Recruiting for household staff now more than ever involves asking candidates to take part in a video interview, often for the initial stage.
The benefits are clear: it saves a great deal of time for both employer and candidate, it’s convenient and it saves unnecessary costs such as travel expenses, especially if the candidate or employer lives abroad. However, feeling comfortable and confident in front of a camera can, to some, feel like an impossible challenge. Some people are very comfortable interviewing via video, while others are a little more camera-shy!
So, to try and make the experience run as smoothly as possible we have put together our top tips on how to be successful in video interviews:
• Practice: video interviewing is a skill that gets better with a little practice. It’s worth recording yourself a few times to practice your delivery, and to become aware of any little habits that you may not be aware of, such as fidgeting or speaking too quietly or loudly.
• Plan ahead - think about:
• Internet connection – you might prefer to avoid wifi (unless you’re very close to your router) Being connected physically to the router by a network cable is the most reliable option.
• Shut down any other programmes running on your computer which could interfere with the video call.
• Most video interviews take place via Facetime, Skype or Zoom. When you know what format you’ll be using, place a quick video test-call to someone to make sure it’s working.
• Sound quality - avoid loud busy places. Try to find a room where you’ll be uninterrupted.
• Visual appearance matters:
- Ensure that your interviewer can see you properly and that you can make good eye contact.
- Be sure to sit upright and keep your back straight. Always face the camera and adjust your chair to make sure you’re not too low or too high in the screen frame.
- Think about the lighting and the background - you want to attract your interviewers' attention for the right reasons.
- Lighting is important – ensure you have good, even lighting so that you’re shown in the most flattering light.
- Make sure that you have a neutral background without anything too distracting to look at behind you.
- Consider what to wear - video interviews are no different than any other interview, so you still need to dress smartly and be presentable. Toned down colours work best on a screen– avoid black which can make you look drained.
- Don’t forget to look positive and interested!
• Consider what you will say: You need to be as prepared as for any other interview. You will be asked the same types of questions, so think ahead about what you want to say. A typical interview usually covers around 5-10 different areas/competencies, so be sure you’re prepared. As with a face to face interview, be sure to keep your answers to the point and backed up with examples of your skills.
• Be engaged: Come armed with some questions you have about the role, to show that you’re interested about the opportunity you’re interviewing for.
Have your CV in front of you so that you can easily recall key information, and have a list of key points that you’d like to cover – keep these off camera but easily viewable for you.
If you follow all these tips, you should have a very stress-free video interview. Wishing you the best of luck in your next one!
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