Webcam job interviews are growing in popularity as companies cut back on recruiting budgets, writes Tara Weiss of Forbes.com.
Even giant companies such as Nike and Cisco have used the internet to handle first and second round interviews over the last year.
A third party vendor sends the job applicant a webcam with detailed instructions and support information. The applicant then logs into a server and responds to interview questions that appear on the screen. They have a set amount of time to read the questions and respond via the camera, with no recourse to edit their answers.
Before implementing a webcam interview policy, mining company Rio Tinto used to spend $20,000 per job candidate to fly them and their spouses to their diamond mine in Yellowknife, Canada. With 100 jobs a year to fill and three or four candidates for each position, that added up to a considerable recruitment budget.
Steven Price, director for recruitment and talent for Rio Tinto Americas, admits: "We wasted time and money."
Price believes webcam interviewing is a much more accurate way to weed out flawed candidates. "Our recruiters are able to get a much better appreciation for personality, which has got to be taken into account when you're working and living in a place that's covered in ice most of the year," he says.
How To Interview Over The Internet
Tara Weiss, Forbes.com, 18/11/08
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