January 2011 Update 

Skype Interviewing . . .  

One of my client companies with about 150 employees decided to try SKYPE in interviewing candidates whom we had presented for a key management position. The purpose was to have the leadership team of four all be able to spend 45 minutes with each of six candidates prior to having finalists fly in for final interviews to a plant in another state. They met in the company conference room, and I was able to join them for a couple of the meetings. It was an experiment, and the results were positive overall.

• It allowed them to gain a truer perspective of who they were dealing with.
• The candidates could see and talk with the company senior managers, giving them a truer perspective as well.
• It allowed for more relationship building than with traditional teleconferences.
• The four managers could talk among themselves to clarify questions, answers, etc. while the discussion was in progress, similar to what might occur in a face-to-face interview.
• It gave them more confidence in whom to fly in for final interview, thus reducing the financial risk.

The only negative was that the “panel” or “group” interview was a bit intimidating to one of the candidates – who did not do as well with this format.

As a result, the team decided to use SKYPE for future interviewing. And the CEO decided to expand the video capability in their conference room to be able to have meetings with their own managers in other states.

Here are three of the positions that we are currently working on:

Current Search Activity

Plant Manager - Click Here
Heavy Manufacturing
Central Indiana (will relocate)
Salary $130-150K

IT Applications Leader -Click Here
Memphis, TN (will relocate)
Salary $100-115K

Marketing Manager - Industrial Supplies (not posted)
Birmingham, AL(will relocate)
Salary $100-125K


Sincerely,

Paul Johnson