Legally Blonde-style video CVs go mainstream in UAE, but are they discriminatory?

Anyone who’s see the movie Legally Blonde can testify to the appeal of a video application. If that format works for a Harvard Law School essay (in film at least), why not for jobs in general?

That seems to be the thinking behind a video job application feature launched by regional classifieds website dubizzle. The new tool is intended to reinvent the application process for candidates, while creating a quick and useful screening filter for recruiters.

While not new to the region – or indeed to some industries – it's the first time a jobs site in the UAE is offering the service to all applicants.

dubizzle's videos can range from between 10 seconds to two minutes and are to be recorded directly on the job page they are viewing. Once satisfied with their take, the video is automatically sent through to the recruiter. The feature is free to use and candidates can reuse or re-record video applications for other jobs they may be interested in.

The site reports an average of 3.4 million visits to its jobs section each month. “Our jobs section receives huge volumes of traffic and we continuously work to enhance the user experience,” Mireia Mujika, Product Manager, dubizzle Jobs, says in a statement.

She says video applicants will rocket to the top of the CV pile. “Through the new tool, recruiters will see a small video symbol next to the candidate’s application on their dubizzle jobs dashboard. These will be positioned on the top of the pile of applicants who have sent through their CVs, immediately giving the applicant with a video CV a competitive advantage over others, and allowing recruiters to focus on screening out unsuitable applicants and scheduling interviews with candidates that are better matched for the role they are advertising,” she adds.

For recruiters, the video job application feature offers a snap shot of an applicant’s basic knowledge and demeanour from the moment they apply, saving time that would otherwise be spent sifting through high volumes of written CVs. To put this into perspective, in 2015 there were over 285,250 jobs ads listed on dubizzle, with an average of 240 applicants per position.

Asma Bajawa of the Managing Director, People First HR Consultancy says video job applications can help candidates present themselves to a potential employer in a more impactful way and put their best foot forward. "It gives the applicant an opportunity to highlight exactly what they want a potential employer to know about them by pulling out key aspects of their CV, so candidates should think clearly about the message they want to convey," she tells GN Focus via email.

Downside

Unfortunately, in a market where jobs are often awarded by nationality and where diversity is often little more than lip service, applicants that don’t fit pre-determined physical filters may be instantly weeded out.

However, that says more about the recruiters and the companies they work for than about the applicant. "I don’t believe a video job application can hurt any more than the current process. If an employer is going to discriminate against physical attributes such as race or appearance, then this will happen anyway. A video job application will probably help a candidate not to waste time with employers that are not interested in them because of their race," Bajawa says.

dubizzle's Mujika agrees. "Video applications are a great way to save both the employer’s and potential candidate’s time. CVs with photos, as well as initial screening interviews, can leave ground for discrimination – it all depends on the employers and on their best practices and ethics. If the recruiter or the hiring party takes a discriminatory approach then they would not stop at a video application," she tells GN Focus. "We serve as an intermediary to connect both parties, thus expect recruiters to screen each candidate ethically and based on the job seekers’ qualifications in relation to the vacancy they are applying to."

Blondes, in other words, have as much of a chance as anyone else.