A Mix Talent virtual hiring event case study
The Challenge
When COVID-19 struck the United States, Mix Talent was partnered with two clients building field sales teams in preparation for launch and expansion. We had 5 hiring events scheduled across the country for 375 candidates over a two-week period. As travel restrictions and quarantines were issued, we needed to quickly identify solutions to keep timelines, meet their business needs and maintain the safety of all.
Want a spiffy PDF of this white paper you can download and keep?
The Solution
Our teams worked collaboratively with clients on deciding the best course of action and agreed to transition all live hiring events to virtual events.
Within 48 hours our Mix Talent team:
- Selected a video conference vendor.
- Conducted an internal train-the-trainer session on the platform to ensure our recruiters could individually train all interviewers and hiring managers on the technology and virtual interviewing best practices.
- Rescheduled 375 live interviews to virtual meetings. Connected with each candidate to ensure he / she felt prepared for the new format and comfortable with the process.
- Ensured each interviewer had digital versions of all necessary interview materials—including resumes, custom interview guides, evaluation sheets, etc.
- Handled the cancellation of all live event logistics including flights, hotels, meeting venues, etc.
- Integrated seamlessly into the clients’ ATS to ensure all communication and candidate tracking was accurate and timely.
The Results
Our Mix Talent team was able to successfully execute all hiring events on time and under original budget, meeting all key deliverables on the projects. We did not sacrifice key candidate experience elements such as customized interview guides or interview preparation and follow-up discussions. We also remained accessible to candidates and the hiring team throughout the events to troubleshoot as necessary and ensure a positive experience. We conducted virtual debrief sessions with the hiring teams to collect feedback, align decision makers and drive hiring decisions.
The shift to all virtual events had no impact on the hiring timelines
Clients saved approximately 60% of the live hiring events budget.
100% of candidates proceeded with the virtual interview process
Key Learnings
Different can be good.
Body language and some rapport building may be sacrificed in virtual interviews, but you gain the opportunity to see candidates in non-traditional environments and how they respond
to adversity. Our team found it was an effective interviewing strategy when paired with strong technology and our tailored interview guides.
Communication is key.
Constant communication with candidates and our clients was key to our success. Aligning stakeholders for quick decisions, providing real- time updates on options and staying connected with all parties allowed us to make quick moves and keep timelines on track.
The platform matters.
Our team has working experience with multiple virtual interviewing systems and so were able to quickly help our clients select one that we knew was easy to use, delivered consistent experience, and had strong customer support services.
Don’t sacrifice experience.
Even in the midst of a global crisis and with incredibly aggressive deadlines, our top priority was ensuring an outstanding event and employer brand experience for candidates. Our recruiters handled the situation calmly and helped candidates and interviewers feel at ease with the change in process. We know that challenging times are an opportunity for employers to stand out based on how they treat their current and future employees, and our job is to help our clients shine in these moments.
