Interviews – they can be confusing, stressful, and exciting in the best of times! Whether this is your first interview or you are a seasoned interviewee you will need to adapt to telephone and video interviews for the foreseeable future.

Changing Interviewing Methods

Even though I hope the traditional methods of meeting candidates face to face does not become a thing of the past, alternative methods must be used going forward for the foreseeable future.

Video interviewing has already been widely used in the past 4 weeks on whichever platforms clients feel most accustomed to. Personally, I have been using Zoom to great effect to meet with new candidates and for preparing candidates for interview.

Many of the below suggestions may seem common sense to many but each of the below I have personally encountered in the last month and I would suggest are DO NOT’s (where possible) during your interviews.

Things not to do on a Video Interview:

• Having partners & children walking around in the background ( even if it does cause amusement at times)
• Having an unprofessional background
• A poor internet connection
• Getting distracted by things such as work computer screens or your phone
• Fiddling with items around you or on your desk
• Discussing COVID-19 in such detail that the interview is left with little time

I understand we are having to function outside of normal parameters but we are still trying to reach the same goals therefore the same level of commitment, seriousness and preparation is as paramount now as if you were meeting someone in their office face to face, there shouldn’t be a difference in your approach.

Interview tips for Video Interview Success:

• Ensure the device you are holding the meeting on is at head height, stable and has a solid internet connection.
• Log in to the link provided or test your system with a friend/recruiter the day before to make sure everything is working.
• Note how you look on the device – are you close enough, is the quality good enough, do you need to move rooms for a better background / lighting?
• Speak louder than you would usually throughout the interview and still be sure to use body language to communicate and get your answers across.
• Be yourself. It may feel unnatural interviewing through video, but personality will always be high on the hiring managers agenda, so be sure to get this across and be yourself.
• Dress appropriately – I appreciate a suit etc may be a little extravagant, but this is still an interview after all.

It seems to me that some candidates are being more relaxed around the preparation required and the interview itself. This is still a professional interview, and the endeavours you would usually go to for a face to face interview should be followed. Please do not make this mistake, an interview is an interview which ever method the client chooses! GOOD LUCK…