The way in which work gets done is on the precipice of change across offices and businesses of all shapes and sizes around the world. As we shift more towards the direction of working from home, human resources is one of the first departments to have a critical role in how that pans out. Now, within the evolving landscape of world health and global business, more people are being encouraged to work from home as physical offices, and workspaces are on the brink of obsoletion.
This new model of working, whether that is more of a remote routine or still at the office but with staggered schedules, part-time office hours, etc., the benefits of video conferencing are more obvious than ever before.
Human resources professionals truly have their work cut out for them when it comes to finding, recruiting, and interviewing talent for a role amongst a spread-out workforce. Here’s how video conferencing for HR can truly make a difference in how potential employees are attracted, hired, and retained in changing times.
Let’s start with the 3 stages of the hiring process: Pre-selection, Interviewing, and Onboarding/Orientation.
Two-way communication and collaboration software is present at every touchpoint of interaction within the workforce. But when it comes to sifting through a mountain of resumes and job applications, the average recruiter spends a very short and critical 7 seconds scanning a resume!
If a candidate’s resume makes the cut, then the next step is to wow the interviewer via video:
For Pre-Selection
Especially for applicants who aren’t local, a real-time live interaction (whether as a group or 1:1) proves very valuable for both the interviewer and interviewee. Time is saved when the hiring manager can get an immediate feel based on how an applicant presents and appears by way of outward projection, presence, body language, speech, tone of voice, etc.
Right off the bat, this interaction indicates immediately to the hiring manager if the candidate has what it takes to make it to the next stage.
For Interviewing
At point, depending on the position and company, the interview can go two ways:
- Real-time – Set up a time and date to have a lengthier conversation that revolves around the specific role and the candidate’s experience. A live video interview puts the candidate in the hot seat whereby they are expected to answer questions on the fly, open up about their working history, engage in small chat or meet and greet other HR professionals and department heads.
- Recorded – This is an opportunity for candidates to really set themselves up for success, while at the same time, make the hunting process for HR a little more streamlined! Sending out a detailed course of action and or list of questions that candidates must fulfill provides a framework from them to work within – and makes going through all the recorded submissions a little more structured.
Plus, these recorded video submissions (created by using video conferencing software that has a recording option) can be shared with other decision-makers and relevant executives or department heads. Furthermore, the verbal content can be transcribed and added to a top candidate’s application file for easy viewing and relevant info available on hand.
For Onboarding
Once the candidate has been chosen, part of the onboarding plan is automating the offer and other processes. Any documentation should be made digital, keeping in mind that lots of people don’t necessarily have access to printers and scanners. A new hire package, contracts, company info; all of this and more should be able to be digitally signed and sent for confirmation.
The onboarding plan can be broken down into time frames. For example, Day 1 followed by Day 30, Day 60, Day 90, and so on can show the new hire what the first few months will look like. Handed-off information can include policies, company info, and more. Consider scheduling virtual meetings with coworkers, and managers into the new hire’s calendar so no time is wasted getting settled in.
Also, don’t forget to schedule a weekly touchpoint to check in and see how they’re doing. The probation period can be scary, especially if a new hire is working remotely or with minimal office hours. Based on the new hire’s department, HR can help orient a new hire with ready-made videos, tutorials, or a link to an online portal that welcomes the new hire, and comes loaded with everything required to hit the ground running.
Not only can video conferencing push forward the interviewing process from pre-screening to onboarding, it also proves to be beneficial in a myriad of intangible ways too:
7. Screen Sharing For New Hire Orientation
So the new hire is officially part of the team and has wowed all the right people. Now the brand new employee needs to learn how things are done around here! Meetings with managers become more integrated with the screen sharing feature. Share documents and talk the new hire through introduction videos/content, manuals, handbooks and more.
Anything from policy to processes, how to work from home, company culture, office hours plus online learning like tutorials, and webinars available on demand assists any new employee’s smooth transition. This can be done before the first day of work, but can also function in the background as a resource (portal) that stores files, documents, media and links to go back to anytime clarity is required.
6. Enhance Candidate Presentations With Screen Sharing
The ability to provide a top-notch presentation digitally can be the difference between getting seen or getting left behind. A potential hire who is in the creative field will surely have a portfolio showing art. It’s the same for a candidate in marketing or in sales showing off numbers and accolades. This work is best showcased with a digital presentation made possible via screen sharing.
With screen sharing, candidates can easily pull up their work onto their desktop and while engaged in the online interview, choose the screen sharing feature to bring all meeting participants onto the screen. Whether creative or corporate, this is the perfect avenue to sell their work and make an impression. HR upper management gains a full view of the candidate’s past work experience plus gets an idea of how the candidate speaks and presents to future team members and clients.
