Will video resumes catch on?
January 12, 2009 by Sam NarisiPosted in: Assessing the right candidate, In This Week's E-Newsletter, Latest News & Views, Online recruiting
Video resumes are the latest tool candidates are using to impress HR managers — but are they working?
Not really. Most HR pros are lukewarm about them. The majority of HR managers (58%) say they don’t even want to get them, according to a recent survey by Robert Half International.
Another 18% aren’t sure what they would do with a video resume if they got one. Just 24% accept and view video submissions from candidates.
Why do companies avoid video resumes? One problem: The potential for bias claims may increase, since a candidate’s race, gender or national origin could be one of the first things a hiring manager learns about the person. Some experts warn that makes it even easier for a rejected applicant to sue.
Other hiring experts say companies don’t learn much more from a video than they would from a paper resume. And, since it’s a new job-seeking tool, there’s no standard yet for what makes a good video resume.
But on the other hand, some companies feel videos reveal a lot about the candidate’s attitude, energy and creativity. A candidate with a resume that may have been passed over may be impressive enough on film to get an interview.
What do you think? Does your company accept video resumes? Have you watched any? Why or why not? Let us know your opinion in the comments section below.
Tags: technology, video resume
January 19th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
We have never received video resumes and I do not want to see them for the increased possibility of bias claims. If the resume isn’t enough for you to get them in for an interview, then at least you weren’t biased by what you saw in the video. Also, just because someone is impressive visually in an interview or a video doesn’t equate to success in the job position. People may be great in their interviews, but their on-the-job performance may be lacking. I’ve seen this happen.
January 30th, 2009 at 10:34 pm
They will catch on. Look at Youtube… People have no problems creating Videos of them self and uploading that to the Internet. Once they grown up they will us this medium to market them self better. We live in the 21st century and change is inevitable. Most people who posted their Video Resume on our web site get’s great and positive response. Look at the current market, more and more people get laid off. They need to become very creative to get ahead of the crowd.