Realistically, a little guilty-indulgence in reality TV is okay now and then. But, now there is one reality show just perfect for those of us in the HR and recruiting world.  We just announced we will be a sponsor of “Top Recruiter,” a web-based reality show that pits the best of the best recruiters in a head-to-head competition to battle it out for the coveted title of “Top Recruiter.”

Set in Miami, Top Recruiter-Season 2 is sure to “sizzle” and GreenJobInterview will be a part of the fun and action.  Not only are we a sponsor, but Greg and myself will be participating in an episode that will include our very own virtual interviewing solutions.  In true reality-show format, contestants will be presented with a challenge, during which they will experience first-hand the virtual interviewing solutions from GreenJobInterview and will be judged on their success while using these solutions. In addition, contestants and viewers will receive tips and information about how virtual interviewing can help them with their own recruiting and hiring challenges.

Top Recruiter-Season 2 kicks off this fall, so be sure to check it out online for schedules.  Of course, we’ll update you as well, so stay tuned!

Top Recruiter contestants tasked with solving a hiring challenge while using company’s virtual interviewing solutions

GreenJobInterview^®, pioneering provider of  cloud-based virtual interviewing solutions, announced today it is a sponsor of “Top Recruiter -Season 2,” a web-based reality show that brings together the world’s most talented recruiters in a head-to-head competition for the title of Top Recruiter. GreenJobInterview is not just a sponsor of the show, as its executives also will participate and showcase the company’s virtual interviewing technology during one of the show’s weekly challenges.

In true reality-show style, GreenJobInterview co-founders and brothers, Greg and Theo Rokos will present the “Top Recruiter” contestants with a virtual interviewing challenge. During the challenge, the contestants will experience first-hand the virtual interviewing solutions from GreenJobInterview and will be judged on their success while using these solutions. In addition, the Rokos brothers will offer valuable tips and information to viewers and job seekers about how to achieve the most out of a virtual interviewing experience. For example, getting comfortable speaking to a hiring manager through a webcam; tips on what clothing presents well on camera; and how to best convey confidence and enthusiasm via a recorded or live virtual interview.

GreenJobInterview helps companies improve their hiring and recruiting efforts locally, nationally and globally, which aligns perfectly with the audience that “Top Recruiter” attracts.

“We look forward to sharing our more than 20 years of recruiting and hiring experience with the ‘Top Recruiter’ contestants,” said Greg Rokos, president of GreenJobInterview. “This challenge will provide an opportunity for these contestants to experience the ease and efficiency of virtual interviewing technology and potentially implement such solutions in their own talent acquisition efforts as top recruiters.”

Top Recruiter Creator and Executive Producer Chris Lavoie agrees, saying, “Having GreenJobInterview as a sponsor and leading one of our ‘Top Recruiter’ challenges is an exciting way for our contestants and viewers to learn how they can embrace this kind of powerful technology and consider it for their own company recruiting needs.”

Top Recruiter, set in Miami, Fla. debuted in 2012. It attracted 2.2 million views, sparking more than 4,100 audition tapes from recruiters around the world wanting to compete for the coveted title of Top Recruiter. Viewers can tune into www.TopRecruiter.tv to watch GreenJobInterview’s contestant challenge in the fall.

About GreenJobInterview
GreenJobInterview provides cloud-based virtual interviewing solutions that help employers dramatically reduce the time and costs associated with scheduling and conducting interviews. Our robust and easy-to-use live, recorded and mobile solutions also enable organizations to reach a global talent pool, strengthen their employment brand and reduce their environmental impact. More than 300 of the world’s leading organizations (including Walmart, PepsiCo, UCLA and Mayo Clinic) have chosen GreenJobInterview, and we continue to gain recognition for developing technology that literally transforms the recruitment process for employers and job seekers alike. For more information, visit www.GreenJobInterview.com.

Anthony, tell us a little about what you do.

