New technology is changing the way we do business everyday, and that includes the way we isolate, recruit and hire the best people. In the past, it was all about paper resumes and traditional sit-down interviews. Now job seekers are applying for jobs from their phones, connecting with employers over Twitter, and developing campaigns in order to snag their dream jobs.
If you're ignoring the importance of technology when it comes to finding and hiring the best people, your competition is likely to be scooping up the talent your company needs to succeed.
So let's take a moment and look at some of the ways technology is impacting the search for your next superstar employee:
The Twesume
According to a story in USA Today, a few companies are taking to the Twitter-sphere to find their next great superstar employee. Instead of looking at resumes, these companies are focusing their attention on the 140 characters applicants are choosing.
So what's a Twesume? Well, it's a condensed, 140-character resume transmitted over Twitter. Applicants using Twesumes understand Twitter can be a great outlet for connecting with employers and recruiters.
In fact, tons of companies are using Twitter to publicize their job postings with links to their career site and relevant hashtags. Why shouldn't job seekers do the same with their credentials?
These short resume bursts usually include links to a job seeker's relevant professional social media profile, resume, or website. If you use Twitter to search for #twesumes or search your industry-related hashtags, you just might find a great candidate to interview before your competition.
The Video Interview
Instead of looking your candidate in the eye face-to-face, maybe you should consider meeting with your candidate webcam-to-webcam? The popularity of the video interview has certainly been rising in the last few years. In fact, a recent survey showed six out of 10 companies are using video interviewing in their hiring efforts.
The reason more companies are embracing the power of online video is because the video interview is effective in cutting down time-to-hire. It's much easier to schedule a video interview around the packed schedules of passive candidates because there's no commute needed.
The Mobile Interview
Speaking of the video interview, job seekers can now perform these interviews from wherever life takes them. In a one-way video interview, employers pose questions job seekers then answer on video.
Thanks to new technology, job seekers can now record these answers directly from their mobile device, meaning the video interview is now more portable than ever before. This helps employers cut down on time-consuming phone screens and initial screening interviews, allowing for more focus on only the most qualified candidates.
The Job Search Campaign
Presidential candidates might not be the only ones campaigning for the job anymore. In fact, more and more job seekers are using new technology in order to start their own campaigns for their dream jobs. Whether it's a job seeker with a very targeted campaign aimed at tech giant Google or a job seeker making himself a commodity on Amazon, clever applications are becoming a new trend.
Employers are scooping these people up because they display the value they can bring right from the application process. These job seekers are obviously able to think outside the box and are truly creative.
If you'd like to see what a candidate can do before sitting down for an interview, create a skills test for candidates. Ask a candidate to create a webpage, write a blog post or outline a marketing campaign. The point is to make sure your candidate can think creatively and innovatively before making an offer.
In today's war for talent, you can't afford to let great people who grasp how to leverage technology end up in your competition's cubicles. So look out for these new technological tools and embrace new ways of connecting with candidates.
What new technology do you utilize to find great candidates? Share in the comments!
Josh Tolan is the CEO of Spark Hire, a video powered hiring network that connects job seekers and employers through video resumes and online interviews. Connect with him and Spark Hire on Facebook and Twitter.