Michael DeSafey | Executive Recruiter and HR Professional
Video Conference Interviews – Set The Stage!!!
As a professional recruiter who has been working recruiting professionals in the environmental, engineering and construction industries for over 18 years now at Webuild Staffing I have seen many extremely qualified candidates get intimidated by a video conference interview situation.
As more and more people are relocating for business these days and technology advances the video conference interview is becoming more and more common in the interview process. This type of interview speeds up the interview process for employers and allows both the candidate and interviewer the opportunity to “feel out” a situation without a significant commitment to time and travel.
Don’t let the camera and microphone intimidate you – it’s just a normal interview after all!!
If however, you are not familiar with the technology behind using your webcam; make sure you allow time to learn the hardware and software technology before the interview, by testing the webcam and conducting a mock interview on your own before the actual interview. Set the stage, test things out, and practice your video conference interview skills beforehand.
Beyond the technology aspect you should treat this just like a regular interview. Make sure you do your preliminary research on the company and the position itself just as you would any other in person interview. Dress just as you normally would (proper pants/skirt too in case you stand up or move around) and make sure to create an interview friendly atmosphere around you. Eliminate any distractions, phone ringers, radios, and other people talk around you. Make sure any information you may need or want to refer to, as well as, a glass of water is in front of you.
Be aware of what may be showing in the background and clean up any distractions and clutter. Utilizing the picture in picture feature also will allow you to be aware of just what the interviewer is seeing from your end. On that same note be aware that the microphone will also amplify all the noises around you. So the pen you are tapping, the paper you are shuffling or foot you are tapping will probably add to background noise and be a distraction during the interview.
When in doubt just treat this as though you were in the same room with the interviewer and let your conduct follow the traditional expectations of any in person interview.
Michael DeSafey is a leading executive recruiter for professionals in the construction, engineering and environmental industries. He is currently the President of Webuild Staffing (www.webuildstaffing.com). To learn more about Michael or Follow his Blog please visit www.michaeldesafey.com