Anthony:  Well, on a day-to-day basis, I’m responsible for providing world-class customer service and support to our clients and their candidates. I know a lot of companies talk about providing “word-class service” but here at GreenJobInterview it means something very specific. It means doing everything we possibly can to delight our customers and help them resolve questions and issues. It’s about being proactive in the ways we serve customers—going above and beyond what’s “normal” or “expected” without being asked. I also process interview requests and schedule and conduct webcam “tech checks” with hiring managers and candidates. I even ship out webcams upon request.

How do you personally contribute to the client experience? 

A:  Some of our customers have never used virtual interviewing technology. Others are extremely busy and in need of a “crash course.” So being patient, friendly, and efficient are all good qualities for an account manager and our customer service representatives. I always try to bring those qualities to the table when I work with customers. I also try to be an effective communicator and build rapport—both of which are critical to problem resolution and avoidance. Bottom line, I try to make every interaction with customers as enjoyable as possible for both of us.

So what have you learned about customer service since joining GreenJobInterview?

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is how customer service can drive a business. If we didn’t provide excellent customer service, we simply wouldn’t be able to maintain our current level of success—and there’s no way we could grow the business for the future. The quality of our solutions brings customers in the door but it’s our world-class service that really helps to set us apart. Our clients tell us that all the time. I’m proud to be a part of this company and this team.

Both live and prerecorded video interviews are simplifying the recruitment process, and saving employers time and money too.

Corporate recruiters are good at interviewing: That’s their core competency. Yet because of the tasks related to it, most find the process daunting. Connecting with interviewees, communicating (and miscommunicating) with hiring managers, rating candidates based on interview notes created days and weeks apart, and flying candidates to a central location are just some of the issues that bedevil recruiters working to create the ideal short list or help hiring managers with the final selection.

Read more about how virtual interviewing is growing in popularity among today’s hiring organizations.

But what about Twitter and Facebook? There seems to be a big push in the HR and recruiting community to recruit on Twitter and Facebook, despite the fact that the Bullhorn survey showed also showed that only 27 and 22 percent of recruiters are using Twitter and Facebook, respectively.

Aside from what the numbers show, it’s always a good idea to expand a recruiter’s toolbox and become familiar with recruiting on Twitter and Facebook – at least on a very basic level. Here are a few resources to get you started:

Twitter Recruiting:

• Andy Wentworth, Sirona Says blog author, published a Twitter recruiting tutorial, What should I (as a recruiter) Tweet on Twitter?.
• Blogging4Jobs produced a webinar on Twitter Basics for HR & Marketing

Facebook Recruiting:

• Blogging4Jobs produced a webinar on How to Hire, Recruit and Source on Facebook
• Facebook’s new search tool that can be used for recruiting: Facebook Graph: Remember It’s All About Discovering People

Here at GreenJobInterview, we also find it extremely important to stay connected on our own social networks. Just recently, we launched our Pinterest site to offer yet another way for us to connect with those that prefer a more visual platform.

Of course, we are also on Facebook and Twitter and regularly share HR and recruiting industry articles and resources as well as GreenJobInterview company updates.

When it comes to connecting with prospective candidates, don’t overlook the opportunity that these combined social channels can provide. If you have Twitter or Facebook recruiting success stories, share them with us on Facebook! Feel free to drop us a line on Twitter or Pinterest as well – we’d love to hear from you.

April 25, 2013

With more than 4,500 hotels spread across nearly 100 countries and more guest rooms than any other hotel company in the world, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) does its fair share of hiring, to put it mildly. In fact, the organization filled 436 corporate roles in the Americas during 2011 alone, along with hundreds of additional jobs throughout its hotel locations.

Read the full story on how GreenJobInterview’s solutions supported IHG’s hiring needs with its virtual interview solutions.

As you may already know, we recently announced the availability of GreenJob One-Way^TM, our new recorded interviewing solution, which allows employers to significantly reduce their time to hire, saving time and money and creating a better experience overall.

As noted in February, in an article titled Five Healthcare Recruiting Trends for 2013, video interviewing will be more prevalent and is becoming more of a standard as part of a job search. And, it’s a trend happening in every industry. More and more companies are faced with the ongoing challenge of saving time and costs, and finding better, more efficient and sustainable ways to run their businesses.

