Eliminating the job interview sounds like the dream of millions of job seekers and hiring managers alike, but the replacement may not be what they had in mind. Instead of the routine of reading résumés and cover letters, the new norm may be for employers to search for candidates with a Tinder-like app where pre-vetted candidates swipe right and left for potential jobs.
Weploy is looking to bring modern-age dating technology to the workplace to make it easier for employers and candidates to connect.
Disrupting job agencies
Finding a new employee on a moment’s notice can be difficult. Weploy is seeking to cut out job agencies by being able to provide candidates for companies immediately. All the companies have to do is request an employee, called a “weployee,” from Weploy and to specify the qualifications needed. The app then notifies users whose skills match the requirements, and the first weployee to swipe right and accept the position is confirmed for the job. Currently, the startup, which launched in April, is mainly providing jobs in the gig economy.
To join Weploy, candidates fill out their background information, showing their qualifications and previous experience. They go through psychometric and cognitive tests to measure their skills. Even though they want to kill the job interview, Weploy does subject job seekers to one interview before they’re finally able to go through the system.
Weploy touts their speed in finding candidates — they say the app takes 2 minutes 26 seconds to find a candidate. It also champions its tech, saying it generates a “higher-tier” candidate by using algorithms and traditional vetting models. Another aspect they celebrate is being able to provide a good deal for employees; they’re paid 10 percent above industry rates.
Searching for interview alternatives
Job interviews are difficult for both the employers and the job seekers, but they’re necessary to find people. Hiring someone requires that the individual not only can do the job but is also a good fit. Unfortunately, interviewer biases can ruin that — most times, interviewers try to hire candidates like themselves. Research also shows that unstructured job interviews actually can be detrimental to finding the right candidate.
Companies are trying to find new ways of hiring candidates. Some solutions out there are job auditions, where the candidates are given contracts to work for the company for a specific amount of time before being evaluated based on their work. There are also other hiring apps on the market such as Knack, which uses games to gauge a candidate’s aptitude.
Takeaway: Job interviews are arduous, and people are looking for alternatives
Weploy is seeking to remove job agencies from the search for temp work. One of the benefits it provides to employers is eliminating the job interview process, which can be a drain on the employer’s time and resources. Employers do not want to waste time on job interviews, and job seekers despise the process. The service provides a simple alternative to a time-consuming process.
Employers want to find the right people for the job but are having problems. New methods such as tryouts are being used to assess candidates more effectively. These alternatives aren’t replacing conventional job interviews but are making companies aware that there are other ways of finding qualified employees. Job interviews are a part of a long, drawn-out process that companies are looking to perfect by trying new techniques.
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