FGH Security Reduces time-to-hire from 10 Days to 48 Hours

The Challenge

A lengthy manual mass hiring process with limited insights into each candidate

Many of FGH’s roles are demand-based and require a large pool of candidates to fill all positions. At the time, the recruitment team used single-click hiring – a convenient way for candidates to apply, but for FGH, it was problematic. “ We’d get so many people applying and I’d think that’s amazing. But in many cases, I could tell that they were mass applying for jobs. I’d go through thousands of resumes during the festival season. You could miss out on a really good candidate just because the resume wasn’t that great,” Ana explained. Though, regardless of resume quality, it was extremely tough to judge the skill of a security officer on paper. “They’re in this trade because they’re good at talking and resolving conflict – they may not be good at selling themselves or going through the traditional hiring process.”

When FGH did find candidates they’d like to interview, they were faced with another challenge. Scheduling interviews took a lot of work to find time slots and contact the large number of candidates they needed. “If you wanted to invite someone for a face-to-face interview, you’d have to phone, see when they would be available, compare it to your diary, book it in, send them the information, tell them what to bring in… nothing was automatic,“ Ana told us.

And candidates wouldn’t always show up, simply because they’d forget or they had other commitments. “We’d actually triple book interview slots because people wouldn’t always attend,” explains Jessica.

The need for a better hiring solution was heightened when FGH wanted to branch out into different areas of the UK. They didn’t yet have offices outside of the northwest of England, so in-person interviews for roles far away caused a logistical headache.

The Solution

Screening candidates far more efficiently with VidCruiter’s platform

FGH came to VidCruiter to bring their hiring process online, utilizing VidCruiter’s applicant tracking system, pre-recorded video interviewing, automated scheduling, and live video interviewing.

Pre-recorded and live interviewing have provided an opportunity to expand without traveling. Jessica explains the significance of this for FGH’s expansion plans – “it meant that we could start recruiting for our London contract before we even had a London office.”

The applicant tracking system manages the mass amount of candidate applications without the need for manual intervention. Applicants are automatically screened by answering simple questions to ensure they meet the basic requirements of the role. Then, all qualified candidates promptly receive an email providing a link to complete a short pre-recorded interview. “We could be the first application that they hear back from because it’s automated. The response could be sent straight away – even in the middle of the night,” says Jessica.

Jessica went on to explain how pre-recorded interviews give FGH the ability to screen candidates in a far more efficient way – “we knew video would give us the ability to see samples of the things we’re looking for: personality, approachability, empathy, people that smile by default, you know, those sorts of things.” Additionally, candidates could simply complete the pre-recorded interview at a time that worked around their schedule.

Live interviews replace the need for in-person interviews, meaning FGH can conduct their interviews from anywhere, without needing to meet with the candidates face-to-face. And automated scheduling eliminates the need to manually find a time for an interview. Now, candidates invited for a live interview can simply schedule a time that works for them, based on pre-set availability of the recruitment team. “Now we can even have automatic email reminders so that people don’t forget about the interview,” Ana added.

After implementing some of VidCruiter’s products, FGH recognized VidCruiter’s customizable features could finesse their hiring even further. “We’ve done a lot of trial and error with VidCruiter to really maximize engagement”, Jessica told us. Initially, FGH had a five-step interview process, now they’ve narrowed it down to a very short application form with several basic questions and a video question. “There is nothing that Jeff [from VidCruiter] does not have time to help us improve, optimize and refine.”

The Results

A faster hiring process with far more insight into thousands of candidates

VidCruiter’s hiring platform is currently being used to hire 300 people in the next four weeks to work security at a big event in London. “ If we couldn’t standardize the process with VidCruiter, it would be chaos.” From a hiring process that used to take approximately 7-10 days, FGH’s time-to-hire is now only 48 hours.

The applicant tracking system significantly helps to manage applications, and it’s also helping to leave a good impression of FGH on the candidates right from the start. “Without any intervention from us, they’re already getting a positive engagement with our business that says, ‘Hi, we really like your details, we’re going to send you some more questions to get to know you better.’”

VidCruiter’s pre-recorded video interviews give FGH a considerably deeper insight into each candidate. “Straight away, you can tell if the person is going to fit in with our values. We instantly have an idea of their personality and it makes the whole process much, much faster. Especially when we’re dealing with mass numbers of applications,” Ana summarizes.

Automated scheduling gives candidates the freedom of interviewing around their other commitments. Drop-out rates are much lower, and automated reminder emails and texts help to ensure all live video interviews are attended.

The hiring process has been a hit, for FGH and for their candidates. Jessica shares how the candidates involved in a recent hiring enjoyed the process – “we recently finalized eight people for a specific role. In the face-to-face interview, every candidate beamed about the whole online process – they all proactively told us that it was really enjoyable and unique. Some even asked to watch their video back again!”