Over the past two years, much of how we live and work has changed. With many organizations going remote or adopting a hybrid work model, companies have also changed how they hire. For a large number of organizations, this means changing the job interview process from being in-person to virtual.
The number of companies conducting virtual job interviews has skyrocketed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. A recent Indeed poll found that 82 percent of surveyed employers adopted virtual interviewing tactics as a result of the pandemic, and over 90 percent expect to continue to utilize technology for hiring purposes.
If you’re in the market for a new job, there’s a strong chance that you’ll be asked to interview virtually. Setting up your space, coming to the interview prepared and staying flexible will help you ace your virtual job interview and land your next position.
Set up for success.
Before your interview, make sure you’re set up for success. Decide what space you want to interview from. When figuring out where you want to do your interview, it’s important to think about your background, internet capabilities and level of distraction. Make sure you take all of these things into consideration when choosing your space. For example, your basement could be the quietest space in your house with a clean, professional background, but if the internet is spotty, it’s probably not the best place for your interview.
Once you’ve found the best place for your interview, familiarize yourself with the technology the employer is using before interview day. There are a variety of virtual job interview platforms available, and they’re all a bit different. If you experience difficulty with a platform prior to an interview, contact the employer with questions. Many recruiters are more than happy to answer questions or even hop on a test call with you. Testing technology before your virtual job interview will decrease your chances of encountering issues the day of the interview and help get you set up for success.
Come prepared.
The day of your virtual job interview, come prepared the same way as if you were interviewing at the office. Just because you are interviewing from home doesn’t mean you don’t have to dress for success. Men should consider a collared shirt, blazer and tie, while women should consider wearing a blouse or jacket. First impressions are still important when interviewing virtually, and dressing the part is extremely important.
In addition, you should be ready to answer questions and engage with the employer in the same way you would if you were in person. This means doing research on the company and preparing questions ahead of time to ask the employer. While virtual interviews make it easier to look at notes while interviewing, try not to read directly from them. A study conducted by Harvard Business Review found that 80 percent of people who interviewed for a job virtually and did not receive an offer failed to connect with their recruiter and appeared to be reading from a script. Remember that an interview is a conversation and requires both the interviewer and interviewee to be engaged throughout.
Stay flexible.
Even if you plan the perfect interview space, familiarize yourself with video conferencing technology, dress your best, research the company and come prepared to engage with the interviewer, virtual job interviews can present unexpected challenges. A platform could experience an outage or your internet connection could cut out unexpectedly. If this happens to you, remain calm. Contact the employer and ask if you can reschedule your interview or conduct the remaining portion by phone. Technology issues can happen to even the most prepared interviewers, so stay flexible if things don’t go according to plan!
Virtual job interviews are here to stay. If you’re searching for a new job, you’ll most likely be asked to interview virtually. You can land your next position by setting up your interview space ahead of time, preparing the same way you would for an in person interview and staying flexible if things don’t go according to plan.
Ready to find your next position? Visit jobs.medixteam.com to view our latest job opportunities and apply today.