Don’t fear the video CV

The growing trend to see candidates onscreen as part of the recruitment process could be your secret weapon

The fact that videos are increasingly being used in the hiring process may send shivers down many people’s spines — and fair enough. There was once a time when all you needed to land a role was a decent CV, an interview or two and hey, presto, a job offer! Now we need to be TV presenters and influencers, smiling for the camera, selling ourselves to a lens.

Yet while the idea of recording a video might seem intimidating, it could actually turn out to be a secret weapon – one in which you can shake off the constraints of a CV and express yourself in person, winning employers over with a taste of the real you.

“Most employers use videos for ‘recorded questions’ in the early stages of the hiring process, but some also use filmed interviews as a precursor to the final application stage and a live interview,” says Simon Reichwald, chief progression officer at HR technology company Connectr.

They’re efficient, cost-effective, convenient, flexible and environmentally friendly; people can record and re-record videos at home, and employers can watch, rewatch and share them among staff as they please. All this without the scheduling, travel and commitment involved in interviews and meetings that can only be accounted for by the people present.

Express yourself

Videos enable the job applicant to express themselves in terms that suit them. “A video can help a candidate present themselves far better than via their CV or a pre-screening call alone,” says Caroline King, director of permanent talent solutions at Robert Half. “It enables an individual to delve deeper into their skills, experience and attributes, as well as demonstrating their personality to a potential employer or recruiter.