Have you asked candidates to carry out a video interview? For many, this will be a fairly new screening method. Make sure you get the best quality entries from them by sharing these top tips from online jobsite and video interview provider Foosle.com
There are some great pointers to get people camera ready and help them themselves off in the best way possible from the moment the camera starts rolling:
Get yourself camera ready
- Steer clear of white - It can give off a glare effect and wash you out. Most importantly, stay away from patterns as they, particularly thin stripes can cause an optical illusion of movement. Take every step to make sure the interview is focused on you and what you are saying.
- Set the right mood – Unlike face-to-face interviews you can choose where you carry out your interview. As tempting as it is to stick your graduation photo in the backdrop, we’d recommend opting for a simple background (not a white wall) with natural lighting. Set it up so the interview can see your head and shoulders only – straight on, get that laptop off your lap!
- Eliminate distractions - Cats leaping around, your parents, partner or sibling talking in the background and the sound of the washing machine won’t help you make a good impression. Find a quite space, warn those around you to keep the noise down for an hour and close the door behind you. Make it a phone-free zone.
- Test your technology – In the same way that you’d map out your route to a face-to-face interview and print off your CV make sure you are all set to go ahead of your video interview. Check your microphone works, check your camera works and get used to seeing yourself on a screen. You can do some test/mock video interviews with Foosle.com to make sure all of your technology is up to scratch and give the whole thing a go before the REAL interview.
- Make sure you are charged up – Whether you are using your laptop or tablet make sure it’s got enough juice to last you an hour and a half. This demonstrates preparedness, and more importantly, ensures you don’t disappear – that would be like getting up mid interviewing and storming out of the room
When the camera is rolling:
- Make eye contact – You want to set your camera up so that the lens sits eye level just above your hairline so you can make direct eye contact with it and the employer on the other side. Avoid taking your eyes away from this position otherwise you risk looking distracted, nervous and stumped.
- Look up not down – Think about camera angles. Positioning the camera by your hairline will make sure you look up rather than down, giving you a good, confident upright posture and face better definition. It’ll also help you avoid the dreaded double chin.
- Keep hand gestures to a minimum - Hand gestures are great in face-to-face interviews but in video interviews they can blur or fuzz up the picture making you look flustered rather than expressive. Try to keep all movements to a minimum, ideally just your face and head will move.
- Watch your posture – A bonus of video interviewing is that you can do it in the comfort of your own home! However, being in a space that you are comfortable in does increase the risk of slouching, squirming, fiddling and, dare we say, yawning. Just with any interview you need to follow the bum to the back of the chair rule and keep your shoulders back.
- SMILE!
What to invest in:
- Practice, practice and more practice
- A microphone
- A good camera
You can find more information about video interviewing on Foosle.com – click here to read more about how the technology can help candidates show employers the real person behind the CV and help employers cut back on the time and money spent hiring.