Beyond Borders: Navigating the Global Talent through Virtual Recruitment

4 MIN READ   |  Last Updated on 13 April 2024

BY: Kanchana Nirupamala (E223799)

Source: (Giolat, 2022)

 Virtual recruitment is changing the face of international talent acquisition by removing geographical constraints and opening the door to a more varied pool of applicants from all across the globe. Diversity in the workplace and cross-cultural teamwork are two areas that stand to benefit significantly from this change in hiring practices. But is Virtual Recruitment THE BEST STRATEGY? Let’s explore!!!!

What is Virtual Recruitment?

Simply put, virtual recruitment is the practice of doing the hiring process from a distant location without face-to-face meetings between the applicants and the recruiters (Harver, 2023). Recruiters depend entirely on technology to evaluate candidates remotely by conducting video interviews, questionnaires, virtual events, and evaluations. In contrast, an interviewer or panel of interviewers often meets with a job applicant in person during a conventional in-person recruitment. Usually, this kind of interview is held at the firm's office or another venue that all parties agree upon (Upright, 2021).

As a result of digital transformation and the worldwide trend towards remote work following the Covid-19 pandemic, virtual recruiting has become more popular. Connecting companies with candidates from all around the world has been easier with the help of modern technology. Online tools such as LinkedIn, Zoom, and various applicant tracking systems (ATS) have recently become part of the hiring industry.

More and More Companies Embracing Virtual Recruitment

In a survey conducted by TopResume (2022), a resume writing company, from August 30th to September 17th, 2022, 330 HR professionals, hiring managers, and recruiters in the United States were questioned about the most notable changes in interview procedures over the previous 18 to 24 months. Based on the results, 33% of companies solely use virtual interviews, while 21% use in-person interviews for the last round. Only 20% of those who took the survey said in-person interviews are the norm at their workplace. 

According to another study by Incruiter (2023), 90% of companies use virtual interviews as a first step. The use of virtual interviews has increased by 93%, indicating the quick acceptance and implementation of virtual recruiting techniques. This is a complete turnaround, as more than three-quarters of all interviews in the initial round of employment were placed in person before the COVID-19 outbreak (The Economic Times, 2023).

Source: (EventUS, 2021)

Pros and Cons of Virtual Recruitment

First, let's glance at the benefits of virtual recruitment (Flo Recruit, 2024).

• Broader Reach: With virtual recruiting, companies can find and hire talented individuals from all around the globe. Recruiting tools and the internet have broadened the pool of potential employees, breaking geographical boundaries.
• Cost Efficiency: Reduces the need for costly in-person interviews by eliminating the need for travel, lodging, and other related logistics. As per Recright (2023), a Finland-based video interview platform company, video interviews reduce a company's cost per recruit by 2.7 times.
• Shorter Hiring Time: Makes the hiring process more accessible by allowing candidates and employers to arrange for evaluations and interviews at convenient times for both of them.
• Data-Driven Hiring Decisions: Makes use of cutting-edge platforms and tools for conducting interviews, evaluations, and monitoring candidates, which often results in recruiting choices that are driven by data.

Disadvantages of virtual recruitment are: (Evalart, 2023)

• Missing Personal Connection: It could be challenging to get a feel for the company's culture or gauge the candidate's social abilities and team compatibility with some face-to-face time.
• Problems with Technology: Interruptions or misunderstandings may occur occasionally due to the unreliability of internet connections or the ineffectiveness of digital platforms.
• Over-reliance on Technology: Decisions often rely on internet interactions and resumes, which cannot provide a whole picture of the applicant.

Pros and Cons of Virtual Recruitment

Source: (Alcor, 2022)

Is Virtual Recruitment Better than Traditional In-Person Recruitment?

Whether an organization should go for virtual or conventional in-person recruiting depends on its unique requirements and circumstances. Both methods have pros and cons (Khetre et al., 2023). Virtual recruiting may provide greater flexibility and access to a larger talent pool when looking for candidates for a position that allows for successful remote work. Nonetheless, conventional in-person hiring may be better suited for roles that need a solid cultural match or comprehensive, practical evaluation. During an in-person interview, interviewers may gauge a candidate's professionalism and non-verbal clues like eye contact and body language. Direct one-on-one interviews will always be necessary whether you're dealing with operations, customer service, or do-it-yourself abilities (Khetre, et al., 2023).

