Free Video Interviewing

Author Byline: Talent Management in China
Author Website: http://www.talentinchina.com

It?s a good feeling when you see what you think might be the Next Big Thing. I just experienced it using a new service called Tokbox (www.tokbox.com)

Put simply, the site allows you to video-conference with someone else for free over the net. Nothing new here you might think but the whole process is so easy to use it?s has to be game changing.

The methodology is for you to first register with the site (simple). They set up an address for you and your friends can use that URL to call you, and video-conference with you, simply by clicking on it. (My address is available on demand if you send me an email to frankmulliganchina at gmail.com)

The strength of the model is that is it so simple, and the technology is not visible to the user. You can just email your Tokbox URL to someone and invite them to video-conference at their leisure. As soon as they click on the link you will be connected, like Skype or MSN, and off you go. No mess, no fuss, no waste.

This has huge potential for HR.

1. You could use it to present your company in a more professional way to candidates. Instead of Phone Screening them, you could Video Screen them, almost on the fly, and present to line managers only moments later.

2. The system allows you to create videos that you can email to candidates. This means you could interview your General Manager and ask him to summarize the advantages of working with your company. Or you could show the candidate where they would be working if the location is a bit of a challenge. Or you could interview potential colleagues and get them to talk about how they work so that the candidate feels more comfortable with your culture and values. The possibilities are endless.

3. If and when the system allows you to record the actual video-conference, which it does not now, you could use the recording as a strong supplementary method of communications with your line manager. Unfortunately, you will still need Resumes but this systems allows you to go well beyond this questionable document. This is especially useful if your line managers are located in different cities. Once they have actually seen the candidate in action they will be in a much better position to decide on whether they are worth meeting in person. Hirevue(www.hirevue.com) has this part down to a fine art, and the back end is much more developed, but Hirevue is designed for recruiting. Tokbox is not, and would have to be adapted.

4. Internally you could use Tokbox to do performance evaluations with staff members in remote locations. To make it easier to accept you might do more frequent performance evaluations and informalize the whole performance evaluation process.

5. Taken a step further, the Tokbox system could be used as a part of your business management system. Then it could replace all those video-conference rooms and the mountains of equipment that is needed right now. And the cost would trend to zero.

A number of companies in China, with Asia Pacific Headquarters, already use weekly video-conferences to manage multiple country operations. This is done in big video-conference rooms with tons of equipment and a formalized process that has to be followed to ensure some degree of control.

Managers in these companies have told me that it takes some time for staff members to get used to it, and in some cases they even have to offer training in TV presentation to ensure a good process. In the case of Tokbox the barriers are so low, and the technology so minimal, it is likely that acceptance rates would be much higher.

This is video-conferencing without the appearance of any technology, like mobile phones used to be before they started to have operating systems.

Just dial and talk.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.

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