Author Archives: Lisa Avvocato

Prevent Imposter Interviews with Video

June 8th, 2012 | Posted by Lisa Avvocato in Video Conferencing - (1 Comments)

You can pay people to do pretty much anything nowadays; from landscaping and housekeeping to filing your taxes and even interviewing.

Wait, interviewing?  How is that even possible?

Think about it, the first round of interviews are usually done over the telephone by the recruiting or HR team.  The whole purpose is to weed out candidates so it’s typically very difficult to differentiate yourself. But, candidates know they must find a way in order to land that elusive face-to-face interview where they can win the job with their stunning personality and great interpersonal skills.

To gain an initial advantage, some candidates are paying imposters to perform the preliminary phone interview.  These people answer initial questions and explain “their” background based on the candidate’s resume.  Since they typically have significant interview experience, they are extremely polished with their answers and know how to differentiate themselves.  Unfortunately, due to sheer volume, it is extremely difficult to determine if a second round candidate is the same candidate that was on the phone.

How can this be prevented?

Well for starters, companies can begin replacing the initial phone interview with video interviews; because let’s face it, it’s pretty obvious when the candidate who shows up looks completely different from the person originally interviewed.  Cloud technology and desktop video applications not only make it possible but extremely easy to interview candidates over video.  Interoperability is a thing of the past; organizations can connect with candidates anytime, anywhere, using any combination of devices.

If video simply isn’t possible, ask the interviewee a few questions that cannot be obtained by looking at their resume.  Questions should focus on specific instances; such as a time they used their technical skills to complete a difficult project.  Not only are specific situations more difficult to forge answers to; they can easily be referenced and validated during the second interview.

If all else fails, record each phone interview and then do a voice comparison when the candidate comes to interview in person.  Although, it’s hard to imagine that option would be simpler than switching to video…but hey crazier things have happened!

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Sign of the Times: Video Remote Interpreting

June 6th, 2012 | Posted by Lisa Avvocato in Healthcare | Use Cases | Video Conferencing - (0 Comments)

At any given time there are several different languages being spoken in an emergency room.  Spouses, children, friends or relatives are usually there to interpret; but what happens when an interpreter is not immediately available?

Calling one over audio is an option; however, it can get extremely confusing handing phones back and forth while a remote third-party translates.  For the hearing impaired, Video Relay Services are an option; however, according to FCC regulations they are designated for telephone calls only and cannot be used when both hearing and hearing impaired parties are in the same room. 

Enter Video Remote Interpreting (VRI); a growing field that bridges the communication gap by translating spoken words into American Sign and other languages over video. An offsite interpreter hears the voices of those speaking and then relays the message into the camera which the other participant can hear or view on their screen. 

These services are extremely useful in hospital emergency rooms where quick communication between patients and caregivers is essential.  In smaller cities it can take a significant amount of time for an interpreter to arrive onsite; however, with VRI doctors and nurses can simply connect to a remote interpreter for instantaneous communication. 

A quick video from Paras and Associates explains how video is not only revolutionizing Telemedicine by providing access to medical specialists, but by providing immediate access to an interpreter.

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A Little CTS 1300 Magic

June 5th, 2012 | Posted by Lisa Avvocato in Audio Visual Integration | Cisco | Telepresence - (2 Comments)

What happens when you put a Cisco CTS 1300 and a couple of super genius IVCi audio visual designers in the same room?

A panoramic camera view that allows all three room segments to be captured, as well as, auto switches to the person speaking for a close up view.

With the help of several magic boxes, a few third party tools, and a whole lot of IVCi ingenuity, this truly unique design enables collaboration by not only allowing participants to view the presenter, but to view the other participants reactions.

Now you can easily bounce back and forth between meeting participants without losing sight of what really matters!

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Finding Long Lost Friends In The Cloud

June 1st, 2012 | Posted by Lisa Avvocato in Cloud Services | Video Conferencing - (0 Comments)

I spent my childhood in St. Louis, MO and by the time I graduated high school I was ready to leave. I decided to go to college 1200 miles away in Boston and eventually moved to New York where I’ve finally settled down. Now, my best friends and I are all scattered across the country – Denver, Chicago, St. Louis, Phoenix, Washington, DC. We went from seeing each other every day to only during the summers and holidays and now it’s been a few years since we’ve all gotten together as a group.

Last year we were talking about getting a group trip together but schedules just never seem coordinate properly and trying to agree on a central location was practically impossible. As we continued through our crazy lives I couldn’t help but miss those crazy slumber parties and wondered how we can stay in touch better.

Then one day, while talking to my friend it hit me, why don’t we start a book club over video chat?  Shortly thereafter the most amazing idea was created.

Wine Wednesdays! One part book club, two parts happy hour, and six parts great laughs and good conversation.

Since we are all avid readers, we selected a fun book to read; then about a month later, we all gathered in a cloud meet-me room with our books and bottles of wine. We started sharing our thoughts on the book and as the night (and wine) progressed we were reminiscing and sharing funny stories of things that this book reminded us of. Next thing I knew it was going on 1am and my husband was yelling it’s bed time, you have work tomorrow.

So we all said goodbye and vowed to do it again soon because it was completely amazing and so much fun. We recently picked our next book which I am eagerly reading because I cannot wait for our next date. Although, I think we’re going to move Wine Wednesday to a Friday because I’m just not cutout for late night drinking on work nights.

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Using Goals to Inspire Better Performance

May 31st, 2012 | Posted by Lisa Avvocato in Collaboration | Use Cases - (1 Comments)

Video conferencing benefits managers of remote workers in several ways, including strengthening relationship through face-to-face communications. But what are some other ways managers can use video to increase motivation among geographical dispersed teams?

Collaborative goal setting.

Participation in the goal setting process increases both employee commitment and goal attainment as employees accept greater ownership and responsibility. During this process, managers should make sure goals and incentives are aligned with the firm’s overall mission and goals. For example, paying a bonus based on quantity of work produced is counterproductive if the firm’s goals are based on quality of work produced.

After goals have been set, managers should review performance on a quarterly or even monthly basis. Periodic feedback about progress improves performance and accomplishment of goals because potential issues or areas for improvement are addressed rather than put off until the next review period.  This allows employees to immediately correct their actions thereby increasing performance. Additionally, periodic reviews allow managers to strengthen relationships with their team members through open and honest communications.

Here are a few additional tips regarding goals:

  1. Difficult goals produce better performance but people may abandon goals they perceive as impossible.
  2. Specific and measurable hard goals are more effective than “do your best” goals.
  3. In teams, individual goals can produce negative results as employees become more competitive and less cooperative.

The last piece of the puzzle revolves around possible incentives for achieving goals. While monetary bonuses are typically the “go to” choice; they are not always feasible nor the most effective in motivating employees. Studies have shown that when tasks become more complicated individuals are more motivated by the opportunity to work on more challenging projects than a monetary reward. An interesting video from RSA Animate goes into a little more detail about the surprising things that really motivate us.

The bottom line is, encourage participation in the goal setting process and get creative when developing rewards. Not only will productivity and performance improve, employees will be happier and more fulfilled with their job.

 

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