How to Achieve an Organized Hiring Process with Video Interviews - Spark Hire

How to Achieve an Organized Hiring Process with Video Interviews - Spark HireA hiring process that lacks structure and organization will obviously not yield desired results and can potentially delay a hiring decision being made. Moreover, a slow, lengthy hiring process is damaging to business because it can turn qualified candidates away from your company and onto your competitors. Having vacant positions go unfilled for weeks or even just a few days can also cause your business to lose a significant amount of revenue and productivity.The popularity of video interviewing has grown tremendously in just the past couple of years. More and mora companies are realizing the benefits of using this powerful tech for their hiring needs, such as cost-saving and convenience. Below are some ways video interviews can help hiring professionals establish an organized hiring process so that time and resources can be spent on other business mattersEasily Connect with CandidatesOne aspect of the hirin g process that can get a little chaotic is scheduling interviews with candidates. Trying to keep a bunch of different appointments in order on your calendar, or even just in your head, can get frustrating and overwhelming.With video interviews, scheduling conflicts are eliminated because candidates and employers arent required to be in the same space at the same time. Moreover, with the one-way video interview, candidates can record their answers to an employers questions on their own time without having to disrupt their current work schedule or personal schedule. Employers can then review those recorded answers whenever convenient for them and accurately assess a candidate for their cultural fit.Create a Digital Library of TalentThe fact that video interviews can be recorded enables hiring professionals to establish an ongoing library of talent. Therefore, hiring pros are better able to keep track of candidates who have already shown interest in their company by interviewing for an open position and can refer back to them whenever. Furthermore, video interviews give hiring pros a better sense of a candidates personality and skills than a traditional paper resume/phone screen.Better Collaborate with ColleaguesIf youre part of a team of several people tasked with filling open positions, things can get pretty disorganized and chaotic. Many video interviewing platforms enable employers and hiring professionals to record interviews and share them with colleagues. Some platforms even include tools like comment and rating systems so that all feedback can be easily found and discussed.Organized and better hiring collaboration leads to everyones thoughts about a candidate being addressed so that a smart hiring decision can be reached quickly.Want to learn about more strategies that will help you arrive at a speedy hiring decision? Download your copy of our whitepaper Tips for Streamlining Your Hiring Process Maximizing Time With Video InterviewingImage AndreyPopov/Bi gStock.com

Tips for Creating Successful Executive Presentations

Tips for Creating Successful Executive PresentationsTips for Creating Successful Executive PresentationsAn invitation to present your ideas or your proposal to the executive management team is a great opportunity to make a positive impression on the people who have a voice in your future. If this is your first time presenting to this group, it pays to know your audience and set yourself up for success with proper planning. 6 Things You Should Know About Executives They appreciate well-prepared presentations Executives appreciate discovering intelligent new voices in the business and they will be paying close attention to you. Come prepared to deliver.Youre always on the clock when you are in front of executives While theyre interested in what you have to say, their attention spans are short. Use your allotted time carefully.Dont assume youre pitching to a team We tend to think of them as the executive team however, they are better described as a collection of smart, successful fu nctional experts who come together from time-to-time to engage on the big issues facing the business. Roughly translated, if youre selling them on a new proposal, you will have to sell them one at a time. Know their hot-buttons Executives focus on costs, returns, and trade-offs. While you might be excited about the incredible benefits your new program offers for customers, theyre thinking How much will this cost? Or, What will I have to give up to erleichterung this initiative?Executives love data-driven discussions and recommendations Theyll descend upon your numbers outlining costs and returns like a pack of hungry wolves. However, if you bring questionable or confusing data to the meeting, it is possible you will lose an extremity. Executives are always hunting for great talent Emphasis on always. Work hard to make a great impression. Tips to Making a Great First Impression Put these tips to work to improve your odds of making a good impression Carefully construct, support, a nd practice your messageA simple exercise for distilling your message down to its component parts is called message mapping. Heres how you do it Draw a circle in the center of a sheet of paper. This is your core message. It should be no longer than one or two sentences. Yes, its difficult to distill your message down to a few brief sentences, but you must. The time invested now will pay dividends in your live presentation.Surround your core message with three or, at most, four additional circles. Fill these in with the primary data points that support your core message. This might be market research, customer feedback, competitor data, or your own projections. If needed, go just one layer deeper and attach supporting data for the supporting data.Learn to use this message map in both directions. Describe your core message and supporting points, or describe a supporting point and connect it to your core message. The map works in both directions. Practice it like a politician preparing for a debate. Ensure your message focuses on opportunity development or burden relief Executives are interested in strengthening their ability to compete for and retain customers and reduce costs. Make certain your value proposition is tight.Do elend sugarcoat risks in your presentation On the contrary, a well-developed list of potential risks and a risk mitigation strategy show the executives that you are thinking about everything.Carefully prepare meaningful, simple visualsHave several people- including your boss- review them for quality, clarity, and completeness. Now is not the time for animation magic. Make certain that the visuals use text sparingly and numbers carefully. Mentally divide your time allotment in half Know how much time you have been allocated and plan to use only half of it.Bring itExecutives look for confidence, clarity, and completeness of thought when listening to the ideas and proposals from employees. Your message and your body language must support the no tion that you are confident about your ideas.The harder you work, the more relaxed you will be Practice your presentation until it is natural. Your confidence will be contagious.If you are uncomfortable presenting, fix-it in a hurry Chances are its too late to seek formal training or coaching, so recruit a buddy you trust to offer critical feedback and run through the presentation with him/her. Avoid this in the future by signing up for speaking training or joining a local Toastmasters group. Leverage a subtle power move If possible, grab a marker and get to the whiteboard. This is a presentation power-tip. By doing this, you involve and engage the audience and showcase your confidence and expertise.When it comes to questions, remember the message map If you put the time into crafting a thorough message map, it is the go-to source for answering questions. Reiterate supporting data and always tie the data to the core message.If you do not know an answer to a question, do not make the answer up. I dont know, is perfectly acceptable, especially when it is followed by, But I will find out and loop back with the team immediately. Passion for your topic is positiveExecutives love to hear and feel the passion in your presentation. If you believe in something, make certain you use all of your faculties to communicate your commitment. Your passion for your project is impressive and contagious.No surprises pleaseIf your request involves resources or budgets from multiple groups within the firm, the executive presentation is not the time to spring this as a surprise. Work ahead of your presentation to line-up support from your counterparts in other departments. The Bottom Line We all know you only get one chance to make a first impression. When it comes to your first invitation to present to the executives, it pays to work overtime to prepare.