Facebook Live. TikTok. YouTube.
Video is exploding across social media – with Facebook videos being viewed 8 billion times and YouTube receiving over 30 million visitors every day.
So, perhaps it comes as no surprise that video is making its way across to recruitment, too. A Sparkfire survey revealed that 63% of HR managers currently or have recently used video interviewing as part of the hiring process.
So what do you, as a candidate, need to know if you’re invited for either a live or pre-recorded video interview?
Here – with some valuable tips from video expert Jo Haywood from Skylark Media – are the dos and don’ts of video interviews.
Live interviews
As we all know from live sporting events and news streams, there’s always plenty that can go wrong when filming live.
So, if you’re invited for a live job interview – be it on Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, or something else – preparation is key. As well as the following dos and don’ts.
Let’s start with the more technological dos and don’ts, and then we’ll cover our behavioral dos and don’ts.
Technological dos and don’ts
Do – Test your equipment, internet connection, and audio/video quality before starting. You might be the best candidate they’re interviewing – but if they can’t see or hear you, they’ll never know.
Don’t – Connect before you’ve checked your surroundings. A bedroom filled with dirty laundry, an office with confidential documents scattered over the desk or a cafe with someone watching funny YouTube videos in the background won’t give the right impression.
Do – Find a well-lit and quiet spot where you can hear clearly and talk freely. This doesn’t necessarily need to be at home.
“You could find a quiet spot in a museum, or in the computer room at the public library,” advises Jo. “Choose somewhere that makes sense in the context of your interview and explain why you’re there straight away.”
Don’t – Use your mobile. It can lead to shaky camera work and impact your confidence and concentration, too.
“People talk a lot with their hands,” says Jo. “It can feel quite artificial if one of those hands is holding a mobile phone. In addition, concentrating on too much at once will likely cause you to lose focus.”
“Concentrating on too much at once will likely cause you to lose focus.”
If you do need to use a mobile, use it horizontally to match the computer screen of the interviewer on the other end. Placing it on a tripod will avoid giving your interviewer motion sickness.
Don’t – Leave distractions on your laptop. Turn off email notifications and close social media pages, as pop-ups will likely throw you off. Not to mention, give off a bad impression and appear unprofessional if your interviewer can hear the sounds of your notifications coming through.
Behavioural dos and don’ts
Do – Use prompts where necessary. But do this sensibly. Post-It notes behind your screen or a document right under your webcam lens will work, but constantly looking down at written notes will give the impression that you’re unprepared.
“Constantly looking down at written notes will give the impression that you’re unprepared.”
Don’t – Over-practise. “You want to sound spontaneous and interesting,” Jo points out. “A memorised script will sound far too artificial.”
Do – Be mindful of your body language. It can be easy to forget where you are: save the slouching, folded arms and nose-picking until the interview is over. Instead, push your shoulders back, sit straight, and smile – but not in a forced, serial-killer way. You get the gist.
Don’t – Forget that first impressions count. In an interview, you have just seven seconds before the interviewer makes their initial judgment – use them wisely. With first impressions in mind, perhaps update your Skype or Zoom handle if your current handle is a little less than professional.
Do – Wear trousers. In fact, wear something smart. Jo highlights the perils of slogan t-shirts, in particular. “These are often favoured by many of the IT workers I’ve worked with,” she notes. “But they can distract the interviewer from what you’re saying”.
Pre-recorded interviews
In theory, pre-recorded interview videos should be simpler and less daunting than their live counterparts. After all, there’s a lot less that could go wrong, right?
But there’s still plenty to think about.
As above, let’s look at these as behavioural and technological dos and don’ts.
Technological dos and don’ts
Don’t – Scrimp on the tech. Will your laptop or mobile phone be enough, or do you need to invest in (or borrow) a camera and microphone?
“Buy yourself a microphone – it doesn’t have to be expensive.”
“Smartphone videos can work perfectly well visually, but people are less happy to accept poor quality sound,” notes Jo. “Buy yourself a microphone – it doesn’t have to be expensive – that plugs into your phone or computer. Or go with a webcam, but make sure the sound quality is high enough before sending.”
Do – Consider editing your video to add greater depth. You may want to add in stills or certificates, or evidence of other achievements – or even title slides to separate sections where you talk about different things.
Behavioural dos and don’ts
Do – Write a script and stick to it. Of course, there’s a fine line between knowing what you’re going to say and sounding stilted, so write as you would normally speak. Include cues and a set structure: this will make it easier for you to record and for the interviewers to watch.
Don’t – Waffle. For interviewers, the video interview is meant to be a time-saving exercise – so, stay concise and to the point. You might also have a time limit for the video, so you don’t want to waste time waffling and your time being up before you get to the most important points.
Do – Think about the impression you want to leave the interviewer with. “Before you start, write down three words that describe how you want to come across to the interviewers,” says Jo. “These could be words like confident, enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Once you’ve finished recording, watch the video back and see if those aims come across.”
Don’t – Try and cram too much in. “Include both moments of light and moments of shade,” says Jo. “You don’t want your video to be one long, continuous monologue. Include moments where you’re showing something relevant to the camera to break things up”.
Do – Consider including things that aren’t strictly work-related. Evidence of hobbies or other interests can bring your personality to life. If you can solve a Rubik’s Cube in under a minute, film yourself doing so. Those problem-solving abilities are an asset: show them off!
Got an interview coming up?
Live and recorded videos may be very different beasts, but also have a great deal in common.
Whether it’s live or prerecorded, a video interview will give you the opportunity to demonstrate not only your skills and experience, but your personality, too.
For many businesses, recruitment is now more focused on personality than on skills. Find out how we use psychometric testing to ensure you’re the right fit for an employer.
