Digital Interviewing Streamlines Agent Hiring Process

Agent churn is a problem for many contact centers. Finding and retaining good employees can be a challenge, especially when so many positions must be filled.

Sure, the right candidates can be found when there is time and money for long interviews with human resources, but the reality is that interviewing new hires is a costly and time-consuming process, and the volume prevents putting in the time to vet all candidates in the ideal manner.

HR solutions firm HireVue has a way to streamline the process while introducing more of the personal touch. The company call its innovation, “digital interviewing.”

Instead of sorting through a mountain of resumes and calling in candidates for short and inadequate one-on-one interviews, HireVue uses modern digital technology to trim the fat. It streamlines the process by making much of the interview process asynchronous, like e-mail, and compensates for some of the human contact that is lost by leveraging the ease with which candidates now can record themselves using webcams.

The service works like this: A contact center HR rep e-mails a candidate a link to a set of standard interview questions. The candidate then records their responses via webcam, which the HR manager can watch at his or her leisure in the office or on the go using a smartphone. This video then can be shared with other staffing decision-makers, and combined with reporting and feedback tools also available in the HireVue staffing solution.

Closed-loop analytics provide powerful feedback for staffing agents and show where the firm is in the hiring process with any given candidate, according to the HireVue website.

"In 2013 we'll continue to see widespread adoption of popular technologies like digital interviewing, which not only changes the recruiting model for businesses and job seekers alike, but also the financial implications of inefficient recruiting processes,” noted David Bradford, CEO at HireVue, in a news statement by the company.

Sure, maybe a little something is lost by cutting out the face time. But the efficiency is more than worth the loss. HireVue says its digital interviewing platform is up to 10 times faster than staffing solutions, nine times cheaper and 100 percent better.

If the company’s performance is any indication, they may be right. HireVue recorded 150 percent sales growth and 47 new customers in the third quarter. This includes a 428-percent adoption growth rate.

User growth more than tripled over the same period a year ago, according to the company.

The HireVue Mobile app was also reportedly named Human Resources Executive Magazine's Product of the Year 2012.

"HireVue offers a unique business solution that is completely transforming the old model of hiring," noted Doug Dennerline, a HireVue board member. "The admirable brands selecting HireVue at such a rapid pace is astonishing and a sign of the critical business need the company addresses. As we move into the New Year we're all seeing the exponential category growth potential and being a part of that is exciting."

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO Miami 2013, Jan 29- Feb. 1 in Miami, Florida.  Stay in touch with everything happening at ITEXPO (News - Alert). Follow us on Twitter.