How To Interview Someone Online

How To Prepare For An Online Interview: The Day Of The Interview

Its easy for an interviewer to get a sense of your personality, presence, and even enthusiasm for the position with an in-person interview. While more than 50% of companies in the U.S. are trading in traditional, face-to-face interviews for video and phone calls, the latter present a unique set of challenges. As a candidate, youll have to be especially mindful to show an employer who you are and why youre a great fit for their company, while staying aware of your devices and environment. Below are some tips for making sure the day of your interview is a success.

Hold A Behavioral Job Interview With Each Candidate

During the job interview, help the candidate demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and experience. Start with small talk and ask several easy questions until the candidate seems relaxed. Then hold a behavioral interview.

A behavioral interview is the best tool you have to identify candidates who have the behavioral traits and characteristics that you have selected as necessary for success in a particular job.

Additionally, behavioral interview questions ask the candidate to pinpoint specific instances in which a particular behavior was exhibited in the past. In the best behaviorally-based interviews, the candidate is unaware of the behavior the interviewer is verifying. This is a much better approach to learning about your candidate then asking the individual to look into a crystal ball and predict probable future behavior.

In addition to the candidate’s verbal responses during the job interview, you’ll want to notice all of the nonverbal interaction, too.

How To Cite An Interview In Mla

Published on August 8, 2019 by Shona McCombes. Revised on July 7, 2021.

When citing an interview in MLA style, the name of the person being interviewed appears as the author in the in-text citation.

In the Works Cited entry, the interviewees name is followed by the title of the interview in quotation marks. If there is no title, use the description Interview .

If you conducted the interview yourself, add your own name and the date on which the interview took place. If you found the interview in a published source, include the name of the interviewer and full details of the source.

Recommended Reading: How Should You Answer Interview Questions

Ensure You Have A Fast Reliable Internet Connection

If a tree falls in the woods, does anyone hear it? If a new scientific breakthrough is shared on a crummy connection, is it still brilliant?

A poor connection means you risk unclear audio on the call, which is a real deal breaker. No matter what excellent preparation you do for the call, if your interviewers canât hear you or if your video freezes, youâre cooked.

In case youâre curious about your internet speed, sites like Speedtest are great for measuring your bandwidth. Itâs also a good idea to close out of any other programs that might be slowing down your computer or hogging data before your interview starts.

Tell Me About Yourself Interview Answers

After the initial introduction, the interviewer will likely begin the interview by asking you to elaborate on who you are and why you’re interested in the position. In many cases, they will do this by saying, Tell me a little bit about yourself. When you answer this, its important to make sure your answer is directly related to the job for which you are interviewing. For example, this is not the time to discuss your hobbies or the name of your pets, unless you’re applying for a dog-walking position.

You can start by highlighting the strong suits or skills that should be emphasized for the specific position you’re applying for. If you are applying for a manager position, briefly explain your job history and something unique about you that would make you a good manager.

For example, say something like, _”_I’ve worked as a manager for the last five years. There are many things I like about the job, but what I enjoy most is being able to take on a leadership role at a company by advising others on their day-to-day tasks.”

Read Also: How To Set Up An Interview

Questions To Ask When Responding To Interview Requests

Next, here are a couple of questions to consider asking in your email or message when using the templates above. Just put your questions at the end if youre unsure of any of these topics:

If youre unsure of the format of the interview for the job , ask this when you reply.

If you dont know who youll be speaking to or meeting with, check this as well. Dont worry the templates Im going to share coming up in the next section will help with this.

And if youre not sure of the exact opportunity youre being considered for, ask this as well. The easiest way to do this is to simply ask for a copy of the job description. Include this line in your reply: Is it possible for you to send me a copy of the job description ahead of time? I always like to research and prepare.

When To Schedule An Interview

If youre lucky enough to have flexibility when it comes to scheduling your interviews, its best to select hours that best respect the persons time. This means avoiding the middle of the day or busy parts of the workday where you will likely be interrupted or rushed.

Be sure to also give yourself a buffer period before an interview in order to avoid being late and give yourself adequate time to shift gears so to speak.

Don’t Miss: How To Type A Thank You Letter After An Interview

Tips For Acing An Online Job Interview

COVID-19 has impacted a lot of thingsincluding how we restrict face-to-face interactions. Many interviews are now taking place virtually, especially in the early stages of the talent search.

In recent years, online job interviews have become more popular and many companies, including Hilton, are regularly using technology to conduct preliminary interviews. During the pandemic, job interviews for nearly every stage of the hiring process became the norm.

While online interviews are similar to traditional, in-person meetings, they have some major differences that candidates should be prepared for.

How To Prepare For A Virtual Interview

Your applicants are hopefully spending a lot of time planning for their interview with your business. You should devote considerable time to planning as well.

Thorough preparation is one of the best ways to maximize your chances of a successful search. By the time an interview starts, you should already have a clear sense of what youre looking for, with whom youre speaking, what youre going to ask them, and how you will allocate the time.

Here are tips to help you prepare for an interview:

Recommended Reading: How To Interview A Candidate

Tips To Conduct An Effective Online Interview

• To schedule an online interview, follow the same guidelines as an on-site interview. Inform the candidate of your availability and set a specific day and time that works for you both. Make sure to give candidates necessary information, like the name of the interviewer and estimated interview duration.

• Give candidates clear instructions about the process. Exchange account information if youre conducting an interview via Skype or send candidates a link to log into the interview. If you and the candidates are in different locations, point out correct time zones to avoid confusion.

