Video Resumes, what HR and hiring managers really think

Sloan Sabbith can pull off a video resume/reel with brains and beauty

Video Resume

Hiring manager:  “Video Resume??  Seriously, a video resume?”

HRNasty’s inside voice: Give the candidate a break. I wouldn’t be forwarding the profile if I didn’t think it was worth your time. I know your thoughts on the candidate will reflect my ability to select them.

HRNasty’s actual response: “Yeah, you should check it out.”

Earlier this week, I delivered a 3-hour presentation to a class of job seekers, and the question of Video Resumes came up. I hadn’t been asked this question before in a classroom setting. After seeing 100s, I have a lot to say on the topic. I thought a blog post was in order between the two recent events. 

HRNasty’s truth 

I have read and heard opinions from many hiring managers who speak positively about video resumes.  I don’t think they are giving you the complete truth.  They are “nice” and don’t want to hurt your feelings.  I want to share the truth about video resumes with you. Hopefully, my reasoning will be clear.     

Generally speaking, I don’t care for video resumes because they work against most candidates. I can see where they would be helpful. I can see where they would be “required” for some positions, but for most candidates, this is the wrong tool in a job hunt. This is a pair of nunchucks in the hands of a high school jackass that had a few too many beers. Our JackAss starts swinging the nunchucks with an impressive enough start, but you quickly realize that this is a train wreck in the making.

Unless you know what you are doing, avoid the video resume

It is only a matter of seconds before our boozed-up adolescent bonks himself in the back of the head, or worse, the family jewels. You know it’s coming. You don’t want to watch, but there is the voice that whispers in your ear. . .”Stick around; this is going to be interesting.”  And then WHACK! Our JackAss is lying in the fetal position with his hands grabbing his junk, writhing in pain. 

The right tool for the job

Video Resumes. . .  If you are interviewing to be a TV newscaster, TV sportscaster, or actor, then, by all means, shoot the video resume. In these fields, the video resume and the “reel” are very different tools. A reel gives a producer or agent an idea of what you look and sound like on film. A video resume focuses more on your work history and accomplishments. If you are entering public relations, public speaking, or any position where your voice and face will be a selling factor, I can see the application of a video resume. I can see its usefulness in some sales positions. If a video is relevant to the position you are interviewing for, then, by all means, spin one up. 

A video resume isn’t necessary for most positions. I haven’t seen enough video resumes that do justice to the job I was hiring for. No manager ever said, “We can’t give an offer to this candidate; they don’t have a video resume.”  

Let’s first discuss how a recruiter might theoretically utilize a video resume. 

I would use a video resume to gain an additional “look” at a candidate before I picked up the phone for the initial phone interview. Below, I outline the steps I need to take to prepare for a phone interview.    

1. The cover letter provides an indication of professionalism and written communication skills. It will or will not get me excited about the resume.
2. The resume provides an overview of their work experience and accomplishments.
3. 1^st link I will click is LinkedIn/GitHub (for developers), which gives me an idea of their professional background.
4. The second link I will click: Blogs and personal websites give me an idea about the candidate’s thought leadership, writing style, or work. 

Next step, Video Resume

Until now, I am unsure whether this candidate possesses effective verbal communication skills or how they present themselves. If I want to peel back the onion and see the next couple of layers, I proceed to steps 5 and 6 below, OR I click on the link to the video resume. 

1. The phone interview will give me an idea about their verbal communication skills.
2. The in-person or Zoom interview gave me an idea of how they presented themselves in person.  I also get an indication of whether they can think on their feet. 

If the candidate has a video resume, they just increased their engagement time with me after step 4. Although they haven’t “passed” steps 5 and 6, they can increase my engagement and urgency around contacting this candidate. They just gained the opportunity to move forward a couple of steps in the hiring process. Without a video resume, this doesn’t happen.   

Video Resume sounds good in theory  

So why do video resumes get in the way?  More often than not, when I submit a video resume to the hiring manager, they move past hope and optimism to pure skepticism. This is BEFORE they have seen the video resume. More often than not, the mentality is usually: “I don’t want to hire anyone who turns in a video resume.” It is a hurdle that I, as the recruiter, have to overcome with the hiring manager. It would be easier to sell a candidate without the link.

