Recruitment: Is virtual

BARRY WHELAN

managing director of Excel Recruitment

I s v i r t u a l i n t e r v i e w i n g s a b o t a g i n g y o u r a b i l i t y t o g e t h i r e d ?

Creating a good first impression is vital for landing any position. However, this is not always as intuitive as you might think online, particularly for candidates who are unfamiliar with virtual interviews. Here, Excel Recruitment’s Barry Whelan outlines the pitfalls to avoid

www.excelrecruitment.com

It is so easy to opt for an interview online using one of the many platforms available. Online interviewing is convenient, saves time, speeds up the interview process and adds much needed efficiency to the interview process. This facilitates greater availability from candidates looking for a job, without having to take time off to travel to an interview. But are online interviews sabotaging your ability to land the job? Are online interview pitfalls being watched out for? Or are online job applicants sabotaging their candidacy with virtual-interview mistakes? Interviewing for a job has long been a stressful experience, with candidates knowing that the slightest mistake, for instance in attire or perhaps attitude or even an off-the-cuff

comment, can lead to failure and an inability to land the job. There is nothing worse in recruitment than when you meet a candidate, who can do the job, but can’t get the job!

A third of employers offer an exclusively virtual interview process, with an additional 21% resorting to in-person interviews only for final rounds, according to research conducted by Excel Recruitment

Virtual interview process

An added dimension to the postCovid interview process and something new is the virtual interview process. Many companies and job seekers alike opt for an online or virtual interview, particularly for the first round, with some interview processes being only virtual, as a means of speeding up the interview process and time to hire. The convenience of not having to take time out to attend an interview is a game changer for many, allowing much more flexible job seeking. Whether for a gig involving remote work, where the applicant may never meet anybody in the company face-to-face or a job that is hybrid or office-based, this kind of interview, hard to imagine a few years ago, is much more prevalent, but also has its own tricks for success. Unfortunately, many applicants are unaware of the pitfalls and are sabotaging their chances of winning a position. We surveyed our recruiters and asked about best practices, preferences, and turn-offs and turnons in virtual interviews. The results revealed some helpful insights for job seekers who might wish to brush up on their ‘Zoom’ skills.

top tips

Here, according to our recruiters are the results; the top deal-breakers with virtual interviews that could cost you that coveted new job:

1. Avoiding eye contact or staring

into space: Take the time to set up your cameras and screens so that you can make eye contact with the interview panel.

2. Using an unprofessional

background: Interview from a clean, crisp, and professional background. You can of course blur out your background or even place yourself sitting on a virtual beach. However, showing a personal but professional background where possible is very impressive. There is nothing worse than interviewing from a messy room!

3. Leaving inappropriate tabs or apps open when screen-sharing:

What a rookie mistake, yet this happens all the time. Take the time to get ready for your interview and if you are presenting a PowerPoint presentation for instance, close everything on your background and make sure your desktop doesn’t have any icons, files, or pictures you would prefer not to share.

4. Being interrupted by the

candidate’s family members: We have all seen the clip of the contributor to a news story being interrupted by young children and while these clips are amusing, you don’t want this to happen to you. Losing out on a job opportunity due to any of the above reasons might seem unfair and arbitrary, but, fortunately, these mistakes can be easily avoided with modest preparation. Although virtual interviews have become a ubiquitous part of the hiring process, even as more companies are requiring employees to return to the office, our data shows many job candidates have yet to master the art of the virtual interview — and it’s sabotaging their candidacy. A third of employers offer an exclusively virtual interview process, with an additional 21% resorting to in-person interviews only for final rounds, according to the survey results. Only 20% said most of their company’s interviews take place in-person.

traditional rules still apply

Of course, some of the old rules about job interviews apply to the virtual variety as well. Asked which interview mistakes have remained highly offensive over the past years, our recruiters listed the following: lying, arriving late (without a valid excuse), badmouthing a current or former employer, appearing disinterested in the opportunity, and being unprepared. It doesn’t matter if you’re participating in a phone screen, interviewing via video conference, or meeting in-person — if you make these interview missteps, you’re undermining your chances of landing the job. ■