It should be no surprise that part of the reason is the advances in technology has really come a long way.  Online videos are a part of our culture, the everyday norm. They play a part in much of our lives already for entertainment, keeping in touch with family and friends, for information and education and now for hiring and interviewing.

The old days of traveling to an interview are just that … old. Imagine that you’ve got hundreds of candidates for a job and you yourself are out in the field, traveling or spending much of the day commuting to your own job and meetings. With recorded interviews, an employer can choose a time and place that works for them to review, rate and even share interviews from a computer, laptop, and even mobile devices, like tablets and smartphones.

Our customers tell us they can’t wait to use GreenJob One-Way. We heard the comments that in some situations, a recorded interview is just a better, more convenient option that they want to have. But, as the saying goes, “seeing is believing,” so now it’s your turn to give it a try or request a demo.

Recorded solution delivers a variety of benefits including improved high-volume interviewing efficiency and the ability to quickly narrow large talent pools.

GreenJobInterview^®, pioneering provider of cloud-based virtual interviewing solutions, announced today that it is expanding its product suite with the launch of a recorded interviewing solution, GreenJob One-Way™. The new recorded solution is designed to enhance employers’ high-volume interviewing efficiency, narrow large talent pools more effectively, and provides a convenient “first look” at candidates prior to either an in-person or live interview. GreenJob One-Way is ideal for a variety of recruiting situations including high-volume and entry-level hiring, and it is especially effective for screening customer-facing positions and other jobs where resumes might be virtually identical.

GreenJobInterview will showcase GreenJob One-Way and conduct demonstrations during the ERE Recruiting Conference and Expo in San Diego, CA, April-17. Visitors can stop by booth No. 319 for the opportunity to tap into the experts and see first-hand just how to transform their recruitment and hiring processes, saving valuable time and money for companies.

“With GreenJob One-Way, we’re offering employers another powerful tool to improve their talent management processes and significantly reduce their hiring time,” says Greg Rokos, president of GreenJobInterview. “One of the biggest advantages to using this solution is being able to reduce the time spent on a first round interview by as much as 85 percent and with the convenience of a choosing a time that works best for each person involved.”

For employers, GreenJob One-Way provides powerful, secure and easy-to-use technology for:

• creating highly customizable online interviews, scheduling and notification settings;
• creating custom interview questions or choosing from a pre-populated bank of questions based on each open position;
• inviting candidates to participate individually or via group invitations;
• reviewing interviews with total control (fast forward, rewind, pause, skip) anytime, anyplace;
• recording or uploading a customized video introduction for each open position;
• sharing candidate recordings internally; and
• access to top-rated customer support whenever they need it.

GreenJob One-Way also offers several advantages to job candidates, including:

• the ability to showcase their personality and bring their resume to life;
• the convenience of recording interviews at a time and place of their choosing;
• maximizing exposure due to the opportunity to be seen by multiple hiring managers with just one interview;
• easy-to-use, cloud-based technology that eliminates the need to download software;
• the ability to upload a resume, cover letter, references, or even URLs linking to an online profile; and
• reduced stress and fewer hassles associated with scheduling/traveling to interviews.

GreenJob One-Way can be used to complement the popular GreenJob Live™ interviewing solution or it can be used as a robust standalone product, with the same 24/7 concierge-level customer service GreenJobInterview is known for worldwide, as well as customization and branding options.

More than 300 organizations from a variety of industries now use GreenJobInterview’s virtual interviewing solutions. GreenJobInterview’s solutions reduce time-to-hire, improve the overall interviewing experience for employers and job candidates, create scheduling efficiencies and provide companies with a sustainable recruiting model.

To learn more about GreenJobInterview and its product suite of live, recorded and mobile solutions, visit www.GreenJobInterview.com. The recently refreshed site gives you access to a variety of informative resources such as articles, videos, the company’s blog and the ability to request a face-to-face demo.

