How to: Nail Your Next Video Interview
Covid-19 has not only changed the way we live our everyday lives but has also changed the way we work. Recruiting has been no different! 2020 has been the year of “virtual recruitment.” Most companies have forgone in-person interviews and now rely on Zoom and other video conferencing platforms to try and get to know their candidates in a more personal setting, rather than just a phone call. What you might not know, is that this leaves you (the candidate), with the advantage. Here are our four top tips to help you nail your next video interview.
1. Check your background
Although the hiring manager does not have a chance to shake your hand and talk to you in person, they can still see you. One of the most important things you can do during a video interview is control your environment (to the best of your ability). Although you might have a sweet collection of modern art, you do not want your background to distract from what you are saying. It is important to make sure you are in a quiet space with a neutral background so your experience and skill set can take center stage!
2. Dress the part
Before video interviews we like to tell our candidates to treat it as if you were meeting the hiring manager face-to-face. Although you think you might be safe because the video will only from be from waist up, you never know what might happen during an interview. The last thing you want is to be caught wearing business professional clothes up top with superman PJs under the desk.
3. Come with notes
Never before has a candidate been able to have more information in front of them than with a video interview. Take advantage of this opportunity and have notes and questions written down off camera as little reminders to yourself. Just try not to be too obvious when glancing over- make sure to maintain eye contact with your interviewer!
4. Test your tech
Although video-interviews have been a great substitute for in-person interviews, they also offer up new challenges. More specifically, technical difficulties. We cannot emphasize how vital it is to test out the meeting links before your interview. We always suggest asking a friend or family member to hop on a Zoom meeting to ensure that you have the program downloaded correctly and that everything runs smoothly. More often than not, candidates may have trouble connecting to audio when taking a Zoom call from a phone. This can usually be fixed by manually changing permissions on your phone to allow the app to use your microphone. Overall, almost all issues can be figured out with a test run. Better to be safe than sorry!