60% of Companies Video Interview. Are You EEOC Compliant - Workology

60% of Companies Video Interview. Are You EEOC Compliant - Workology Video Interviews.  Are you Compliant? Video Interviews.  Are you Compliant? For hiring managers and employers, compliance can be a tricky question. You want to make sure your company is taking advantage of all the latest hiring technology, because it’s certain your competitors are. In fact, when it comes to video interviewing, an impressive six in 10 companies are currently utilizing the technology to connect with talent. But you also want to make sure you’re avoiding discriminatory hiring practices. So, let’s cut to the chase: Is video interviewing compliant? Yes, it certainly is! Video interviewing is 100 percent compliant with all EEOC regulations. This doesn’t mean you can ignore the discrimination question while interviewing, howeverwhether it’s in-person or through online video. First, let’s take a look at what the EEOC says about using online video interviews, then we’ll take a tour through some ways to improve the compliance of your interview process. What Does The EEOC Say? As the popularity of online video has skyrocketed, it’s no surprise the EEOC has been asked multiple times about the compliance of using online video in the hiring process. In both 2004 and 2010, the EEOC ruled online video as 100 percent compliant with all guidelines. In fact, here’s a quote from the EEOC on the subject: “Employers and recruiters [should] continue to structure their recruitment and selection processes to be nondiscriminatory and to consistently focus on the job qualifications of all job seekers, regardless of technology or of the information available by virtue of that technology.” The message is clear: technology doesn’t discriminate, people do. Companies shouldn’t blame the issues in their hiring process on technology. A webcam and online video platform can’t make your final hiring decision for you. The ‘human’ part of human resources is the important part to focus on in order to stay compliant. 3 Ways To Stay Compliant In The Hiring Process Since it’s up to the HR professionals making the final hiring decision to avoid discrimination and stay compliant, it’s important to follow best practices. Most of these tips are the same whether you’re interviewing a candidate on video or in-person. After all, a diverse workforce is the best way to make sure your company is staffed with the right people for the job. Evaluate candidates on a written set of criteria: Using an unchanging set of written criteria to evaluate each candidate is a good way to demonstrate you are judging every candidate fairly. For instance, if communication skills are important, this is something each candidate will be judged on in their video interview. As an added bonus, writing out the criteria for the job will allow you to hone in on the essential skills candidates must possess. Ask candidates a standard set of questions: Having a standard set of questions you ask to each candidate is a smart way to avoid any perception of bias. Clearly questions should be tailored to find out more about each candidate and follow-up questions should be asked. But using a standard set of questions will make discrimination less likely and will make comparing candidates easier. When using one-way video interviews this is a snap, since companies can save their questions and instantly send them to every candidate. Get everyone on the hiring team involved: Having multiple people involved in the process lessens the chance that any one person’s undiscovered bias or unknown discriminatory attitude will affect hiring. In fact, multiple opinions can lead to a more well-rounded picture of the candidate. Technologys Role in Employment Hiring Discrimination Blaming technology for our own hidden biases is not the best way to guard against discrimination. As the EEOC said, video interviewing is 100 percent compliant with all current regulations. Instead, we should focus on interviewing from the human side to reduce discrimination and lead to better hiring decisions. What are some ways your company strives to be compliant in the hiring process? Share in the comments!