About GreenJobInterview
GreenJobInterview provides cloud-based virtual interviewing solutions that help employers dramatically reduce the time and costs associated with scheduling and conducting interviews. Our robust and easy-to-use live, recorded and mobile solutions also enable organizations to reach a global talent pool, strengthen their employment brand and reduce their environmental impact. More than 300 of the world’s leading organizations (including Walmart, PepsiCo, UCLA and Mayo Clinic) have chosen GreenJobInterview, and we continue to gain recognition for developing technology that literally transforms the recruitment process for employers and job seekers alike. For more information, visit www.GreenJobInterview.com.

The article covered the importance of defining your objective, defining your audience, and segmenting your messaging. It also offered up this simple but critical question for creating truly compelling employer branding videos: “What do I want people to know/believe/feel/do after watching this video?”

With the launch of GreenJob One-Way^TM, our new recorded interviewing solution, now only days away, we found Mr. Peterson’s guidance extremely worthwhile—especially for our clients who will be using our new solution. GreenJob One-Way allows employers to record and post their own introductory videos to give candidates a better sense of their organizations and/or their open positions. Employer videos not only help engage talent more effectively, as Mr. Peterson points out, but they also help to differentiate and strengthen a hiring brand.

So, like our live virtual interviewing solution, even GreenJob One-Way is a two-way street!

March 28, 2013 | By John Zappe

ERE.net’s John Zappe outlines the considerable benefits of virtual interviewing; noting that steadily growing numbers of employers are finding that conducting at least an initial interview virtually “can save them both money and time, and can give them a better sense of their candidates than even an in-depth phone screen.”

Read More

In a world of information overload, GreenJobInterview, one of the pioneer providers of video interviewing tools, is working hard every day to manage two things: to keep their product simple and easy to use and to offer top level support to their clients and users.

GreenJobInterview has been offering their live video interviewing tool since 2007 when they launched, but has now expanded to add another product offering GreenJob One-Way, a recorded, one-way video interviewing solution, which is scheduled to be out of beta in early April.

Where other video interviewing providers started out offering the one-way video interviewing solution and have added a live feature, GreenJobInterview has operated in reverse, originally working to perfect the live video interview as an offering to cut travel costs associated with the job interview and adding the one-way to their services to meet consumer demand for the product now that video interviewing has become mainstream.

Read more

Talent acquisition expert and practitioner Brenan German says of hiring technologies, “You’re going to continue to see the adoption of systems to replace paper processes, and you’re going to see the use of paper diminish over time.” German also said that government regulations have caught up with technology, which has aided HR departments in going paperless for their record keeping. He noted, for instance, that the legal recognition of electronic signatures was “a big deal” in paving the way for paperless transactions.

In regard to the hiring process, one area where German said HR professionals should be going paperless is in their applicant tracking systems. Job requisitions, resumes, offer letters—everything can now be handled electronically for greater efficiency and a reduced carbon footprint.

The next phase of a “going green” plan, he said, could include learning and performance management. We would suggest that online onboarding, enabled by electronic signature, presents a huge opportunity to save paper. Instead of a ream of paper, new hires would receive emails or access to an online portal where all the required onboarding documents and employee handbook could be reviewed and signed digitally.

CedarCrestone’s 2012-2013 HR Systems Survey identified the 50 Top Performers around the world. Among their differentiators, Top Performers have more technology in place than other organizations and “make an active effort to maximize the strategic value from each solution.” These companies also make a lot more money than their competitors! It makes business sense as well as environmental sense to use HR technologies that streamline your hiring workflows.

What are your ideas for a “greener” hiring process? Let us know! We’d love to hear from you.

And for more practical ideas on how HR can go green now, check out our book, Sustainable Staffing. It’s available at the following links, as well as on Nook and Kindle:
Amazon http://tinyurl.com/caeuavs
Barnes & Noble http://tinyurl.com/cdjjfk5

If you decide to focus on transforming corporations, you need to decide where to begin. You need a division that touches every other division in the company. You also need to hire the right people and have the right corporate branding and messaging going out to ensure you are promoting sustainability.

