If Covid has taught us anything, it is how quickly people and organisations can adapt to new ways of working with a lot of employees adapting to working from home, offices being out of bounds which has meant new ways in conducting and carrying out interviews for open vacancies.

With the current technology surrounding us and the various applications such as Zoom, Microsoft teams, Facetime and much more video interviewing has become a normal part of the interview process and it is here to stay.

Video interviewing and face to face interviews are very similar in the sense that you can both see each other face to face and carry out normal questions and answers as part of a typical interview, but what are you missing and what should you pay attention to, to ensure you make a fantastic first impression during your video interview.

We have conducted a quick guide on things you should be considering when preparing for your Video Interview.

Dress Code:

Dressing smartly for an interview is an absolute must in any interview circumstance and more so when video interviewing. We appreciate being at home, you feel comfortable and let’s face it we often want to sit around in our PJ’s or our comfy clothes so its easy to feel like this when attending an interview from the comfort of our home.

Ensure you would dress the same and present yourself smartly as if you were attending a face-to-face interview on site, Suited, and booted as they say.  It not only gets you in the right frame of mind for your interview but also sets a fantastic first impression.

Technology:

No matter what equipment you are using for your interview computers, laptop, phone etc always ensure you test your equipment before the video interview.

Ensure the appliance is amply charged or plugged in, check your internet connection, and ensure you have the right apps downloaded for your interview.

It is also a good idea to check your camera is in working order and positioned well so the interviewer can see you clearly.

Room Lighting and background:

This is an important factor to ensure you are in a bright space for your interview, you want to ensure your interviewer can see you clearly and that the room is not too dark.

Its also important to make sure you have an appropriate background, so check there is no offensive posters or pictures behind you.

If you are using Zoom or teams and the various backgrounds, you can set may seem like a good idea but during an interview its best to keep it simple.

Remove Distractions:

Make sure you are clear from distractions, if anyone else is within the household advise them you are not to be disturbed and to try and ensure any voices, music and TV are kept low for the duration of your interview.

Ensure any pets are left outside of the room to avoid any unwelcomed guest appearances.

Last but not least, Relax and enjoy your interview and if you follow the above you are sure to make a great first impression.

Skills vs Attitude:

When searching for that perfect new hire to join your team you of course want to ensure you make the right decision but is recruiting on skills and experience more important than hiring on attitude?

So, what is the difference?

From a hiring perspective, skills reflect the expertise and knowledge of a candidate whether this be from an educational background or experience and skills they have gained through previous employment. Such as an engineering business may be looking for candidates who have qualified with a certain technical qualification or engineering experience with a niche field.

Attitude is all about the candidate, their personality, and their willingness to learn, develop and passion for the product or the company. For example, a candidate may not have the right skills and experience but offer commitment and the eagerness to learn.

Looking at the statistics:

So, on average latest statistics show that only 20% of new job hirers are successful in the long run and actually commit to the job role and company long term.

60% of the new hirers who do not last long term is down to personality and cultural fit within an organisation. 

Whereas 14% of candidates actually leave or lose their job due to lack of experience or skills.

So, what is best?

There is no straight answer here as it is very much dependable on the role that the hirer is looking to recruit in, for example health care professional such as nurses or those within a certain discipline it will be essential that they have relevant qualifications and experience to fulfil the role and duties.

However, there is a significant benefit for hiring on attitude, Employees with the right attitude, positive mindset and passion in their personality means a better culture fit for your organisation.

Skills can be taught and anyone with the right attitude who is willing to learn and potentially moulded often prove to be more successful and more long term.

Personality and culture fit is crucial in any business, someone may have the right skills and experience on paper but having a bad attitude can prove a negative impact on your business.

Organisations will have their own methods of recruitment with each organisation taking a different approach and like above there are some roles where skills and experience is crucial to the job role, but always bare in mind that stats suggest outing attitude above skills and experience is more successful in the longer term.

If you would like some assistance with recruiting or struggling to find the right candidate please give us a call for a general chat and we would be happy to share some of our experience, advice and tips.