The purpose of pre-screening job candidates, through such measures as phone screens, is to save the hiring manager’s time by not requiring them to meet with unqualified individuals. I have spoken to many hiring managers who suggest that they know within five minutes of meeting a candidate whether the candidate is a good fit for the opportunity. Courtesy however dictates that they continue interviewing the candidate far past their expired interest. Phone screening, while seemingly beneficial to the hiring manager, can hinder a candidate’s chances for success and does not always equip the recruiter or hiring manager with the best information to decide.
Here are a few ways phone screens fall short:
· Comparing phone screen notes between candidates is difficult and doesn’t offer a true comparison.
· Candidates and recruiters can be inconvenienced by the phone screen schedule.
· The interview is unstructured which increases the chance of sub-conscious bias entering.
· The interviewer can’t see the candidate’s enthusiasm and passion for the opportunity.
· Interview fatigue sets in and candidates at days’ end receive diminished attention.
In all these instances both the hiring company and the candidate are disadvantaged. Today, companies are taking advantage of new technologies to remove these headaches. Just as the cordless phone replaced the rotary, today video interviews are replacing the phone interview. Though seen as an “abomination” by some in the HR field, video interviews are gaining acceptance as the advantages they offer grow more evident. For example, each problem above and more can be resolved using automated video interviews.
Dr. John Sullivan, a strategic thought leader in the talent management space, predicts in a recent article, that the “interview from anywhere” approach will become the standard practice for all but final hiring interviews. The two most important business benefits he suggests, are increasing the candidate pool and ease of scheduling.
Perhaps the largest concern about using video in favor of phone screens has been the fear that discrimination will enter the hiring process once the candidate’s age, gender, ethnicity has been revealed through video. These fears are true at any stage of the hiring process, especially with the in-person interview. Moreover, a recent Careerbuilder study shows that 70% of employers use social media to screen candidates. Social media provides as much fodder if not more for potential discrimination so the fear of video interviewing increasing discrimination is no longer recognized as legitimate.
The one smart way to fix your phone screen problems is to use them no more. Start employing technology. Who doesn’t dream of one day operating a self-driving car? Right now, you have the opportunity to use self-driving interviews!