5. Expand The Talent Pool
Attracting the right fit for the position starts with a strategy for virtual networking. Hiring talent doesn’t have to be based on proximity, rather it’s more imperative to reach out and choose the talent that has the skills and experience you need instead. Social media is a way to target and draw in who you’re looking for.
By positioning and marketing your company to be appealing to talent, HR can help candidates align themselves with the company’s culture and ethos. Think Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn as the social media platforms that will host your recruitment campaign.
4. Retain And Grow Current Team Members
In an ever-changing world, no one can guarantee that anything will stay put. Companies that remain flexible in times of adversity stand a higher chance of retaining top talent. For example, in the instance of an employee’s partner having to relocate, the company can opt to work out a plan that enables the employee to still keep their job by working remotely.
After all, consider how much you’ve invested; Employee turnover can be expensive.
In a 2017 report, due to “indirect and productivity costs,” in dollar numbers, if an employee leaves, a company can expect to pay around 33% of their annual salary to hire someone else.
For example, if an employee is earning $45,000 a year, the replacement cost is $15,000. That lost cost includes:
- The employee’s gained knowledge and workflow
- The time spent locating a competent replacement
- The time a new hire requires to get up and running
Retain and encourage current employees with a communication strategy that leans on video conferencing as a way to stay connected and get work done.
3. Bridge The Gap Between Local and Remote Workers
Being able to reach out and accept submissions from anywhere in the world automatically breaks open the potential for both burgeoning and established talent. HR can pluck a hire based on their skills and experience instead of proximity. Plus, talent can be chosen for their specialization.
A more digital-centric approach to work and collaboration by means of video conferencing provides companies with a variety of specialized experience. A hire overseas can work on a project and stay put rather than traveling and staying for 6 months to complete a project. Furthermore, a local worker can contribute to an ongoing assignment for a sister company in another country without completely disrupting the flow of work in the current office.
Talent can:
- Relocate to physically work in an office
- Pick up part-time hours as a freelancer, remotely
- Work full time, remotely
2. Forge Stronger Working Relationships With Video Chat
In the spirit of collaborating, video conferencing meetings (whether impromptu or scheduled) between HR professionals and employees provide an immediate solution; Both sides are available when needed. Especially for remote employees who can’t just walk into the HR office, an “open-door policy” available online through an “always-on” video portal works to keep offices linked, and employees feeling like they can reach out to HR when they need to.
1. Stay Connected To Talent
HR professionals have a direct line of communication with all sorts of candidates which makes for an ever-growing network. If there are candidates who don’t quite hit the mark or who are excellent for a role that is currently filled, it pays to have had that face-to-face interaction down the line. These days, meeting online and virtual networking is just as effective being in the same room physically. Afterall, an online interview is the second best thing to meeting in person. Having met virtually today, might be all that is needed to get the job filled tomorrow.
Web conferencing for HR professionals as part of the pre-selection, interviewing, and onboarding processes has a lot of intangible benefits like making a good impression, inspiring collaboration, and providing a space to read body language, tone and nuance.
But what about some of the more tangible benefits that video conferencing has to offer?
Save Time
Pre-screening with a conference or video call helps to create a shortlist of candidates. Shave off hours of your day when you don’t have to physically meet each candidate who may or may not be a fit.
Conversely, this saves the talent from having to book time off their current job, commute, find parking, and make their way to you.
Reduce Travel Costs
Instead of flying an executive halfway around the world, cut down on travel expenses with an online meeting. Any costs for flights, accommodation, meals, and cars can be significantly reduced when teams from all corners of the world can meet in the same space virtually, and the beginning stages of hiring can be done online.
Increase Efficiency
Discuss and expedite projects faster when the team can convene online. HR execs can chat with line managers who are notoriously time-starved by holding a quick stand-up meeting if need be, rather than a long drawn out meeting or email chain that gets too complicated.
The benefits of video conferencing for HR professionals are aplenty considering how spread out the workforce is proving to be and will only continue to unfold. Video conferencing does, in fact, have the power to improve how HR runs by providing immediate face-to-face communication in real-time (or recorded), from anywhere at any time.
Let Callbridge be the two-way communication platform that acts as the bridge between HR and the people that make the company. Experience how corporate culture and overall collaboration improves with a product that is built to support clear and effective communication. Implement screen sharing, meeting recording, AI transcription and more to enhance how talent is attracted, hired and retained as an integral part of your company.
