THE VIDEO INTERVIEW IS HERE TO STAY; THESE ARE THE TOP 5 “FAILS” & HOW TO AVOID THEM!
DEAR “MODERN & HIGHLY DESIRED CANDIDATE”
***THE VIDEO INTERVIEW IS HERE TO STAY; THESE ARE THE TOP 5 “FAILS” & HOW TO AVOID THEM!***
Job seekers may be unintentionally sabotaging their virtual interviews, according to recent survey data. Fortunately, with a little preparation, these mistakes can be easily avoided.
Despite a growing number of companies mandating their workers return to the office, an unchallenged, pandemic-inspired, work trend that is expected to continue is the virtual interview process.?
So much as 34% of employers currently offer an exclusively virtual interview process for perm. hires with almost 21% of these companies only resorting to any in-person interviews for final round!
In fact, <20% of survey participants stated that most of their company’s interviews take place in-person. That’s a serious change from how we all used to operate so plenty of new skills to master & lessons to learn.
(The stats for contract roles were not collected but anecdotally almost ALL selection processes are now a virtual exercise for obvious reasons!)
The general rule of thumb dictates, If the role can be delivered remotely then so too should the selection process.
GIVEN THIS BACK DROP, THE IMPORTANCE OF PRESENTING ONESELF WELL “VIRTUALLY” IS A CRITICAL CAREER SKILL (.. and not just for interviews)
When employers were asked to identify the worst offenses a candidate can commit during a virtual interview,?five surfaced as the biggest deal-breakers .?
Fortunately, with preparation, these mistakes can be easily avoided. Take the following steps to prepare for your next virtual interview (meeting), and avoid sabotaging your chances of landing (and keeping) the perfect opportunity.
1.?????REDUCE NOISE POLLUTION?
If you live in a busy household let everyone know when you have an interview / follow up, to prevent any interruptions or surprises. Come up with a plan to have time to focus on this important process, be it simply taping a sign to the door of your chosen quiet space, bribe the kids and get the dog walked & settled!?
It’s also a good idea to close windows, invest in a reliable/quality pair of headphones and turn the AC off (down).
2.?????CREATE A PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE?
While it’s a no-brainer that you should avoid sitting in a messy room during a video interview, it’s sometimes challenging to find a suitable spot in your home.?
Your usual remote workspace may be an unsuitable backdrop for a video interview, test a few options around your home during different times of the day to find spaces that are ideal no matter when you’re needed online.
While there’s a time and place for using virtual backgrounds, a job interview isn’t one of them. You should only apply a virtual background during a video interview as a last resort.
Remember, your goal is to create a distraction-free environment for your interview; the last thing you want when you’re trying to build rapport is a distracting virtual background that might be considered inappropriate or unexpectedly makes your hands, head, or hair disappear.?
Once you find your interview spot, test the audio and video to ensure the sound is clear, the lighting is strong, and the laptop is the right height. Half a head is doubly bad!?
It’s always an unnecessary risk to leave unrelated browser tabs or programs open on your screen during a video interview. You never know when you might be asked to share your screen and accidentally expose an inappropriate Slack conversation, a confidential work email, or a questionable tab to your potential new boss.?
Even if you don’t expect to share your screen during the video conversation, there’s always a chance an application could start dinging or a random pop-up ad will begin playing from a window and interrupt your interview.
Play it safe by closing all windows and applications on your laptop and muting any default
And as for the subject of dress! I make some generalisations here but forgive me as I try to make the point. The younger population have a compelling tendency to “overly” dress down ,(how people are dressed on their web site was probably not what they wore at interview), the opposite is true of the mature who “over egg it” and almost exclude themselves from the get go by dressing too smart and missing the cultural balance. You will know your target audience so try to be at least one click more to the professional. Over V’s Under always.
领英推荐
You are in an interview, and you don’t want that classic Iron Maiden Tee to become a distraction or how they remember you. Please make sure you look business ready; a bad fitting suit or shirt portrays the wrong image; a vest comes over as “you really don’t care!” Being half dressed might seem like a laugh, right up until you get an Amazon delivery and need to run to the door showing off your Xmas pj bottoms!!! But most of all be comfortable, it’s most important to project the real you.
3.?????TRY TO MASTER YOUR NERVS AND SHOW THE BEST VERSION OF YOU.
*** IT IS ALWAYS WORTH REMEMBERING THAT INTERVIEWERS WANT TO HIRE YOU NOT FIND RESONS TO REJECT YOU - THEY HAVE JOBS TO FILL AND NEED YOU***
Making the right amount of eye contact during an interview is crucial to establishing trust with the interviewer, conveying your confidence, demonstrating professionalism, and indicating your interest in the opportunity. When your eyes are rapidly blinking, darting around the screen, or looking away from the interviewer, it gives the impression that you’re being dishonest, extremely nervous, or unsure of your responses—none of which will leave a good impression with the interviewer.?
If you’re having difficulty figuring out where to look at the screen to make eye contact, perform a test run with a friend. It helps if you can practice using the same platform (e.g., Zoom, Google Meeting, Microsoft Teams) that you need for the interview. Once you’ve figured out exactly where you should be looking on your screen, place a post-it note or a small piece of masking tape on that spot. When it’s time for the actual interview, resize the screen that displays your interviewer and move it to that spot before removing your note or tape. That way, you can look directly at the person who is speaking to you and know that you’re maintaining eye contact with them.?
As you make eye contact throughout the interview, smile into the camera, and lean in slightly toward the laptop to engage your interviewer and build the right connection through the screen. Try recording a mock interview with a tool like?Interview School ?or?Career.io ?to practice your body language—from your eye contact, to your facial expressions and hand movements—during virtual interviews.
4.?????GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND
***DO YOUR PREPARATION***
There is NEVER an acceptable excuse for not investing time to learn about the company and people willing to interact with you!
Things to consider:
5.?????PREPARE FOR THE UNEXPECTED
Although participants in the?hiring survey ?indicated that encountering technical issues, such as a bad internet connection, is one of the least critical issues a candidate can have during a virtual interview, that doesn’t make it any less unnerving for the job seeker who’s already nervous about their interview.
To ease some of these concerns, download or update the necessary software or app at least a few hours prior to the interview to ensure everything is properly working before your scheduled meeting. If you are worried about having spotty Wi-Fi due to an impending storm or other situation outside of your control, be proactive in your communication and devise a back-up plan. Libraries are geared up to help, friends and neighbours will try to help but if there is a problem do have alternative times ready to suggest.
If you take these steps to rid your interview space of potential distractions, you’ll be able to focus on what really matters—connecting with the interviewer across the screen:
Do learn the importance of having great interview skills and how failing the basic VR etiquette can limit your options and career accelerators?
Good Luck
GG