New?

Although it is not a completely new thing (Wikipedia even knows about the first attempts on VHS in 1980), only in recent years a form of „video CV“ is becoming popular.

Very big boom in IT technology helps a lot of course, the availability of recording devices andapplications that allow any additional corrections and the record editing. However it is still a very „young“ and not-used approach to self-presentation.

HR and a candidate

When we take a look at this tool in detail we can immediately identify the most significant advantages and potential disadvantages of using this way:
Advantages for HR:
1. Save time – this way you can easily skip the first phase of interviews which are used to obtain a first impression of the candidates as well as verification of the representativeness and the ability of expression.
2. Self-presentation – skills and experience of the candidate, a personal expression of preferences and priorities within the professional history
3. Nonverbal communication – the ability to monitor also indirect part of the communication behaviour of a candidate.

Advantages for a candidate

1. Graphic styling – applicants can augment the effect of their speech and if it is a creative position they can also draw your attention to their style, creativity and communication skills.
2. Space for the preparation and proofreading – unlike a personal encounter, video CV provides the applicants with the possibility of shooting for several times and select the ideal passages. At the same time there is an advantage in known/home/friendly environment.
3. Improving presentation skills – tracking their own speech record facilitates the identification and removal of their own communication habits and provides space for self-presentation-improvement.

Disadvantages for HR

1. Inability to edit – despite the contents of the video CV still remains a need for a text form of the CV because of the ability to edit information that is then assigned to the client,correction of mistakes, blind CV. The file of this format is not possible to process for the full-text search.
2. Unwillingness to update – nowadays it is sometimes a problem to force the candidates to update/create their text CV. For video CV this will be much more demanding. There is also a need for candidate’s greater IT literacy.
3. Data size – the difference in the demands on the size of storage space for text and video forms of CV. We can expect that the size of the video CV depending on the quality and length can be up to 100MB, while a common text resume borders on two megabytes. That means 50-fold increase in size. File of this size is not only a problem to store but it is far more complicated to pass it to the Agency.

Disadvantages for the candidate

1. Creation difficulty – in spite of increasing IT literacy creating a personal video with appropriate content and form is still for most of the current candidates the activity from the realm of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At the same time the opportunity to have this video from a professional is not a cheap matter.
2. Personal presentation and self-reflection – inappropriate clothes, bad behavior, stress from cameras, inopportune content and form of the presentation, all together can cause havoc finished video. Especially the tendency to do everything right the first time. There are also positions in which this form of self-presentation is very inappropriate and may harm a candidate unnecessarily.
3. Feedback – the absence of any feedback. Inability to respond to specific questions and also to sufficiently correct the range and depth of information provided. The possibility to eventually adapt to a distinct negative reaction to audience may harm a candidate ’s exhibition that would cause a positive impression in a personal interview.

Dead end!

Although this direction is very interesting, can not be assumed, that it could become a routine part of the selection process in the future. It is also impossible to replace text CV or personal meetings by a video CV in its entirety and therefore its use is very limited in terms of use.

Similar but better ways?

In the future we can expect more use of the interview via video conference with the fixation and subsequent record provision to a client, a video that is not fully under the direction of the candidate but that is moderated by the consultant and therefore the information is much more specific to the vacant position. However, due to the ever lasting social approach to the protection of personal information can not be assumed that this approach will become standard practice, let alone use the camcorder to a recording of a personal meeting.
Do you see video CV as a good way? Do you have personal experience with a video CV? Vote below the article or write your comments.