New to Video? Top Tips to Conduct Successful Video Interviews

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Nervous Man On Camera Many candidates quake at the prospect of a video interview, largely because it’s an undiscovered “country” for them. Many people are camera shy and simply do not know how to make the most of themselves behind the camera, which is why there is plenty of advice out there on video interviewing etiquette for interviewees.

But, much less advice exists for interviewers, and it’s kind of taken for granted that video interviewers will know what they are doing. This is not necessarily the case as most video interviewers are not TV professionals and video is can also be undiscovered territory for them. Inexperienced interviewers enter this unfamiliar space where they put their employer brand on the line as they attempt to present their company and its candidate engagement processes. Obviously, this comes with some risk and should not be taken for granted. For example, a study by Degroote School of Business has found that interviewers come across as less attractive, personable, trustworthy and competent to candidates in video interviews; so, they can negatively impact your employer brand versus face-to-face interviews.

So, what best practices and etiquette should video interviewers follow to ensure they have the most effective, brand enhancing video interviews possible?

Countering the Dampening Effect of Video

As hinted at above, video interviews can have a dampening effect on your personality and a good way to counter this is to be more overt, expressive and positive.

You can do this by engaging in positive body language such as: head nodding to show patience and understanding; eye contact to communicate confidence and interest; smiling regularly to radiate warmth and positivity; and leaning forward to show heightened interest or concern.

Also, take time to set the camera and viewing area effectively so it maximizes the presentation quality. For example, make sure your face occupies about 75 percent of the viewing screen and your neck and shoulders fill the rest. This frames your face and puts the emphasis on it, which means that the interviewee can see all your facial expressions and emotions and have a much more engaging encounter with you.

Deal with the technical side of things. Ideally, have an  online streaming professionals set up the room, lighting and technology so you have the highest standards of AV presentation, ensuring that you and your team/business are presented to the candidate in the best possible light.

If possible, use a professional video interviewing service that allows you to brand the process. This can mean enabling the candidate to watch an introductory video about the business before the interview starts and perhaps a video at the end to learn about next steps and the company culture and benefits.

And as a final word of advice, make sure you are comparing like with like. Clearly, there is a dampening effect that occurs with video interviewing versus face-to-face, and if you want to ensure that everyone gets the same interview experience, make sure that all the candidates for a particular role are interviewed in the same way, e.g. either all face-to-face or all video interview. This will enable the fairest comparison between candidates.

Good luck with your next video interview!

By Kazim Ladimeji