Bringing enhanced efficiency to Scottish government

The job portal myjobscotland is the recruiting tool for Scotland’s public service jobs. Every year, nearly 5 million potential candidates visit the portal to find a job in one of the councils of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA). Ten of these councils used a trial in video recruiting, facilitated by Video Intake's partner Cornerstone on Demand.

After the trial, nine councils have indicated they’ll continue to use video as part of their recruitment process. The reasons are clear: for some roles, the time it takes to hire has been reduced by more than half. This efficiency was also reflected in secondary tasks that were eliminated; previously time-consuming pre-interview processes could simply be replaced with a video.

The use of video further enabled a wider pool of candidates. Eliminating the need for travel also eliminated a potential upfront cost of applying – attracting candidates who’d otherwise be on the fence about investing in their application. One hiring manager noted how it’s also easier to shortlist candidates, saying, “Seeing [candidates] deliver a prepared answer shows a level of competence you don’t get from their application form.” But these efficiencies didn’t just extend to candidates and hiring managers alone. Simply using video in one area has sparked debates on improving efficiency in other areas of government, too.

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Getting great candidates and recognition

Aside from the benefits that COSLA received in the trial, there was an added bonus. Using the asynchronous video interviewing processes won myjobscotland a well-deserved win at Cornerstone’s RAVE Awards for HR Technology Excellence in the category of ‘reinventing recruitment’.

And yes, that does make us a little proud, too.

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