To revamp and standardize its expensive and time-consuming interview processes, energy company Black Hills Corp. (BHC), which serves 750,000 customers in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa, began to use video interview management in late 2010.

With positive feedback from employees and candidates, the method reduced travel expenses by thousands of dollars annually and improves quality of hire by offering better insight to candidates, increasing control over interview quality and engaging candidates in a more convenient experience.

To ensure candidates are qualified and a good fit culturally, BHC’s interview process typically involved a phone screening with HR followed by one or two rounds of face-to-face interviews with hiring managers, depending on the candidate’s location. This created scheduling challenges because the management team was hands-on in the selection process, and interviews were scheduled around the availability of several busy director- and senior-level managers. The process proved to be expensive and difficult to manage. With escalating travel costs, the company didn’t expect interview-related expenses to decrease.

Video: A New Approach

BHC began using video interview management to source, screen and review candidates. The technology enabled easier planning, standardized processes and 360-degree feedback, and integrated with video interview technology — one-way recorded and live and recorded two-way interviews.

Darin Seeley, senior manager of human resources and employment at BHC, said video interview management gave the company an opportunity to streamline the interview process, improve quality of hire and reduce travel costs. BHC’s interviewers use live and recorded calendar-friendly video offerings to share interviews, rate candidates and provide feedback collaboratively.

BHC also increased the depth of candidate information available by replacing phone screening with one-way recorded interviews. Candidates are invited to participate in the interview once the recruiter has reviewed their resumes. Candidates use a BHC-branded interview portal that guides them through the interview process, records their responses using the candidate’s webcam and stores their profile for recruiter and hiring manager review.