Episode 242 How To Accept Video Applications

In this week's podcast, I'm challenging you to try something new! Today I am sharing valuable information that has been tried and tested during our Higher Gear Challenge. Tune in to learn what you should be doing to hire the right candidates for your business. It works! BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS: The future of hiring is now and it's virtual! Use your application process to test your candidate's attention to detail.  Get your applicants to invest in YOU before you invest in THEM.  Ask questions that will help you understand where your candidate is in life. Show Highlights Approaching video applications and the tech factor - (2:35) What types are questions are best for video submissions - (8:00) Stick to your process - (13:50) Links Free Facebook group, Jump Start Your Pet Business here. To sign up for Better Marketing With Bella Semester 2, click here. To email Bella, if there is anything you’d specifically like to hear about, email [email protected] Share The Show Did you enjoy the show? We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review! Click this link – Bella In Your Business/li> Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section Click on ‘Write a Review’ Transcript: This is episode 242 of Bella in Your Business. Hi there, I'm Bella Vasta from Jump Consulting. You might know me from CBS, NBC, Fox, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, or maybe you've seen me speak on stage or read my book, The Four Dogs That Every Business Owner Needs. In any case, get ready because you're about to get your hashtag Bella Butt Kickin' in this next episode of Bella in Your Business. So what do you say? Let's get ready and jump. Welcome to another episode of Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta. Today, I'm going to let you in on a little excerpt of something that I did in that high gear hiring challenge that we had this past month of May 2021. It was an incredible time where a lot of pet sitters kind of came together and rallied together to hire as many people as they needed to. And I'd like to say it was a huge success. We had over 25 people hired across the board and in this volatile hiring environment, I consider that a major win. Also, we had a lot of good information and insight and ideas thrown around and definitely out-of-the-box examples of the way things work. Now, if you didn’t get a chance to join us in there, you can always join us in the mastermind at jumpconsulting.net/mastermind to really be around a bunch of winners who are making things happen—not in the normal ways you hear about in Facebook groups. I also would be remiss if I did not give a shout-out to our other two sponsors, JazzHR, who are helping pet sitters and dog walkers hire multiple people at once because of the simplification of the process they provide for us, and Pet Care Team Training, which is a simplified, strategic, and specific onboarding system where you can do 13 videos in under two hours and get your pet sitters and dog walkers certified, even adding pet CPR and first aid. You can go to PetCareTeamTraining.com to check that out, or if you want to see the videos, visit petcareteamtraining.com/freevideos. All right, we're going to get right into this episode. This is going to be a smaller one again, but I have made a commitment this year to give you what you need to know. We’re going to stay on this hiring theme, and today we’re going to talk about how to accept video applications. What? Yeah—we can accept video applications, and we're going to get into that today. So, how do I go about taking video applications? Is there a best practice around the length of video? What types of questions are best for video? And what are the top five interview questions to find the right candidate? I love this, and I’ve got notes for you guys—it’s also to help make sure I stay on track. The first thing we need to discuss is how to accept them because there’s a tech factor to figure out. This is a great opportunity to test for things like attention to detail or their ability to move around online. Maybe in your software system, you want competent people who can figure things out. How to send a video really isn’t that hard, but when you attach specific instructions or give them multiple options, it shouldn’t hinder them from being able to send it. Here’s how you can go about taking video applications. You can start a Google Drive folder and say, “Upload it to this folder.” You could also say, “Here’s a Dropbox folder—upload it there.” Another option, which might be a bit more advanced, is to have them upload it to YouTube, mark it unlisted, and send you the URL. That one’s great if you’re hiring for an office manager or virtual assistant who should be tech-savvy. The key to this is giving clear instructions. Even if it seems simple to upload to Dropbox or Google Drive, it’s still a good test because we’re not only testing them on what they say in the video but also how they follow directions. Do they come back saying, “I can’t figure this out”? If so, that’s a good indication they might not be tech-savvy enough. You don’t have to be an expert, but you do need to know how to send pictures or videos to clients. As for video length, I like one minute. It’s not the only answer, but I like it because it’s simple yet challenging—it tests if they can follow directions and stay concise. If you tell them one minute and they send three or four, that says something. Maybe they didn’t read carefully or they don’t respect boundaries. Maybe they’re nervous and ramble. If they ramble, that might be a red flag—imagine them at a client consultation. This is also a great test of following directions and respecting boundaries. Next, what types of questions are best for a video? I recommend inserting this in about phase three of your interview process. Maybe phase one is knockout questions, phase two is open-ended questions, and by phase three, you’ve narrowed it down to people you like. This is where you’ll see who’s serious. You’ll lose some applicants here, but that’s okay—it weeds out people who aren’t truly invested. Now, for video questions. Here are some I recommend. You can either give them a choice or just assign one. One good question is, “Why shouldn’t I hire you?” It’s unconventional and reveals personality and honesty. Another good one is, “Why should I hire you?” Ideally, they’ll reference your job description, showing they did their homework. Give them one minute to answer. Another option is, “Tell me the difference between caring for large dogs and small dogs,” or, “Tell me the difference between caring for a cat versus a dog.” You’ll see if they go with stereotypes or speak from experience and understanding. Video interviews reveal a lot. Don’t be discouraged if many drop off at this stage—it’s part of the filtering process. If you’re looking for someone who can handle social media, communicate well, and be proactive, this is essential. We’re all used to video now—even my 91-year-old grandmother uses Zoom. Don’t let your fear stop you. Another great benefit: if I send you a video of me, I’m more invested. It builds a connection and makes me more likely to follow through with the interview. It becomes a mutual relationship, not just you chasing them. As for the top five interview questions to find the right candidate, it depends on what you’re looking for. There’s no one-size-fits-all. For pet sitting and dog walking, focus on attention to detail, empathy, organization, and life balance. I also like to ask, “How much money do you need to make per month?” If they say they need $2,000 but your position starts around $800, that’s an opportunity to discuss expectations and availability early on. I can’t stress enough how effective video interviews are, especially when you use JazzHR. People in the mastermind who’ve tested this say the quality of applicants improves dramatically. Yes, some will drop off—but those who remain are serious. Don’t let your ego convince you you’re losing out on the “best” people. If following this process is important to you, stick with it. So I hope this helps you approach video applications with confidence. Give it a try and see what happens. So what did you think? Did you love this episode? I sure hope you did because I put a lot of love into this for you. The best way you can show me that is by going to iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or wherever you listen to your podcast and leaving a review. I just might read it on the next episode. I also want to remind you that when life gets you down, remember to always keep jumping. Thanks for listening.