What’s so special about video resumes?

With multiple functions getting digitised at companies across the world, one of the key changes witnessed in the hiring process is that virtual interaction with a prospective employee at the time of hiring has become almost compulsory.

Video resumes, although not a new concept, have become increasingly popular. The trend set in globally when several people turned to social-media platforms such as TikTok to create and share short video resumes in a bid to leave a more lasting impression on the recruiter at the time of screening. This gave the candidates an opportunity to show and express themselves more clearly.

“New-age companies may be using the concept of video resumes with greater efficiency and to a greater extent than traditional companies in India”

Sriharsha Achar, CHRO, Star Health and Allied Insurance

Sriharsha Achar, CHRO, Star Health and Allied Insurance, in conversation with HRKatha, shares that although he has seen some job portals offer candidates tools to create video resumes, he still believes that the concept is at a very nascent stage in India. “New-age companies may be using the concept of video resumes with greater efficiency and to a greater extent than traditional companies in India, because there is a different mechanism associated with processing video resumes,” he says.

Via video resumes, a candidate gains the ability to express his personality in a candid way, and hence, the most salient features of his professional arsenal are conveyed to the recruiter faster and more efficiently.

Further, the HR is also able to gauge the personality of the candidate faster. Achar says that it saves the recruiting manager two initial steps in the recruitment process. “One gets to look at a variety of short and to-the-point candidate profiles and then quickly decide whether or not to call the person for the rest of the rounds. It basically saves two steps in hiring,” he explains.

However, he adds that although video resumes are an efficient tool in recruitment, their use makes more sense when hiring has to be done for fewer positions and not in case of mass recruitments. This is because, going through a lot of video resumes can be strenuous for a recruiter, believes Achar.

“With normal resumes, it is like reading a document and then assessing the personality of the candidate on the basis of one’s understanding of their profile. With video resumes, different personalities are talking about themselves on their own”

Archana Singh, SVP-HR, Reliance Broadcast Network

Archana Singh, SVP-HR, Reliance Broadcast Network, says that although the discussion over video resumes has gathered steam, the concept by itself is old. “At the time of screening for some roles, candidates were asked to record answers to some screening questions and send them back,” she recalls. Highlighting the advantage of using video resumes for hiring, Singh says, “With normal resumes, it is like reading a document and then assessing the personality of the candidate on the basis of one’s understanding of their profile. With video resumes, different personalities are talking about themselves on their own.”

Video resumes can be more crucial for recruitment for particular roles or in particular industries, where communication skills are of essence to the position. With a normal resume, one assumes the person’s communication capabilities based on their education level and the expressions used by them in writing their resumes. “Where the demand for language skills is high for particular roles in an organisation, video resumes become all the more critical in assessment. One is able to gauge exactly where the candidate’s communication abilities lie and then make a more informed decision. Hence, they give the recruiter an opportunity to make a better judgement at the time of screening,” she says.

Deepti Mehta, AVP-HR, Luminous Power, feels that although the prevalence of video resumes in the Indian scenario may not be as strong at the moment, it will definitely pick up in the coming times. “Multiple changes have been introduced in the workplace by the pandemic, primarily its digitalisation. In a WFH/hybrid scenario, the chances of an interaction with a candidate face-to-face are very restricted. Hence, getting a gist of their personality through self-created bits could definitely be integral to the recruitment process in the not-so-distant future,” Mehta said.

“In a WFH/hybrid scenario, the chances of an interaction with a candidate face-to-face are very restricted. Hence, getting a gist of their personality through self-created bits could definitely be integral to the recruitment process”

Deepti Mehta, AVP-HR, Luminous Power

Mehta details that monotony in resumes gives a recruiter a very tough time in shortlisting CVs for further rounds. For top B-schools, it is typical to find CVs of a similar format. Being an experienced talent-acquisition leader, a glance at the resumes is enough for her to be easily able to identify the alma mater of a candidate. Video resumes help make the process more engaging for the recruiter at the initial stage of hiring.

Further, Mehta points out that the turn-around time in recruitment gets reduced.

In conclusion, she believes that with video resumes give the HR an opportunity to shortlist more quality profiles in a shorter time period, and hence, it is a very cost-effective model for any company. It will not be long before video resumes become more common in India.