How NetApp and Sykes Make Virtual Hiring Scalable, Efficient and Fair

In 2020 thus far, virtual hiring has gone from the exception to the rule. 

So as a talent acquisition leader who lives and works in this new reality, how do you ensure your virtual solution is scalable, efficient and fair?

We sat down with Larry McAlister, Vice President of Global Talent at NetApp, and Marci Sigmund, Head of Talent Acquisition for North America at Sykes, to find out. We discussed how they’ve responded to the need for a dramatic increase in virtual hiring; how they’ve maximized hiring ROI; and how it’s all culminated in driving top-notch success for their teams.

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“HireVue allowed us to continue fostering great collaboration amongst hiring teams, even after the world shut down.” - Marci Sigmund

How NetApp and Sykes benefit from virtual hiring

Both NetApp and Sykes describe benefitting from virtual hiring this year in two primary ways: speed and candidate experience.

First, HireVue empowers teams to complete hiring cycles quickly and efficiently. With back-and-forth scheduling, NetApp outlined an interview cycle that could sometimes take weeks to complete. But by standardizing interviews, they were able to pare down the entire cycle to just 72 hours.

Secondly, HireVue creates consistency for all candidates, no matter where in the world they live. Without HireVue OnDemand interviews, candidates may have to schedule time slots in the middle of the night in order to meet with a hiring manager on the other side of the globe. But with on-demand interviews, all candidates record a video at the time best for them. Then, recruiters evaluate the videos on their own schedule. Not only is the experience improved for both candidates and recruiters - the ability to compare candidates back-to-back also improves decision making.

Killing the manager phone screen

Larry and Marci were also excited to describe how they’d been able to “kill” the manager phone screen. Marci said it best: “It’s so 1985!” 

Because phone screens tend to be unstructured and subjective, they generally do not add real value to the hiring process. By reviewing assessments and structured interview videos instead, recruiters can look forward to spending more time on high ROI activities, such as nurturing the candidate experience.

“Everyone ends up looking the same after a phone screen; with an on-demand interview, not only does it save time, the information is so much richer. You're getting the full story." - Marci Sigmund

Why candidate experience is now more important than ever

With the increase in unemployment due to COVID-19, the number of people applying for open positions has increased as well. Ultimately, many companies are faced with a two-pronged challenge; while the pool of applicants grows, the hiring team may be shrinking due to budget cuts. 

This poses the risk of allowing large numbers of these candidates to fall into the “candidate black hole,” where they wait weeks for a response from a company that may never come. Unfortunately, experiences like this can “limit a company’s future talent pool and end up costing more time and money down the line,” according to HR Executive. In fact, one survey concluded that as many as 27% of those candidates who suffered a negative experience would “actively discourage” their friends and family from submitting an application with that company.

What’s more, both NetApp and Sykes described using HireVue not only for the hiring process, but to get a head start on the onboarding process as well. The platform allows a company to deliver content to each candidate about company culture, mission, and values, resulting in a clear set of expectations and a better sense of job fit - all before Day 1.

That’s why, although it may seem counterintuitive at first, the ability to get to “no” fast with candidates ends up enhancing candidate experience, increasing employee retention, and ultimately, improving ROI.

“A bad candidate experience is hanging on just to get to “no.’” - Larry McAlister

Using technology to bridge the gap

In 2020, HireVue has driven business continuity efforts for our clients like never before. The ability to ensure quality, consistency and fairness -- without being in the same room -- has never been so important.

We believe technology should work to make people, teams, and organizations better. It doesn’t replace humans; it enhances their abilities.

"HireVue has made me a better TA leader, and it's made our business better." - Marci Sigmund

Want to see HireVue in action? Get a demo today.