Using video recruitment software to support diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives has been a huge topic of conversation for organisations globally. Recruitment agencies and internal talent teams alike are continuously looking for ways to improve the search and selection process, whilst also respecting and honouring the importance of DE&I, and how certain methodologies can help or hinder this.
Video recruitment already has so many benefits, and has solidified its place in the recruitment world as an invaluable piece of technology. It allows teams to hire asynchronously across time zones, caters to candidates who need to relocate, and is an accessible and inclusive way to hire.
However, DE&I is incredibly multifaceted, and there are criticisms of video due to protected characteristics being exposed much earlier in the recruitment process, creating bias and harming a candidate’s potential for success.
Unconscious bias is everywhere around us. Without being aware, it’s possible to make negative (implicit) or positive (affinity) judgements about a person based on things like their name, address, university, experience levels, or gaps in their CV.
For example, let’s say you have two identical CVs side by side: one candidate has studied at a top university whereas someone else hasn’t.
Using the personal knowledge we have, as well as the factual evidence about each university, it wouldn’t be unnatural for us to gravitate toward the CV where the candidate has attended a top university. Equally, if someone else is reading the CV who has an affinity for the lower-ranked university (perhaps they attended or know someone who did) then they could exhibit affinity bias, which is also a form of unconscious bias.
By this rule alone, you can see how deeply complex unconscious bias can become and how one opinion can have the potential to influence a complete interview process.
This is where CV screening and delaying the process of meeting a candidate face to face can become problematic, as so many assumptions are made (whether these are conscious are unconscious) which can change the trajectory of that candidate’s success.
Presenting a video alongside a CV allows candidates to demonstrate who they are beyond the words printed. They can show their communication skills, and their personality, as well as offer background and explanation to each of their roles. Of course, this presents hiring managers with another bias hurdle that they must jump; however, it’s better to be faced with these difficulties earlier on in the process, rather than rejecting a candidate based on a piece of paper.
The founders of Hinterview, Andy and Rich, have seen this happen first-hand, which was one of their motivating factors to incept Hinterview and make a difference within our industry. A friend, who had the appropriate qualifications, had been tirelessly applying for roles, only to receive no opportunities. She was recently returning to the workforce after having a baby and had a gap in her CV because of this.
Andy and Rich saw that this bias from hiring managers was hindering her, so they decided to explore untraditional solutions and record a video to show off her skills. She was able to showcase her abilities and hiring managers saw her in a different light, enabling her to get hired and secure a position. This story inspired the founders and Hinterview was created soon after.
So, what are the 3 ways that video interview software can support your DE&I strategy?
Everybody has biases. To claim that you don’t pass judgment or opinion on someone simply wouldn’t make you human. However, some of us are more aware of our biases than others, whether this is just down to self-awareness or whether we’ve received training on it. If you’re actively trying to improve your recruitment efforts and make them diverse and inclusive, yet you’re still using the same methods hoping to get a different result, then it’s time to make a change.
The advantage of video recruitment software is that it forces you to tackle your biases head-on. Exposing you to protected characteristics earlier on forces you to become more aware of them when you’re passing negative or positive judgment on someone. It gives you another reference point to use alongside a CV to make a holistic decision. Candidates get the opportunity to havetheir story told in their words, so they can be assessed for who they are and what they can offer.
For example, let’s say that you’ve already started to implement DEI practices into your hiring in the form of using blind CVs (removing name, age, gender, race, and location) which is an excellent starting point. Where do you go from there? Suppose you’re measuring your efforts, and finding that you’re still generating the same results. In that case, it’s because unconscious bias is still affecting your hiring process, which makes the efforts of redacting information a vanity project.
Similar to tackling biases, a benefit of video is that you’ll be able to assess gaps in your current process. For example, conducting video interviews will give you valuable training material which can be used as playback to assess the questions you’re asking, as well as revealing gaps for improvement. This could be directly related to your DEI strategy, but equally, it could simply be to improve your process and make it more uniform and fair across all candidates.
Using redacted CVs to lead the process but introducing video as a second step can allow you to watch them back and find out where biases could be creeping in, as well as assess what is going well (or not so well) in you and your team's interview processes.
Equally, if your organisation is based in a rural area where the candidate pool is much smaller, it’s naturally going to be harder to recruit diversely because of the location barrier that you’ll constantly be up against.
Eliminating unnecessary costs: travel for interviews can be expensive for both the candidate and your client and can prevent some candidates from applying. You can eliminate unnecessary costs and use your budget more efficiently by using video interviews, especially in the pre-screening stage. Moreover, if your agency is concerned about its carbon footprint this is a big plus!
Individuals with disabilities: video can offer an inclusive and accessible recruitment process depending of course on individual circumstances. This is a reasonable adjustment to enable disabled people to gain or retain employment.
Childcare and caregivers: arranging face-to-face interviews just for pre-screening adds an unnecessary obstacle for the candidates. With features like Questions, candidates can answer questions in their own time, therefore being more likely to give their best efforts.
Human-to-human conversation: There are assumptions that all video recruitment software is asynchronous, which is incorrect. We promote human-to-human conversation, with real interactions in real time.
It’s important to note that we recognise that these are some benefits, and won’t be solutions for all demographics.
Video isn’t the ‘perfect’ solution. The perfect solution doesn’t exist (nor should it be advertised in this way). Instead, you must use a variety of channels to target all demographics, and video enables you to enhance a lot of areas, thus creating a more inclusive process for all.
Finally, it humanises your process
DE&I always has the potential to become a tick-box exercise, as to achieve true diversity you have to ensure that you have metrics to measure your efforts. There cannot be diversity without true inclusion, and video provides an excellent foundation for this.
With so many tools out there, AI and automation play a considerable part in making recruitment processes more efficient. It’s all about striking a balance between high-quality automation and not losing the importance of human connection which is so crucial during an interview process. AI and automation tools come with their own set of biases, so using something as simple and effective as video gives you more control over what you’re doing, whilst also giving candidates a real opportunity to shine!
There are several features within the Hinterview platform that aid in overcoming unconscious bias. Though we don’t claim to solve all issues, our tools allow candidates the opportunity to be fully represented. Here are some examples:
Hinterview: two-way recorded interviews. By recording video interviews for feedback, you can identify whether recruiters are breaking the interview structure due to biases. This feature enables opportunities for accountability as everything is being captured and recorded.
Portal: our ATS. You can look at comments on the candidate’s profile to assess whether fair reasons have been given. Notes can also be recorded and shared with the candidate. Also keeping notes for feedback to give the candidates.
Questions: We offer structured interview questions. Reviewing answers to pre-set questions provides a profound insight into how candidates will fit into or benefit from a new company, beyond the information displayed on the CV. This ensures all candidates receive the same questions, in the same format, so there is no bias in the interview itself.
Video profiles: Initially presenting the candidate alongside their CV enables the candidate to present their best qualities that may not be showcased on paper. It also allows them to handle any biases the hiring manager may have had from just looking at their CV.
We are big believers in the positive impact that video has and how it allows candidates to fully represent themselves. If you have any questions on diversity and inclusion, or about video interviewing in general, please get in touch. We'd love to chat!
