The rise of digital video technology coupled with the need for an effective way to funnel large amounts of candidates through the job application process led former recruiting and talent acquisition professionals, Michael Bonk and Patrick Foy to establish Expressume Inc. in Delafield.
Expressume is a web-based video talent acquisition solution for business clients.
“Candidates interested in an available position can establish their own online professional profile, complete with video and also the capability for video interviewing and video conferencing through the use of web cam,” said Foy, vice president and co-founder of the company.
Company recruiters and human resource professionals can electronically search the profiles for specific qualifications, Foy said.
Kurt Heikkinen was brought on as president and CEO of the company in March. He has more than 20 years of experience in the enterprise software and software as a service industry.
“The cost savings associated with this software in both time and travel costs are significant,” Heikkinen said. “With traditional hiring methods recruiters have to sort through those candidates one by one just using their resume, which traditionally tells you very little about the candidate.”
Companies using the Expressume platform are able to ask candidates specific job related questions and are able to search for and review qualified candidates at a much faster rate than traditional methods, Heikkinen said.
“With traditional methods a recruiter might be able to screen and evaluate two or three candidates in an hour,” he said. “Expressume increases that number to 15 to 20 candidates an hour.”
The Expressume platform also allows firms to conduct live video conferencing sessions with an unlimited number of people.
The video conferencing capabilities allow the client company to conduct first and even second round interviews online, said Bonk, vice president and co-founder of the company.
If a company or a prospective job candidate doesn’t have a web cam, Expressume can ship them one at no extra charge, Foy said.
“The hiring process is very collaborative, time consuming and complex especially for distributed hiring teams,” Heikkinen said. “More and more you see four or five managers sitting in on an interview with a potential job candidate. The online platform allows for that as well.”
Client companies can also choose to record an interview, in case a key component of the hiring process isn’t available. The recruiter can simply watch the interview at a later time when it’s convenient for them, Heikkinen said.
According to Foy, Expressume has worked extensively with a legal team to make sure the platform doesn’t violate any discriminatory hiring laws.
“The platform is set up in such a way that recruiters can’t search by anything discriminatory,” he said. “They can only search qualifications and experience. The video conferencing technology should be treated exactly like a first interview,” Foy said.
“Geographically, talent acquisitions are being made from different parts of the country,” Bonk said. “With our technology you don’t have to incur the cost of flying a candidate in only to find out he or she isn’t a good fit for the company in the first initial minutes of the interview.”
The video conferencing and interview platform is used extensively by Expressume’s international clients, Bonk said.
“Some of our corporate clients have saved upwards of $200,000 a year just in travel costs,” Heikkinen said.
Expressume targets corporate clients, Heikkinen said. They currently work with companies like MillerCoors, Brown-Forman, a global distributor of wine and spirits, RJ Reynolds, the Milwaukee School of Engineering and PK Ware. The company is looking at adding several new clients in the next month, he said.
“Clients are very interested in emerging technology,” Heikkinen said. “This software lets them realize time and cost savings in the hiring process they never could before.”
Expressume makes it easier for companies to find the qualified talent they need, a major challenge in the hiring process, Heikkinen said.
“Key industries are struggling now with a shortage of skilled individuals in the workforce,” he said. “Unemployment numbers across the country are high, but it has become even more difficult for recruiters to find a match for specific qualifications. Expressume allows recruiters to search through those profiles more quickly and efficiently.”
