Like almost everything within the HR world, the humble job interview has gone through somewhat of a revolution since the advent of COVID-19.

We now live in the era of remote interviews as standard. It’s been a long time coming, and not just for the inherent efficiency of pre-vetting talent from the comfort of their (and your) own home.

• Remote interviews open up the doors to a massive, diverse candidate base who were previously uncontactable, or marginalised based on location.
• It gives employers so much more scope to connect with talent quickly and efficiently, reducing the time to hire.
• And remote interviews provide digital hiring scalability. Never has the potential to reach so many people been so achievable, so easily.

However, while the tech changes, attitudes and behaviours are sometimes slow to adapt. This is where companies like Evolve have found they can add immense value - getting candidates (and some employers!) up to speed on best practice in this recruitment new normal.

The remote interview raises some cunning challenges for candidates - not least are questions around what the best sort of tactics are when body language is restrained, nuance and subtlety can be lost, and the free-flowing communicative balance of an in-person interview is reduced to a two-dimensional chat.

Word to the wise, there are some pretty easy-to-remember, hard and fast rules of remote interviewing that, if deployed correctly, will stand you in good stead for a call back:

Still dress to impress.

• First impressions, even if they are on Zoom, do still count.
• Yes, the running joke of people doing interviews in shorts and a suit shirt is undoubtedly more true than we’d like to think, but dressing appropriately is still a sign of respect and professionalism.
• Whilst, as we highlight below, other aspects of remote interviewing are probably more pressing (such as lighting, or checking your internet connection), dressing in interview-appropriate attire is still the clearest, cleanest and best first impression you can give.

Check your lighting!

• This one is an easy remote interview hack - don’t attend an interview sitting in front of a light source!
• For example, a window. Having a large, bright light source behind you dominates the camera white balance and you end up on screen as a talking, dark shadow. Naturally, this cannot do. So light, evenly, from the front, preferably with a light source that faces you straight on, rather than top-down or bottom-up.

Make sure you’re in a neutral space.

• By this we mean think about how the space you’re attending an interview speaks for you. So consider the following:
  • Your interview background - is there anything within eyeshot that could be considered risque, personal, unprofessional or distracting? If so, remove it. You want your entire frame to be as neutral as possible, or if you’re fond of a virtual background, again we urge you to go neutral. We’ve found the best sorts of backgrounds give a little personality - like a real bookshelf - but are still neutral enough to not warrant further scrutiny.
  • Pets - as much as we love our furry friends, if you have pets it's best to keep them out of earshot where they can’t distract you (or your interviewer!)
  • Housemates, family or children - as much as possible, pre-warn anyone in your house about the time of your interview to minimise sound follow-through or accidental walk-ins. While there have been plenty of incidences of comical, inoffensive intrusions mid-TV interview, in a job interview it’s a no-no.
  • Phones, notifications, alerts and other screens - think of it this way: you wouldn’t have your phone on loud in a face-to-face interview, so the same rules apply here. I appreciate that, in some rare cases, you may need to refer to another screen for reference points (which echoes looking at a document in an interview), but in the main other digital devices should be switched off and your attention should be 100% on the job in hand.

Time-keeping.

• This one is short and sweet - you have no excuse to be late to a remote interview. So rock up early, sit in the digital waiting room, and bask in the glow of your time-keeping efficiency. Plus, it puts in a great first impression.

Check your tech!

• Finally, check your tech - your internet connection, the video call link, your webcam quality, the lighting set up, double and triple check it all.
• The last thing you want a few minutes before a video interview is a basic administrative error to pop up that could’ve been rectified days before. If in doubt, over-communicate - you’d rather ask too many questions about broken Zoom links or dodgy internet connections than not raise it at all and be left treading digital water.
• Remember, as the interviewee you’re not responsible for hosting the interview, but that doesn’t mean you renege on your responsibility for making sure the interview runs smoothly. Work with your interviewer, not against them!

Contact Evolve for more advice on remote interviews!