Qwick Takes: Will video resumes replace traditional ones

This week on TalkingBizNews.com, Deputy Editor Erica Thompson reached out to Qwoted’s community of experts to ask them whether video resumes will replace the more traditional ones, and about the rise in virtual recruitment since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Check out some of the top commentary:

Leigh Yanocha, Managing Director, Head of People Strategy at Knopman Marks Financial Training

Pre-pandemic, and especially in a work environment, video biographies are an incredible way to showcase who you truly are in a short amount of time. Giving a short bio, snapshot of your resume, and quick introduction to who you are will showcase a really personal side of your personality while speaking directly to a hiring manager, bypassing the hoops needed for the first interview. In under 30 seconds, you can grab someone’s attention, saying “Hi I’m XX, my focus is XX, I have worked at XX firm for the past XX years and I’m looking to expand and grow XX, and my greatest assets are XX.

I’ve been sent numerous videos of this kind, either via email, referral, or LinkedIn messaging. While this is growing in popularity, it always stays in my memory as a different way to get a quick idea of who someone is, what makes them special, and what exactly they’re looking for. It’s also great when these videos include recent projects someone is working on or their areas of interest. Sharing these videos, commenting, or tagging others will work to your benefit, getting it in front of more eyes, and hopefully, exactly the right person will come across it and be able to get in touch with you directly. There is no harm in sending a recording with In-Mail to a recruiter; it’s a great way to get yourself out there.

Hasnain Malik, Talent Director at Brainchild Communications

A video-based CV may one day indeed replace the traditional CV, depending on the type of job the applicant is applying for. Videos are a great place to showcase skills around appearance, communication, editing, background design, and overall creativity. In the APAC region, one of the best ways we have seen for candidates to stand out is through LinkedIn cover story videos. Whether you use LinkedIn as a means of building and reinforcing your personal brand or use it to find your next employer, business partner, or alliance, it’s best to capitalize on every opportunity offered to gain the extra edge. In the world of marketing, we recognize that clutter is the same tactic being employed by the majority of companies trying to go from awareness to conversion.

For those in the job market, clutter is having a LinkedIn profile, a resume, and a portfolio. To stand out from the crowd of job applicants or proposal bidders, executives must now employ tools such as the cover story video as a means of demonstrating how well they can speak, communicate ideas, sell themselves, and express the value they bring to their followers. We recommend supplementing this by sharing content via text & video status updates, demonstrating the soft skills needed during uncertain hiring times, such as emotional intelligence, resilience, empathy, adaptability, and initiative. Just make sure to share personal and professional examples – where relevant – to reinforce each soft skill, which are invaluable traits in a new employee and future business partner.

Amanda Richardson, CEO at CoderPad

It’s a dangerous fad. Research shows that stereotypically “white” and male names get more call backs on a resume. If biases are that common based on name alone, imagine what this means for looks, race, what you wear, etc.

A best practice to ensure these types of biases don’t creep into your hiring process is to always do a blind resume review (no name) and do a first round as a phone call. This allows you to focus on the content instead of being swayed by a person’s look.

I would worry about an employer trying to defend hiring decisions, as well as their ability to ensure a lack of bias in their process, by using video resumes.