5 Tips While technical skills are important when it comes to finding a job, it is now widely accepted that soft skills such as emotional intelligence are equally, if not more important. To be invited to an interview means you already have the necessary qualifications for the job. The interview is meant to determine if you will fit in with the organization. It was recently discovered by surveying 2600 hiring managers and HR professionals that emotional intelligence was seem as more desirable than IQ. The same preferences of EQ over IQ have been found in studies when it comes to promotion of employees. During COVID more interviews are being done virtually and the trend is expected to continue even after the pandemic has abated. The whole focus of an interview is to form a positive emotional connection with the interviewer(s) In my book, The Other Kind of Smart, www.theotherkindofsmart. com I dive deeper into the importance of forming emotional connections. While this is more difficult on a screen than in person, there are things we can do to give ourselves the greatest the best opportunity for success.
Here are 5 things you can do to show emotional intelligence in a virtual interview.
Become comfortable with appearing on a screen While we hear of zoom fatigue, not everyone is familiar with seeing themselves on the screen, or comfortable with it. If you are not doing regular virtual meetings or talking to friends or family on skype set up meetings to see how you look and react when seeing yourself. It is important that you can relax and be your authentic self in the interview. Play with the settings, camera angles and find the position that shows your best features. Make sure you are close enough to the screen that your upper body is clearly visible and fills most of the screen. Sitting back in the distance will not give a good impression.
to show Emotional Intelligence in a Virtual Interview By HARVEY DEUTSCHENDORF
Be aware of glare if you wear glasses. Ask others you trust to give you feedback. Looking your best will boost your confidence and help you relax.
will not show you in a positive light. I personally prefer to wear blue as it is a warm, calm color that some associate with emotional intelligence. Avoid black, red, or striking bold colors that make you stand out. Even though you may feel this helps you stand out, some people may have a negative, if unconscious bias when you wear them. Cover tattoos, if you can, for the same reasons.
Use your background to your advantage
Practice sharing some emotions virtually with a trusted confidant Virtual interviews make it more difficult to connect to connect with your interviewers on an emotional level. The challenge in victual interviews is to share your authentic self, instead of appearing wooden and stilted. Spend time with a close friend and get feedback on how you come across. Ideally you want to appear warm, open, and welcoming. Smile, if natural for you, but don’t overdo it, especially if it isn’t natural for you. You don’t want to come across as forced. Talk to your friend about situations that bring our various emotions for you and ask for feedback on how authentic you appear.
The one advantage that you have with a virtual interview is that you have control over your background. With a little time and creativity, you can use this effectively to send the message about yourself that you want. Anything to show family, community involvement, volunteering and healthy living will help. If the job requires lots of physical activity, show some evidence of an active lifestyle. For a job requiring a lot of cerebral activity a full bookshelf in the background wouldn’t hurt. I know someone who discovered before the interview that he shared a love of canoeing with one of his interviewers. He had attached a pair of crossed canoe paddles to the wall behind him. You are only limited by your imagination. Get a trusted friend or family to check out your background get their impression.
. Find out what you can about your interviewers and remember their names This is the case whether your interview is in person or victual, but the more you know about the people interviewing you the more opportunity for you to connect. If you know their names, see if you can find them on LinkedIn or Facebook to find out more about them. When responding to or asking a question to use the person’s name. Do this sparingly, otherwise it may appear contrived and inauthentic.
How to dress If unsure to dress, err on the side of being overdressed, rather than under. While a T shirt and sweats may feel very comfortable, they
Harvey Deutschendorf is an emotional intelligence expert, internationally published author and speaker. To take the EI Quiz go to theotherkindofsmart.com. His book THE OTHER KIND OF SMART, Simple Ways to Boost Your Emotional Intelligence for Greater Personal Effectiveness and Success has been published in 4 languages. Harvey writes for FAST COMPANY and has a monthly column with HRPROFESSIONALS MAGAZINE. You can follow him on Twitter @theeiguy. www.HRProfessionalsMagazine.com
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