I’m often asked by clients and candidates if the video interview will continue to be part of the interview process. Well, this is what I think!
My personal view is they will, even when we return to the office. The video interview may evolve over time and perhaps be used for initial first stage interviews, with later stage interviews conducted in person, but I can’t see them going anywhere. They’re incredibly convenient and save candidates lots of time travelling to and from interviews.
So, if video interviews are going to continue be part of the recruitment process, I thought I’d share some tips to give you the best chance of success:
- Test the tech in advance! The last thing you want is to dial in to a video interview and the technology fail you, resulting in a frantic panic to contact your recruiter or interviewer.
- Charge it up. Your laptop battery dies and so does your chance of getting the job!
- Get your set up right. Working from home is great but make sure you keep the kids, pets, partners, roommates away. Try to de-clutter the space behind you (no dirty washing or ironing piles!) and close down other applications to avoid distractions. You need to be fully focused on the interview and not be distracted by emails from a colleague or your boss. Turn your mobile off or set it to airplane mode!
- Dress to impress. In other words, take off the gym gear or joggers and dress as you would for a face-to-face interview.
- Eye contact. It’s quite hard to stare at a small dot on your laptop but ensure you maintain eye contact with your webcam and not your own picture in the bottom of the screen.
- Sort your posture. Make sure you’re sitting straight. Slumping in your chair makes you look less engaged whereas sitting up straight gives you more presence and energy.
- Finally, if your cat does gatecrash, or your dog goes mental due to ANOTHER Amazon delivery, remain calm and relaxed. Take a breath, apologise and continue where you left off!
If you want some more advice on how to nail your interview then please get in touch with us at Astrum Search.