According to recruiting tech entrepreneur Omer Molad, an interview should focus on what people can do and how they can contribute. All the rest is conversation.
The issue on diversity and inclusion in hiring has not been far off the media headlines during the past year or so as tolerance towards bad behaviours or lopsided power structures continue to decrease.
However, in the midst of this chaos lies opportunity for change, and recruiting tech entrepreneur, Omer Molad, saw this as the perfect opportunity to help big businesses solve their diversity and inclusion hiring issues.
“We started Vervoe, about two years ago, and it is an advanced interview platform where it is all about merit,” says Omer.
Vervoe helps employers vet candidates simultaneously – and at scale – for their merit, eliminating bias in the interviewing process by asking targeted questions and prompting candidates to demonstrate their skills rather than their pedigree. This helps hiring managers hire individuals who may not have come from a certain pre-conceived background or industry, but from a place where skill, merit and culture fit come together.
It also boasts a comprehensive library of interview questions for different roles, that hiring managers can use to help them make the best decision about a candidate.
“It is about figuring out whether candidates can do the job, seeing them in action, watching them perform the tasks that are relevant to the job and allowing the hiring manager to evaluate them based on their performance,” Omer adds.
The idea of Vervoe came about as a result of Omer’s personal experience looking for a job when he first moved to Australia 18 years ago. On paper, he is the perfect candidate – he went to the best high school in Israel, was an officer in the military, spoke perfect English and has extensive experience in the start-up space.
“All of a sudden I was the guy with a funny sounding name from the Middle East with no degree, and I couldn’t get an interview anywhere. I kind of didn’t fit the mould and that left me with a sense that the game is rigged, and people are getting plucked out from the pile based on how good they look, sometimes literally,” says Omer.
Omer’s predicament is not unique, judging by the results from a 2010 experimental study that was conducted by researchers at Australian National University. Job seekers with Chinese or Middle Eastern names were found to have to submit 50 percent more applications in order to receive a similar number of call backs as candidates with Anglo-sounding names.
The situation has not seemed to improve, and in a more recent study conducted by economists at University of Sydney candidates with Anglo names were found to be three times more likely to be invited for interviews, as compared to those with Chinese names.
“It is really important to encourage employers to have an open mind and give people a chance,” Omer says, “There are just some incredible people out there, and a piece of paper or a name doesn’t tell their story.”
If you would like to see other recruitment technologies that will help you enhance your interviewing process, do check out the Innovation Lab at the ATC2018! Tickets still available.
