New digital-first ways of hiring are helping candidates find work

When Madison Norman pursued a marketing communications manager job at productivity software company Frameable, she submitted her résumé, a four-minute video and a sample blog post. Ultimately, she inched out the other 800 candidates, landing the plum job in January.
The video required answering two questions, capped at two minutes each: “Tell me about a time when you failed or made a mistake?” and “Why do you want to work here?”

“The video format allowed my enthusiasm to shine,” said Norman. “While it was nerve-wracking and a bit awkward to participate in a one-way video interview, it was important for the organization to assess candidates’ verbal communication skills.”

In addition to résumés, Frameable requires video interviews for all applicants who will work remotely outside its Manhattan office.

“We’re looking for energy, insightfulness, humility, a growth mindset and the ability to draw on directly and indirectly relevant experience to deliver results,” said Frameable CEO Adam Riggs.

Videos are a trending hiring tool — in fact, they’re a requirement on NuuWork, a new job marketplace platform that matches workers with freelance projects, focusing on e-commerce and B2B digital marketing.

Shannan Monson, entrepreneur and founder of NuuWork, said, “We want to connect top talent — it’s very high touch. There are hardworking humans who are adapting, learning new skills, and there’s not a great place right now for companies to find them. They’re on social media and companies aren’t quite there yet.”

Résumés aren’t even a requirement at NuuWork, whereas the one-minute video reels that showcase talent, skills and personalities are a must. Project seekers can introduce themselves and upload work samples to the platform for free. They can also create a sample artifact, like a blog post a company wants written.

“It’s the whole concept of try before you buy,” said Monson.

NuuWork then selects the top candidates for the available projects and shares them with employers.

Additional hiring trends include fast offers, group interviews and, sometimes, no interview at all.

“Our industry is so competitive right now,” said Matt Bretzius, president and partner of public relations and marketing firm FischTank PR in FiDi. “There have been times we’ve had to make an offer almost immediately after a single interview — same day — or risk losing the candidate.”

Harley Lippman, CEO of Genesis10, a professional technology services firm in Midtown, is seeing bulk groups of candidates for hiring days. “This has often been a trend for lower-level roles, but we are seeing it more regularly for high-paying leadership or IT roles,” he said. “We’re seeing some clients allowing offers to go out to candidates without an actual interview. Often, the candidates are required to do an online skills assessment prior to the offer.”

From opportunistic hiring (signing on talent whenever you find it, rather than when the need arises) to overpaying (getting extremely aggressive in salary), the majority of changes favor candidates.

“The great disparity in supply and demand has created a job market heavily in favor of the worker,” said Lippman. “Many workers are taking advantage of these favorable conditions. It’s a great time for workers to look for a new job, career transitions or seek jobs that offer greater work-life balance or flexibility.”

In order to help candidates explore wider horizons, this summer, NuuWork will launch certifications for new skills, such as lead generation for freelancers. The subscription-based model will charge $99 per month or $497 for each certification.

This kind of upskilling should be a constant priority. Michael Clinton, author of “Roar: Into the Second Half of Your Life (Before It’s Too Late),” (Atria Books/Beyond Words, 2021) and special media adviser to the CEO of Hearst Corporation, said, “Upskilling will be critical, especially with the new longevity. Millennials and Gen Z will have a 60-year career versus the 40-year career of their parents. This will mean a commitment to lifelong learning with courses, certificates and more.”

Joanna Chavers, director of people and engagement at staffing agency and recruiting firm Atrium in NoMad, emphasized the “more.”

“Networking with others in your field, joining groups, participating in webinars and conferences that pertain to your job responsibilities and your industry — even outside of your exact responsibilities — are all steps you can take to expand your knowledge base and skill set,” she said.

Flexibility is key, added Monson.

“When you have people that have been waiting for change for a long time and they see an opportunity to be a part of that, they’re excited,” she said. “Companies can feel the pain of the current system being broken and they’re open to new ideas. It creates really incredible work environments. There’s no reason that work shouldn’t be something that we love and we’re obsessed with — everybody wins. That’s the goal.”