8 Ways Hiring has Changed Since You Last Looked

The recruiting and hiring process for in-demand IT jobs has evolved considerably, thanks to emerging technical advances and new approaches to filling the talent gap.

Featured in CIO ONLINE written by Paul Heltzel– April 8, 2020 — If you landed your current role more than five years ago, you may be surprised at how much the hiring process has changed.

For example, five years ago it was unlikely you’d be interviewed via video. Even before a pandemic sent everyone scrambling to Zoom, it was an established interview technique. And understanding how to approach a streaming interview could mean the difference between landing or losing the job.

Advancements in AI and natural language processing help mine for talent, and in combination with video, they’re being used to measure seemingly intangible traits such as emotional intelligence.

Beyond those advancements, demand for top talent has also led organizations to seek a better, more engaging hiring process, both to express why you should join them and to meet the expectations of candidates who are used to sleek consumer technology design, making the process of applying less onerous than in the past.

Here are some of the more notable hiring shifts you should know about since you last searched.

Video interviews

When you sit down for a video interview, Marc Gasperino from executive search firm On Partners offers this advice: If you’re concerned you’re talking too much, you probably are. And he says it’s the biggest reason people don’t land the position they want.

“Know how much time you have and attempt to provide specific examples of results in your career that will mirror what the opportunity might call for,” Gasperino says. “Don’t use this time to review your entire career from the start — unless asked — as this takes up precious time during the interview and you might be covering information that the interviewer might not prioritize at that time.”

He says you should treat these interviews just as you would if you were meeting for the first time in person. And test your setup before the actual interview. “Make sure you have proper lighting and audio for the interview, and align your camera at eye level so your interviewer isn’t looking up or down at you. Do not use your phone to conduct video interviews,” he says.

Gasperino’s colleague at On Partners, John Morrow, says the coronavirus outbreak is going to be a stress test for all sorts of virtual work, including interviews. “Companies that are resisting the push towards virtual work environments are going to get a much clearer picture due to the outbreak of its strengths and weaknesses — ultimately proving that it actually can work if you have the right rules and expectations in place,” he says.

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