It’s a generational thing

Here is my personal theory on why video resumes get such a bad wrap. Hiring managers usually fall into the Gen X and the Baby Boomer generations. Millennials are often creating video resumes. I rarely see a video resume from a Baby Boomer. This generation typically does not fall into the “early adopter” demographic. Video resumes aren’t mainstream. The Video Resume is just too new. These older generations are generally more traditional. This generation resisted the use of texting, email, and smartphones. I am not saying they don’t have them. I am saying it took a little longer to adopt. This generation still appreciates face-to-face meetings and phone calls over email.   

Typical responses 

• Seriously?  A video resume?
• What happened to the traditional resume on paper?

As a candidate, I want to ensure that the hiring manager does not form a negative impression of me. The above comments prove they are not favorable. Remember, you’re trying to put your best foot forward and make the best possible impression. This is easy to do with a resume because it only takes a computer.  Video resumes, on the other hand, become much more complicated—lighting, picture quality, editing, and then, of course, your presentation layer.

Most candidates have some idea about how to write a resume. Most candidates are unsure about how to create a video resume. 

Put your camera on a tripod or selfie stick, start talking, and call it a wrap after one take without a rehearsal. Trust me, it shows.       

Video resume expectations

In an age where movies cost millions of dollars. YouTube quality is exceptional, so expectations of the average viewer are high. I usually try to justify the video quality to the interviewers who are viewing the video. I have my spiel:

“Relax!  All the young people are doing it these days!  If you don’t have a Video Resume and a QR code, you won’t get hired here competing with these tech-savvy Millennials. You are not paying 18.00 to see Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie in this summer’s blockbuster. This is a video resume. It is just another look at the candidate biatch. This will ONLY give you a glimpse into their personality and let you know if they are articulate. Never mind, they filmed in their kitchen or home office. Never mind, the lighting sucked, and the picture isn’t steady. Put that out of your mind and focus on the presentation layer.” 

Ultimately, most viewers cannot overcome the stigma associated with what they are watching. They go into the interview with a negative mindset. Expectations are too high for the average candidate to meet. 

If I were to address a room full of candidates and make a generalization, I would say that there is too much liability associated with a video resume. There may be a few individuals who possess the necessary equipment and knowledge, but I don’t think a point-and-shoot camera that takes video will suffice.

If you are a beautiful woman or a great-looking man, you really need to be intelligent to pull this off.  The character Sloan Sabbith from my favorite TV series, The Newsroom, played by Olivia Munn, could pull it off.  She plays a PhD super brain newscaster with a fantastic presentation layer. She is also very articulate. 

If, after all of the above, you still want to give the Video Resume a shot, there are some things I would keep in mind as you create your next Indie. Please don’t mention you got the idea from HRNasty. I want no part of it.

Keep in mind that you will not be hired solely based on your video resume. You only want to generate enough interest for me to pick up the phone and call you.    

• Introduce yourself with your first and last name.
• Keep it short.  I would say no more than 1 minute tops.  The attention span of most recruiters is next to nil when it comes to reviewing job qualifications, and we are not in the mindset to watch a three- or four-minute video. One minute may sound like a long time, but remember how much time most resumes receive: just 5 seconds. 
• Do not use your resume as a script. I already read your resume. Give us something different.
• Tailor your video resume the same way you would tailor your resume to each specific job you apply for. Different companies have different cultures, dress codes, and lexicons. Reflect on these differences in each of your video resumes. 

The obvious misses can be avoided

• Practice what you are going to say.  I have seen too many video resumes where it looked like the candidate went with the first take and called it a wrap. 
• Look into the camera lens.  Newscasters imagine themselves in the living room of their audience. Imagine yourself in a conference room talking with the hiring manager.
• Thank the viewer.

Done well, video resumes can expedite the hiring process. If your equipment consists of a camera that shoots video and will fit into your jacket pocket, stick with the cover letter and resume. 

See you at the after party,
HRNasty

nasty: an unreal maneuver of incredible technique, something that is ridiculously good, tricky, and manipulative but with a result that can’t help but be admired, a phrase used to describe someone good at something. “He has a nasty forkball”.

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