HR has roots sunk into every part of a company. What other divisions can handle this task? HR is the best way to change or implement policies across a company. If we make the hiring process and HR processes sustainable, we then have the model and the environment to change the whole organization.

In May 2011, SHRM, along with BSR and Aurosolorya, released its report, “Advancing Sustainability: HR’s Role.” The report began by pointing out “no matter what your personal opinion might be, business leaders are realizing sustainable workplace and business practices can make their companies more competitive in the 21st century.”

As companies continue to work toward being even greener in the future, SHRM noted those in the HR field are “uniquely positioned to be a catalyst” in helping all these changes come to fruition. In future posts, I’ll talk about specific ways, including virtual interviews (wink), that organizations can become more sustainable.

What are ways that your company or HR department are going green? We’d love to hear your ideas! Your comment might even show up in a future blog post.

Note: This is the first in a series of posts based on our book, “Sustainable Staffing: How ‘Thinking Green’ Is Changing the Way the World’s Leading Organizations Attract (and Keep) Top Talent.”

Want more information on how HR can go green now? Our book, Sustainable Staffing, is available at the following links, as well as on Nook and Kindle:

• Amazon http://tinyurl.com/caeuavs
• Barnes & Noble http://tinyurl.com/cdjjfk5

Jobs in Pods is a podcast hosted by Peter Clayton. Peter founded TotalPictureRadio, the first Internet radio show focused on HR, recruiting, and career management—so it makes perfect sense that he’d create a new way to talk about job openings. His Jobs in Pods program highlights a different employer and their openings each episode.

This week, we teamed up with Peter for a podcast, but with a twist: we used our own virtual interview technology to facilitate the conversation. It became a video podcast—a vodcast! You can see it here. Employers are increasingly using videos as a way to present realistic job previews to candidates and provide insight into day-in-the-life company culture. Recent research shows that job postings that include a video component garner 20% more applications. So this vodcast is good business as well as good fun.

We are currently looking for a Partner Channel Manager, a Senior Account Executive, and a Customer Support Representative. Check out our careers page and spread the word!

There is a huge market for products designed with the environment in mind; GreenJobInterview delivers such a product easily and efficiently. An online scheduling platform, built in-house, allows a client to enter details for a meeting or interview that is to occur in the future (or, in some cases, same day!). The user-friendly software allows users to schedule, edit, join, and organize their meetings all in one place. That meeting request is immediately sent to GreenJobInterview, where customer representatives work with candidates and managers to conduct Tech Checks that help to ensure smooth interview experiences.

What GreenJobInterview really provides is not just a service but a promise to its clients. A promise that there will be someone there to hold your hand should you need it. After GreenJobInterview, online interview sites began popping up left and right, yet still none provide the level of service that GreenJobInterview does. None actually have a live individual reach out to you to make sure that your webcam works well, that your lighting isn’t casting half your face in shadow, or that you should probably use a computer other than the ten-year-old desktop in your basement.

GJI continues to evolve to meet its customers’ needs. It will soon release GreenJob One-Way technology, which will allow candidates to record answers to customers’ interview questions. This option improves candidate experience and saves time for those hiring. I’m happy to be part of a company that’s innovative and that cares so well for its customers.

Of course, since we are primarily a customer service company, clients expect us to be friendly. But what sets us apart is the driving motivation of excellence that fuels our personal goals. We want each candidate to do well as they interview for that sought-after job. We strive to ensure that each manager feels comfortably at home in the meeting room so they can conduct their interview exactly as they wish. In order for us to achieve these goals, we must first understand the candidate’s and manager’s needs and desires. To understand those needs, we reach out and interact with them in a social, personal way.

