Australian workforce major SEEK has announced its partnership with Spark Hire, this week. Spark Hire is the global leader in video interviewing platforms, with the collaboration aimed at launching SEEK Video Screen – an evaluation and assessment tool created to simplify hiring systems and reach out to the right talent, at a rapid clip.
The tool optimizes recruitment at every level or type of role, ranging from volume-driven hires to skill-centric, front-facing developer positions. Recruiters can review video submissions from candidates, reducing timelines and improving decision-making.
Josh Tolan, Spark Hire’s CEO commented on the collaboration. “We’re incredibly excited to partner with SEEK to bring our video screening solution to Australian and New Zealand recruitment agencies and businesses. Through SEEK we’re able to help more recruiters and employers make informed short-listing decisions in a reduced timeframe”. SEEK believes this will push conversion numbers, placement scenarios, with a significant cost and time advantage.
Michael Ilczynski, SEEK’s MD for ANZ considers the move to be emblematic of tech-innovation: “By partnering with leading technology companies like Spark Hire we continue to demonstrate our commitment to providing competitive advantages for recruiters and companies driving more hires and increased revenues.”
In fact, video interviews impact hiring quality with the opportunity to acutely assess personality traits and communication skills. The tool offers collaboration and sharing features, to allow multi-level consultations on a candidate’s final selection.
“Video interviews can lessen unconscious bias and make compliance easier because hiring managers and recruiters can compare candidates side-by-side as they answer identical questions,” says Tolan, amplifying the possibilities of Video Interviewing. SEEK Video Screen helps eliminate geographical constraints, allowing organizations and recruiters to tap into the best talent, regardless of location.
Ilczynski was also strongly in favor of the approach: “Video interviewing is growing in popularity with recruiters and employers because it provides a better picture of job applicants than other early stage recruitment techniques such as phone screening or online surveys.
The internal team at Spark Hire has been experimenting with SEEK Video Screen for talent acquisition, replacing the traditional phone screen when recruiting for customer-facing roles. The tool has successfully reduced initial screen times by a significant margin of 10 hours, Ilczynski reports. This has led to a set of positive outcomes: increasing in-house recruiters’ confidence in the capabilities of candidates shortlisted via SEEK Video Screen, and downstream efficiencies such as fewer interview rounds, a shorter time-to-placement period and an overall increase in hire quality.