Over recent months companies have had to find new ways to recruit candidates for their roles whilst dealing with office closures and adhering to social distancing rules. Technology has played a massive part in enabling this with companies using a range of methods from pre-recorded video interviews to live on-screen interviews via web based platforms.
There are a few different ways that companies are using these online methods for their recruitment process, pre-recorded video interviews are often used to filter candidates at an early stage, sometimes instead of a phone interview. These are usually done in your own time where you are typically invited to log in to a system where you are asked to answer a series of pre-recorded questions.
Live on-screen interviews on platforms such as Zoom, MS Teams and Skype are now often used instead of the more traditional face-to-face interview.
Virtual interviews can seem intimidating and there are potential pitfalls but the key to success is treating it as you would any other face-to-face interview. Prepare in the same way.
Here are a few things to consider when preparing for an online interview:
· Think about how you present yourself, your body language and mannerisms. Sit up straight and engage with the person you are talking to.
· As with any interview make sure you prepare properly, research the company and think about the questions you may be asked.
· Dress appropriately, wear what you would if you were meeting face-to-face, this puts you in the correct mindset and creates the right first impression.
· Think about your surroundings, what can the interviewer see in the background? A blank windowless wall is best but if that’s not possible make sure that the environment behind you in clean and tidy.
· Ensure the light is in front of you and not behind, if the light is behind, you will appear dark and harder for the interviewer to see.
· Make sure you a framed correctly on screen, test this out before starting the interview.
· Don’t talk over the other people on the video call.
More information regarding preparing for interviews can be found at https://ceresrecruitment.co.uk/candidatezone
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