Beneath the client level is that of coworker interaction. Here the pursuit of excellence is just as strong. Our communication is encouraging and uplifting, our relationships friendly and supportive. This environment makes it easy to cultivate personal friendships with coworkers and superiors alike. Our weekly business meeting is not simply a weekly meeting to discuss business. It is a time when each of us can bring any idea to the table and fully expect and receive honest consideration. It is a place where we witness the company’s vision in action: marketing strategies, new products, progress updates, upcoming events, service improvements, relationship cultivation, etc. We are all “in the loop.” We are all “part of the family.”

And at GreenJobInterview, we are a family. We are more than a small and growing business. We are more than the leader in the field of live virtual interviews. We are more than a brilliant idea going worldwide. We are a family; the personal relationships that are fostered and developed here are what keeps GreenJobInterview going.

I am happy and proud to work for a company that listens to its employees’ suggestions and encourages us to pursue different avenues within the company.  After working in a huge corporation for many years, it is a pleasant surprise to work for a company that not only looks out for its customers but also for people who are the source of their success: the employees!  This certainly keeps us at GJI happy and brings out the best in our team.

Working for GJI has been a very rewarding experience for me. There are always opportunities to try something new. For instance, I am now part of the recruiting effort when we need additional customer service team members. The interview process is always changing, and so are my responsibilities. This keeps my job and my day-to-day activities fun and challenging. The employees here at GreenJobInterview, whom I call family, are all incredibly positive people who make coming to work something I look forward to each day. I’ve made a lot of great friends along the way, and I am proud to be part of such a great GJI family.

(This is the first of an ongoing series by the people who make GreenJobInterview happen.)

Although our celebration of February 14 doesn’t quite line up with Saint Valentine’s original story, it’s a wonderful day to celebrate that most essential human experience: love.

People often relegate love to the non-work spheres of life, home and family. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Brady Wilson, author of the book “Love at Work,” puts it this way:

Leaders in today’s workplace face a dilemma; the most powerful form of influence has been banned from their repertoires. What is this powerful but missing influential force? Love.

Love at work embodies the idea that you are looking out for everyone’s highest good. You are paying attention to their needs and trying to meet those needs in ways that resonate for each individual. That’s no easy task! But it’s critical. Wilson says,

Meeting felt needs is elemental to every relationship in life. A marriage with unmet needs is called divorce. A manufacturing plant with unmet needs is called a strike. A society with unmet needs, a revolution. Two countries with unmet needs, a war.

Showing “love” to those within your organization will take as many forms as there are individual needs. One person might respond to development opportunities, for example, while another will prefer a flexible work schedule to be more available for their kids. This personal attention demonstrates a kind of respect that’s lacking in many workplaces.

This love and respect must extend to everyone who interacts with your organization—especially to candidates. The way a candidate is treated throughout the talent acquisition process helps determine whether the candidate will accept an offer. Which is pretty similar to dating and marriage proposals, isn’t it?

As a talent acquisition professional, you must do everything in your power to make yourself attractive to potential employees. Be kind, be responsive, and take advantage of technologies that show candidates you care about their needs. Video interviews, for example, show that you understand their time is valuable and that you are doing everything you can to make the interview process easier and more convenient.

Love at work, as with home and family, isn’t about being on your best behavior until you’ve snagged that special someone. It’s a way of life. Using video interviewing isn’t just a means to an end; it’s part of a culture shift that identifies you as a company that cares. And that gives you a greater likelihood of finding your perfect match.

Lo, hear their word.

1. Thou shalt let me see the people I already know in a company I’m interested in.
2. Thou shalt allow me to submit my online profile when I apply for a job.
3. Thou shalt allow me to learn about the employer as well as communicate with other employees and applicants.
4. Thou shalt tell me there may be other opportunities only if there really are other opportunities.
5. Thou shalt grant me an honest and informative conversation when I’m interviewed.
6. Thou shalt acknowledge me personally when I apply for a job.
7. Thou shalt enable me to see and hear real employees when researching a company I’m interested in.
8. Thou shalt offer career recommendations and advice if I’m not hired.
9. Thou shalt provide specific closure when I don’t get the job at any point in the process.
10. Thou shalt interview me in person whenever possible.

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