Recently, many recruiters have turned to video interviews to augment communications during interviews and throughout the hiring process. While video conferencing can be a very effective solution, there are a number of variables and factors to consider when deploying the interview. Here are some tips:
<h4>1. Prepare Yourself &The Room</h4>
<b></b><b>The Room</b>: Optimize your space to work for you. Don’t assume that every room is aptly suited for your conference. For example, windows can create glare and unnecessary noises, therefore, avoid windows altogether.
<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2048057/i-was-a-webcam-zombie-how-to-look-alive-and-professional-in-web-meetings.html" rel="noopener">Presentation is really important</a>, therefore be sure that your environment looks great. This means that the lighting is good—if the room is too dark, the other party won’t be able to see you. Additionally, make sure the setting is professional—i.e. don’t interview in your bedroom, kitchen, and so on.
<b>Preparing Yourself</b>: Be sure that you look the part. Dress professionally—wear what you would during an in-office meeting. Also, coordinate colors. Solid muted (or pastel) colors are highly recommended (i.e. blue and/or grey). Inversely, colors like red, green, and orange, as well as busy patterns are best left out.
Aside from your actual clothing, carrying yourself professionally is also very important. As such, it’ll be wise for users to submit themselves to a <a href="http://getvoip.com/blog/2012/10/19/video-conference-etiquette-part-one-pants-are-not-optional" rel="noopener">code of video conferencing etiquette</a>. Ways to do this include:
<ul class="ee-ul">
<li>Maintain eye contact</li>
<li>Avoid Nervous gestures</li>
<li>Use natural language, volume, and gestures when you speak</li>
</ul>
<h4>2. Prepare Your Equipment</h4>
Don’t wait until the last minute to set up everything for your conference. You want to make sure you’ll have optimum quality during your conference; therefore, take into account:
<ul class="ee-ul">
<li>Video image— our room’s lighting and how it appears on camera.</li>
<li>Positioning the camera itself—does it allot for best video and audio quality?</li>
<li>Your computer’s functionality—do you have all the necessary programs?</li>
<li>Availability of information—are all your documents prepared and ready to be sent?</li>
</ul>
<h4>3. Create A Specific Plan</h4>
Prepare for the conversation by outlining key talking points to be sure you touch upon every area you’d like. If you were going to an in-office meeting, you’d likely have information and an approach prepared. Apply the same preparation to video conferencing. Don’t ramble on or fall of track. Make a guide to keep you on point and on schedule.
<h4>4. Avoid Changes To Settings During The Interview</h4>
It’s important to maintain as much consistency as possible during a video conference. Keep the attention on the matter at hand, not the conference itself. As such, users should work out all the variables beforehand.
<ul class="ee-ul">
<li>Select a secure and reliable Internet connection</li>
<li>Adjust camera angles for best lighting and positioning</li>
<li>Adjust volume setting for background notifications</li>
</ul>
<h4>5. Practice Your Talking To Get Appropriate Volume And Tonality</h4>
A good way to be sure that everything is set perfectly is by doing a dry run. In doing so, users can be sure their topics stay on point, the settings and quality are all-concrete, their volume and appearance is perfect, and so on. Additionally, it can help users get more comfortable. Practice does make perfect. If you are familiar with the process, you’ll be more comfortable delivering it, and you’ll likely deliver it much more effectively.
<h4>6. Account For Delays In Data Transmission</h4>
You want to be sure your party can hear you, but repeatedly asking, “Can You Hear Me?” can really hurt a video conference. Sure, you can ask this initially, but a practice run might be the way to eliminate this altogether. Still, it’s inevitable that you face some hiccup with quality sooner or later. In this event, it’d serve users well to account for a two second delay when they are speaking.
Give your party enough time to receive and absorb whatever it is you’re saying. On the other hand, this applies to you as well. Allow the other party enough time to say what they need to.
<h4>7. Punctuality & Timing Are Crucial</h4>
Users want to be sure they retain professionalism. A good way to do this is through being on time. It can be very distracting when individuals arrive late, even if they’re merely sitting in on the conference. A late entrance creates unexpected background noise that can really hinder the interview.
Another good way to optimize your time is by making sure that all involved parties are on the same page. Send out your agenda to all parties. Be sure to include:
<ul class="ee-ul">
<li>Time, Date, Time Zone of interview</li>
<li>Complete list of all participants</li>
<li>Meeting name and phone number</li>
</ul>
Video conferencing can be a great tool for interviews in augmenting the hiring process. However, users need to be sure they are able to supplement the platform efficiently. As such, it’s wise to think ahead and prepare as much as possible.
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<span class="credit">Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/" rel="noopener">Shutterstock</a></span></div>
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