With companies moving to video-conferencing to interview candidates, here are some handy hints to succeed

While it may be daunting for those who have never interviewed online before, here are a few tips to increase your chances of online interview success.

Before the interview

  1. While you may be interviewing from the comfort of your own home, it’s essential to ensure you put yourself in an environment as close to a face-to-face interview as possible. Prepare somewhere quiet with good lighting and a neutral background, where the chance of distraction is limited, and be sure to dress as you would if you were meeting in person.
  2. Be sure to check the camera and microphone are working on your device. Most software has a built-in feature allowing you to check your system in advance of a call. If you can, it’s a good idea to wear headphones, as they will increase the clarity of the call for both yourself and the interviewer and avoid any echoing.
  3. Make sure your device is fully charged or plugged into a power supply and silence notifications and other devices to prevent any interruptions.
  4. Prepare for the interview as well as you would in person, if you are reading from notes, it is unlikely to go unnoticed.

During the interview

  1. Speak slowly and clearly, leaving short pauses between sentences to allow for any video lag. Be conscious of your pace, tone and intonation.
  2. Ensure your device is placed so you are making eye contact with the camera; this will not only avoid any unflattering angles but will also give the appearance that you are looking directly at the interviewer.
  3. Try to sit in a bright room and use additional lighting behind your device directed at your face. Nobody wants to interview someone who looks like they are in the shadows, and the extra brightness can be very complimentary.
  4. Make an extra effort to build rapport. Without all of the non-verbal communication that you can use in a face-to-face meeting, it’s important to smile, acknowledge what is said and some humour goes a long way!
  5. As in any interview, there will always be space at the end to ask any questions. Make sure you have a few pre-prepared to convey your level of interest.

Sophie Burgess is a Recruitment Partner at The Core Partnership where they specialise in the recruitment of Company Secretaries, Governance and Compliance people. The team provides market advice on relevant qualifications and experience, conducts salary and benchmarking exercises and works throughout the UK and overseas recruiting at all levels to this specific discipline.

If you need any help in preparing for a video-conference interview, please feel free to pick up the phone, and we’ll be more than happy to share some advice. We can be reached at team@core-partnership.co.uk or on 020 3589 0333 for a confidential discussion.www.core-partnership.co.uk

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