Sorting through resumes can help human resources professionals see who's qualified for a position, and to really get a sense of the candidate, in-person interviews are crucial.
But what if there was another step in between, so HR could see and hear the candidate without the time and effort required for a standard interview process?
That's where the video interview comes in, and local startup
Hyier is hoping to be that go-to resource for hiring. The company provides a platform where clients can list a job in Hyier's system, and receive video responses from candidates. Hyier's software allows people to record video in a systematic way, and for client companies to rate and comment on videos for their own files.
Founded by entrepreneur Derek Buschow in July 2010, Hyier sprouted from Buschow's experience in looking for a job while attending the University of St. Thomas. He'd gotten frustrated with the lack of calls after sending out his resume, and wished that he could use video to help him in his search.
He says, "I'm the kind of person who likes to meet face-to-face, and I thought that if I could just get in front of someone, I could get the job. I began to work with that idea and thought it might be like Monster.com, but with video."
Instead of a job board, Hyier ended up being a service that helps clients qualify candidates. Buschow believes that using video helps companies to see the personality and communication skills of a potential employee, and the Hyier system allows clients to ask specific questions to be addressed in the video presentations.
"This provides another dimension to screening," Buschow says. "It's another tool for HR to increase the chances of doing effective searches and hiring."
The software just came out of private beta, and Buschow is now moving forward with marketing. He's already seeing quite a bit of traction, he says, so look for video interviews to be the next big wave.
Source: Derek Buschow, Hyier
Writer: Elizabeth Millard