Best Practices?

Although there are many advantages to virtual recruiting, there are also some disadvantages; The HR department may overcome these obstacles by:

•  Ensure everyone is on the same page using reliable communication and collaboration tools.
• Acquire a deep understanding of diverse cultural backgrounds to promote inclusion.
• Simplify the interview process using scheduling software with several time zones.
• A hybrid recruitment model combining in-person and virtual recruitment will be used to fully maximize the advantages of both methods.

Check out this video for best practices for virtual recruitment

Source: (Jotform, 2022)

To Conclude………….

The importance of virtual recruiting will only grow as we go further into the digital revolution of the workplace; it will become an integral part of talent acquisition on a global scale. Achieving a balance with conventional approaches is still vital, even if virtual interviews have become integral to contemporary recruiting. By combining virtual and in-person techniques, recruiting can be customized to suit every job and applicant. This way, firms can stay up with technology while still fostering authentic relationships via the human touch.

References

• Alcor, (2022). Top 3 Virtual Recruitment Ideas and 4 Working Tips. [Online]. Available at https://alcor-bpo.com/top-3-virtual-recruitment-ideas-and-4-working-tips/. Accessed on March 26th, 2024.
• Evalart, (2023). Online Recruitment: Advantages And Disadvantages. [Online]. Available at: https://evalart.com/en/blog/reclutamiento-en-linea-ventajas-y-desventajas/. Accessed on 26 March 2024.
• EventUS, (2021). Why Are Virtual Career Fairs Effective? [Online]. Available at https://www.eventus.io/blog/why-are-virtual-career-fairs-effective/. Accessed on March 26th, 2024.
• Flo Recruit, (2024). 8 Benefits Of A Virtual Recruiting Program. [Online]. Available at https://start.florecruit.com/post/8-benefits-of-a-virtual-recruiting-program. Accessed on March 26th, 2024.
• Giolat, F., (2022). How to get ready for a virtual recruitment event?. [Online]. Available at https://en.moovijob.com/blog/article/how-to-get-ready-for-a-virtual-recruitment-event-1. Accessed on March 26th, 2024.
• Harver, (2023). Your Guide to Virtual Recruiting: Everything You Need to Know. [Online]. Available at https://harver.com/blog/virtual-recruiting/#:~:text=In%20short%2C%20virtual%20recruiting%20describes,to%20evaluate%20their%20applicants%20remotely. Accessed on March 26th, 2024.
• Jotform, (2022). Best Practices for Your Remote Recruitment Strategy. [Online]. Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd-5WoTGH7o. Accessed on March 26th, 2024.
• Khetre, S., Thakare, S. & Kamble, M. P., (2023). A Comparative Analysis Of Virtual Interview And In-Person Interview. The Online Journal of Distance Education and e-Learning, 11(1), pp. 377-383. Online]. Available at https://tojdel.net/journals/tojdel/articles/v11i01c02/v11i01-03.pdf. Accessed on March 26th, 2024.
• Recright, (2023). Video Recruitment: Nearly everything you need to know. [Online]. Available at https://new.recright.com/ebooks/video-recruitment-guide?#getting-started. Accessed on March 26th, 2024.
• The Economic Times, (2023). Nine in 10 companies still prefer conducting virtual interviews​: Survey. [Online]. Available at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/jobs/hr-policies-trends/nine-in-10-companies-still-prefer-conducting-virtual-interviews-survey/articleshow/102192535.cms?from=mdr. Accessed on March 26th 2024.
• TopResume, (2022). What Employers Want: New Survey Reveals Biggest Virtual Interview Turnoffs (Part 1 of 3). [Online]. Available at https://www.topresume.com/career-advice/press-2022-10-25. Accessed on March 26th, 2024.
• Upright, (2021). https://uprighthc.com/blog/how-digital-recruitment-is-way-better-than-traditional-hiring-methods. [Online]. Available at https://uprighthc.com/blog/how-digital-recruitment-is-way-better-than-traditional-hiring-methods. Accessed on March 26th, 2024.