Earlier quoted context omitted.
OP here! We did a very thorough research about the pre-screening. We thought that technical skills was the central thing, so we had a technical assessment as the centre piece in the pre-screening. However, surprisingly this did not make much of a difference for the companies. They didn't contact more the people who have passed the technical screening, they almost never looked at the test scores. As long as the person…
The problem with video screenings is that as a hiring manager, the "gut feeling" that you get when you see a "good fit" is heavily biased to favor people that look, think, and act like you do. And physical attractiveness absolutely has a measurable effect on that feeling, regardless of whether you are aware of it or not. Those people may or may not be the best candidates for the job. To say otherwise is to deny human…
But the candidate will go to interview with the hiring manager at some point, this cannot be avoided. Then it is in the best interest of everyone to get those things out of the way as early as possible.
It's also a cultural thing, I believe. I have lived in Denmark the past ~10 years, and in Denmark the human part is very important for building trust - seeing the person, talking with the person. Denmark is not so big on long contracts, it's more about the personal relation.