The construction industry is currently experiencing a skilled-labor shortage. As the number of construction projects increases, many construction employers are finding it difficult to fill jobs. According to the Associated General Contractors of America, 80% of construction firms experienced difficulties in filling hourly craft positions, which comprise the majority of the entire construction workforce. In order to address this problem, construction employers need to be proactive in improving the recruitment process. One way to do so is through video interviews.

The use of video interviews as part of the recruitment process has actually become more common in recent years. Large companies like Goldman Sachs regularly include video interviews in their recruitment campaigns. So what are the benefits of video interviews in recruitment? If you are a construction business owner or a  recruiter, check out below how video interviews can give you an advantage.

1. Speedier recruitment process

Time is of the essence in the construction industry. Many construction projects are on a strict timetable from the bidding process to the actual construction phase. In construction recruitment, reducing the time spent on hiring the best candidates means you can fill the positions sooner, allowing your company to deliver projects on schedule.

The use of video interviews in the initial stages of recruitment can significantly reduce the length of the process. It allows you to engage with candidates much sooner than when you’re just reading their background and experience stated in their resumé. In addition, seeing candidates in video means you will be able to notice subtleties that you wouldn’t otherwise know about when you’re just referring to their CVs. This allows you to contact the best candidates faster than your competitors.

2. Ability to sift through top-quality candidates

One of the best benefits of video interviews is improving the quality of the hire. Too often construction business owners settle for candidates that are lacking in the background and experience department. This can result in substandard performance and is even downright dangerous especially in an industry like construction.

Conducting video interviews with all potential hires lets you efficiently assess their abilities and how they fit within your company culture. Many candidates look good on paper but may not live up to expectations when you finally meet and work with them. In construction, interpersonal skills are very important be it for back office functions like sales, accounting, and pre-lien management to field operations.Being able to talk to candidates and hear their thoughts on matters presented in your interviews lets you exercise better judgment, resulting in better hires.

3. Reduced scheduling problems

All recruiters and human resources personnel know how difficult it is to arrange telephone and in-person interviews. Not everyone’s schedules can align, especially if you are dealing with multiple candidates. In the case of phone interviews, you may end up catching the candidate at a bad time, resulting in unreliable answers due to less-than-ideal conditions.

Video interviews eliminate the headache associated with scheduling problems. By simply sending an invite via email, both parties can agree on the best time to conduct an interview. This also does away with transportation time, which can be a cause for scheduling conflicts. Aside from live interviews, you can also conduct asynchronous video interviews. By simply sending a candidate the questions you want to ask in advance, they can complete the interview at a time that best suits them.

There is a reason why many large companies are using video interview platforms like Jobma during the recruitment process—they work. By speeding up the recruitment process, eliminating scheduling problems and generally allowing you to get better- hires, video interviews can make a recruiter’s job easier. It is time for construction companies to take advantage of video as a step forward in reducing the industry’s labor shortage.

About the Author:
Chris Woodard is the Co-Founder of Handle.com, where they build software that helps contractors, subcontractors, and material suppliers with late payments. Handle.com also provides funding for construction businesses in the form of invoice factoring, material supply trade credit, and mechanics lien purchasing.

Chris Woodard