Celebrity Personal Assistants, Inc. (CPAI) is shaking up the recruiting industry once again with the availability of “Interview Now†an option on its website allowing applicants to immediately interview for open positions. The agency is using SparkHire’s recordable video technology software for this solution. Applicants can interview from their computer or any iOS or Android device, including smartphones and tablets.
“Video interviewing is the future, with nearly 60% of North American companies currently using it in their recruiting process,†said Dr. Dionne Mahaffey, a business psychologist and the CEO of Celebrity Personal Assistants, Inc. (@Celebrity_PA). “The adoption of this innovative technology has been reserved for large enterprise companies with even larger budgets. It is rare to see a small boutique firm like ours—serving a very unique market —to leverage technology in this way. The video interviewing platform allows our agency’s recruiters to quickly identify and engage with the most suitable candidates for existing vacancies.â€
CPAI is no stranger to technology. Founded in 1999, the agency conducts nationwide searches to recruit the perfect business savvy professionals to aid celebrities, professional athletes and other high-profile individuals in their lifestyle management needs. Several years ago the agency provided a technology-based concierge management solution to the National Football League‘s Players Association (NFLPA); and offered online training classes to aspiring personal assistants for more than a decade. Known in “entertainment circles around the world” as the “staffing agency to the stars,” CPAI has found a unique, first-of-its-kind niche in the staffing industry.
“We receive hundreds of applications for each job that we post, said Tiffani Johnson, director of recruiting. “To remain competitive and to respond to the needs of our clients it is critical for us to continuously increase our productivity. It’s impossible for us to contact everyone that applies for a position. Our recruiters can’t be stuck going through hundreds of résumés and phone screens in the search for talent. This technology really increases our productivity and offers us the ability to eliminate the initial phone screen. We can now watch the candidates’ interviews and then contact the individuals that we want to present to our clients.â€
The video interviewing process is simple:
1.    Applicants visit www.CelebrityPersonalAssistants.com
2.    Click on “Find a Job†and then “Interview Now.â€
3. Â Â Â Register for the video interviewing platform.
4. Â Â Â If using a computer, verify that the webcam and microphone will work with the system.
Applicants are encouraged to record their interviews at a time when they are dressed professionally and have no distractions. With SparkHire’s recording technology, CPAI can also share the one-way video interviews with their clients. There is also a live interview option. The technology’s features allows CPAI to rank the interviews, add notes, and save each candidate’s interviews for future opportunities.
“Furthermore, by utilizing video interviews we can build a long-term sustainable pipeline of qualified candidates. Just because a candidate is not a fit for one client, it doesn’t mean that we will discard their interview. They may be suitable for another opening and having access to hundreds of saved interviews is an amazing feature,†Johnson concluded.