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Recruiting is a stressful business—perhaps more now than ever before.
A 2023 survey of 1,200 hiring managers conducted by Zogby Analytics found they’re feeling the pressure big time, thanks to an overwhelming number of resumes to review, often from unqualified candidates, too many vacant positions, and a lengthy hiring processes.
While AI on platforms like LinkedIn, Indeed and ZipRecruiter have made it much simpler for job seekers to apply for a position in mere seconds, it has, in turn, caused a massive traffic jam in HR departments across the country.
Many use AI software to screen for candidates, but even that isn’t enough to slow the deluge.
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Entrepreneur Vinay Jatwani believes he has a solution that offers managers more a effective hiring strategy. His company, CandidateView, utilizes the sophisticated ad tech technology used for customer acquisition and applies it to the hiring process. Although the company is still in its nascent state, early data indicates that the service eliminated 65 percent of unwanted applications. “We’ve brought our knowledge from ad tech to HR tech,” he says.
Video killed the resume star
CandidateView is an online platform allowing hiring teams to filter candidates before they meet them and candidates to vet companies before they apply for a position.
The platform takes the focus off the resume and cover letter, relying on video as the primary means of communication. Candidates can watch videos provided by the employer and submit videos of themselves answering custom-tailored interview questions.
“Employers are just getting flooded with resumes, but if you look at it, a resume is just a checklist, it doesn’t tell you anything about an individual,” says Jatwani. “We want good candidates to get greater visibility for themselves. Through video, they can sell themselves above and beyond just their resume.”
How it works
On CandidateView, job applicants are first directed to the relevant job position at the organization where they can watch short videos about the company. This helps the organization sell itself beyond a blurb on a webpage that busy candidates often don’t have the interest or time to seek out.
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“Through video, the company can explain their culture, what the position is, and what they’re looking for,” Jatwani says. The videos can be produced directly by the company or by AI, using a series of actors with diverse ages, ethnicities, and genders.
CandidateView then allows hiring managers to pre-interview candidates by asking them a series of questions via video. The candidates can answer the questions on their own schedule and re-record as many times as they like.
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The platform has hundreds of interview questions based on various categories or employers can write their own, allowing users to customize the Q&A process. Again, the service allows the client to upload their own video questions, use a human actor, or use an AI-generated actor.
AI’s not replacing HR
Some critics may see services like Candidate View as a threat to HR executives. If you can use AI avatars to interview job applicants, why do you need humans?
But Jatwani stresses the goal is not to replace one-on-one human interaction but to use video interviews as a tool to prescreen candidates. Once candidates pass through the initial filtering process, they’re ready to meet their potential employer face-to-face.
“We want good candidates to get greater visibility for themselves and sell themselves above and beyond just their resume,” he explains. “And we want to make it easier for employers to meet these good candidates.”
Jatwani is so passionate about the technology that he’s begun using it on a personal project near and dear to his heart. A few years ago, his sons began a foundation in honor of his wife, who died of brain cancer. This year, the foundation is hosting a conference offering scholarships for students, and they’re using CandidateView to get to know the candidates.
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