An open letter to the CEOs who let their “talent acquisition innovators” run amok
Dear Corporate Captains, Masters of LinkedIn Posts, and Buyers of Obnoxiously Oversized Desk Globes,
It’s time we had a little chat. You — sitting in your air-conditioned fortresses of shareholder value and aggressively neutral wall art — need to get your house in order. Specifically, I’m looking at you, the so-called stewards of decency, who have allowed your fresh-faced, “disruptor” recruiters to turn the hiring process into an obstacle course of indignity. Yes, I’m talking about the absurd trend of demanding interview videos from job candidates.
A picture of absurdity
Let’s paint the picture, shall we? Somewhere out there, a qualified human — we’ll call them Alex — has spent hours polishing their resume, crafting a cover letter that sings your praises (despite the fact that your company mission statement is indistinguishable from any other soulless corporate bromide), and submitting their application into the digital void of your Applicant Tracking System. But instead of getting a real conversation, Alex gets an email — bright, chirpy, with just a whiff of menace. And the kicker? This isn’t for some high-stakes role that might justify a bit of extra hoop-jumping. No, this absurdity often rears its head for part-time contract gigs — the kind of jobs where candidates probably already have to calculate whether gas money makes the whole thing worth it.
“We’re excited to move forward with your application! Please record a 3–5 minute video answering the following questions.”
Questions that, let’s face it, were cobbled together by someone who’s read one self-help book and thinks Simon Sinek is a philosopher. Questions like:
- “What motivates you to wake up every morning?” (Coffee and existential dread, but you can’t say that.)
- “Describe a time you overcame a challenge.” (How about this moment, right now, trying not to scream?)
- “If you were an animal, what would you be and why?” (A bear, so I could hibernate and skip this nonsense.)
The dehumanizing reality
Do you see the problem here? These video interviews are not a test of skill or potential. They are a performance. A goddamn pageant for the desperate, where the prize isn’t a tiara but the chance to maybe, possibly, have a conversation with a real human being. You’ve turned job hunting into a Black Mirror episode, where candidates are no longer judged on their abilities but on how convincingly they can mimic the enthusiasm of a motivational speaker on their third Red Bull. And let’s not forget, no candidate wants to be on your corporate Christmas party video B-roll, smiling awkwardly in grainy 720p like some kind of digital prisoner.
Let me spell it out for you, CEOs: This is not innovation. This is cruelty dressed up in corporate jargon.
The HR smoke screen
Your “People Ops” or “Talent Acquisition” wunderkinds will tell you this process saves time, that it lets them “get to know candidates better.” But that’s a goddamn lie. What it really does is allow your recruiters to reject people based on arbitrary bullshit — the lighting in their apartment, the quiver in their voice, or the fact that they don’t look like a pre-programmed LinkedIn influencer. It’s lazy, dehumanizing, and a spectacular waste of everyone’s time.
And don’t think for a second I’m buying the “saves time” excuse. I’d bet my last cup of shitty office coffee that these video hurdles are less about efficiency and more about giving your overstaffed HR department something to do. Dragging out the hiring process keeps the illusion of “busy work” alive, doesn’t it? After all, if everything ran smoothly and candidates were hired with a modicum of respect, what the hell would your “disrupters” do all day? You’ve let them turn job hunting into a never-ending audition just to justify their own damn jobs.
The exodus of talent
Meanwhile, your best candidates are walking away. They see the video request and think, “Do I really want to work for a company that thinks my ability to answer canned questions on camera is a measure of my worth?” And they’re right to ask. Because if this is how your organization treats people at the door, what fresh hell awaits them inside?
A plea for sanity
So here’s my plea to you, oh mighty CEOs: Reclaim your dignity — and ours. Put a leash on your HR disruptors and tell them to ditch the video nonsense. Go back to what worked before the tech bros convinced you that hiring should be a glorified TikTok audition. Try having an actual conversation with candidates. You might be surprised how much you can learn from a simple phone call, or — brace yourself — an in-person meeting.
Human beings aren’t content creators auditioning for your amusement. They’re people. Treat them like it.
Yours in exasperation,
A Fellow Human (who will absolutely not be recording a video for your job application)
Will Kelly is a writer, content strategist, and keen observer of the IT industry. Medium is home to his personal writing projects. His professional interests include generative AI, cloud computing, DevOps, and collaboration tools. He has written for startups, Fortune 1000 firms, and leading industry publications, including CIO and TechTarget. Follow him on X: @willkelly. You can also follow him on BlueSky: willkelly.bsky.social.
