural fit
Videos also allow candidates to show their personality, and recruiters and hiring managers can assess whether they will fit into the company culture. Using video allows you to assess your candidates fairly and objectively. Candidates are judged based on the relevant skills required, such as communication, customer orientation and professional expertise. This ensures that gut feeling and bias do not come into consideration, with only the most suitable candidates being invited to the following steps of the interview process.
