The COVID-19 era has led a temporary (and in some cases more permanent) vacation of offices nationwide, which has stripped a fundamentally human element from the interviewing process. With the explosion of video technology, however, that doesn’t mean interviews need to be removed of their humanity, even at a distance.
For job seekers and candidates, video interviews provide a chance to showcase themselves and their abilities in a way that doesn’t come across on a sheet of paper via a traditional resume.
Examples of ‘new normal’ questions include:
What is your work-from-home set-up like?
How do you manage stress and avoid burnout?
What will you do if you are going into a video call with your team, but some tech issues occurred?
How do you maintain a positive working relationship if everyone is not physically present in the office?
What do you do to upgrade and reskill yourself?
As this is new for most job seekers, Jacqueline Loeb, SVP at Recruiter.com recommends the below “do’s” and “don’ts” to cut through the noise for Digital Journal readers.
In terms of ‘Do’s’, Jacqueline Loeb recommends:
Do make the case for why you’d be a strong fit for the role you’re interviewing for, with specific examples, data and anecdotes that demonstrate how your past experience and skill set translates to this role
Do talk about what makes you gritty, what drives you, and the challenges that you’ve faced in your life. All of these important factors of what makes you, YOU.
Do try to keep your responses to the recruiter or hiring managers responses to around 60 seconds where possible. If they need further elaboration, they will ask for it.
Do keep your environment looking simple and neat. Sit at your kitchen table, desk, or prop your phone on a bookshelf or table. Make sure your room is well lit, and keep the video from the shoulders up.
For the ‘Don’ts’, Jacqueline Loeb states:
Don’t get too personal and overshare when it comes to your story and past experience, that can turn an employer off.
Don’t over-respond to a question. Though it can be difficult to squeeze a response into just one minute, remember hiring managers will be interviewing lots of candidates and need the highlight reel given to them in an efficient manner.
Don’t get creative with camera angles or filters or place your furry friends into the frame.
These ideas can help to facilitate the recruitment process in the era of the new normal.
