How to Excel at Video Interviews

With so many people working remotely, the world of recruitment has had to embrace online technology fast. Online video interviews are now standard in recruitment and recruiters have had to step up to the mark with technology. There’s much to learn with video interviews so find out how to tweak your online calls to showcase your company’s professionalism.

Get Technical  

Set up your video station in advance and test, test, test! Test the software, check your visual appearance on screen and check the room for unnecessary background distractions. Turn off the option to view yourself on video calls so you can give the candidate your full attention – otherwise it’s easy to end up looking at yourself. Reduce the number of issues in advance. 

Try to avoid setting up interviews with too many callers as any technical glitches or delay can be very distracting. As an alternative, video the interview and forward it to associated parties with emphasis on times of well-answered relevant questions. 

Don’t write off the candidate if there are technical difficulties. Rearrange the call rather than cancel. A poor connection can disrupt the natural flow of the conversation and throw off the interview but the candidate should not be penalised. 

Be Prepared

Being well prepared for any interview is essential for both the candidate and the recruiter and perhaps more so when it’s virtual. The awkward pauses that might happen seem amplified especially when on a call. Collaborate with the hiring manager about questions and practise a run through, if necessary. Shuffling papers and looking at notes is distracting and more obvious on screen. 

Allow time for the first few minutes to be small talk to relax the candidate and let them feel at ease. Jumping straight into questions can be disconcerting and may put the candidate on edge. Remember that you are representing your business culture – it’s important to leave them with a good impression.

First impressions count but try not to judge the candidate’s room as part of the interview. A video interview lets the business into the interviewee’s home giving unfettered access to their choice in décor and living arrangements. Try not to let that influence your decisions and focus on their experience and capabilities instead.