• For your online interviews, choose a quiet corner in the office or a private room that blocks out noises and distractions. Set up your equipment well before the interview starts. Also, conduct a sound check to ensure your camera and microphone work well.

• Try to focus on the camera instead of your screen, so that it appears as if youre speaking directly to the candidate. Maintaining eye contact through a computer screen is challenging. Taking long, detailed notes will require you to look away from the camera. That might make candidates feel uncomfortable and unfairly impact their interview performance.

• If you want to send candidates an assignment, keep the relevant file in an easily accessible folder on your computer. Or, if you want to show them a presentation, practice screen-sharing before the interview.

Introduce Prospective Employees To Key Members Of Your Organization

You wont be able to do this in the office, so devise a way to do it remotely. Consider putting together a digital multimedia package that includes things like recent articles about your companys successes, a list of the hiring managers expectations for the position and how it fits into the goals of the team and business, employee profiles of relevant team members, and short videos from potential colleagues.

You May Like: How Can I Improve My Interview Skills

How To Cite An Interview

Published on March 31, 2021 by Jack Caulfield. Revised on May 20, 2021.

To cite a published interview from a newspaper, you need an in-text citation and a corresponding reference listing the interviewers name, the publication date, the interview title, the name of the newspaper, and a URL if the article was consulted online.

The exact format varies across the different citation styles: APA, MLA, and Chicago style.

When referring to an interview you conducted yourself as part of your research, you generally dont need to include a formal citation.

Ask The Right Questions

A major component of a successful job interview is knowing which questions to ask. There are several different types of interview questions you can use however, the specific questions you ask should be based on the job and the information you wish to learn about your candidate. The following are a few of the most common types of interview questions:

• Situational/hypothetical questions

Read Also: What Are Questions That Are Asked In Interviews

Top 10 Software For Video Interviews

To make a complicated situation easier on your team, weve identified ten of the best software for video interviews. Weve also included software ratings from reliable sources, such as the world’s largest B2B marketplace, G2 and software comparison site, Capterra. Note: All reviews are on a scale of five.

Letter Accepting An Interview Invitation Example

Subject: Sandra Millstone – Interview Confirmation

Dear Mr. Henderson,

Thank you very much for the invitation to interview for the Account Manager position. I appreciate the opportunity, and I look forward to meeting with Edie Wilson on June 30th at 9 AM in your Northampton office.

If I can provide you with any further information prior to the interview, please let me know.

Best Regards,

Also Check: How To Interview A Realtor When Selling A Home

Bolster Your Remote Working Skills

If you’re doing an interview from home, it’s likely that a lot of your work will be remote too.

That means that you need to demonstrate you have the necessary qualities to work competently as a remote employee.

Ensuring you touch upon self-discipline, communication skills, and initiative all sought-after skills when working remotely is crucial if you want to impressive your prospective employers.

Make sure to give clear and concise examples of how you’ve demonstrated your abilities, show interest, and ask sensible questions about the company and the role.

Be Understanding Of Technical Challenges

Be mindful of the candidateâs professional etiquette online but give grace for technical errors. If you are conducting the interview via Zoom, they might struggle with launching it, entering the chat, or calculating time zones properly. With a slew of emerging technology options out there, they may be accustomed to a different program. Try to exercise patience and understanding. Give them some extra time at the start of the interview, help them turn their audio on, and allow them to complete the tasks during the interview without judgment.

Also Check: How To Reject A Job Candidate After Interview

How To Ace An Online Job Interview

A handful of classic techniques and some tips unique to the work-from-home era can help you land that next job.

• Read in app

The in-person job interview went away when offices emptied this spring because of the coronavirus pandemic. On the plus side, no more flying out to company headquarters and staying at a hotel, just to spend a day of meetings in an uncomfortable suit and then heading right back home. On the downside, common technical snafus and fewer body language clues can make the online process feel fraught. To successfully make the jump to team member from virtual job seeker, brush up on classic interview techniques and adapt them to the new world of internet interviews.

Research the Company and Your Interviewer

Interview basics still apply, so start by learning about the company, delving deeply into its website, related news coverage and employee reviews like those on Glassdoor or Indeed. Know why you want to work there, because you are sure to be asked.

To research publicly traded companies, Amelia Ransom, senior director of engagement and diversity at the tax compliance software company Avalara, suggests delving into their online 10-K forms, which summarize annual performance, paying close attention to the key challenges a company is facing in the Risk Factors section.

Connect how hiring you can help them solve those challenges, she said.

Set the Scene

Do the best with what you have, Ms. Ransom said, but dont worry too much about it.

Convey Your Value

Show Up A Few Minutes Early

You wouldnt walk into the building where a 3 PM interview was being held at exactly 3 PM or even at 2:59 PM, so you shouldnt cut it so close for a video interview either. Prepare your computer by closing all extra windows and tabs. And if you have a portfolio or anything similar youd like to be able to show via screen share during your interview, make sure that its ready in an easy-to-access, but minimized, window.

Open up the program where your video interview will take place a few minutes early. Before you fully enter the meeting, a lot of the common video interview software will give you a chance to check your shot. Then, relax, says Turner. Be completely in place a few minutes early and do a few breathing exercises. That way, when you click to join the call and the interview starts, youre already ready to go.

Read Also: How To Transcribe Interviews For Research

Prepare Your Own Questions

In addition to preparing answers to some common interview questions, it is also advised that you prepare several questions of your own. Ask the interviewer about job requirements, the benefits and salary or what they think of the company. Any questions that allow the interviewer to share additional information about what they expect from the ideal candidate will help you in the next stage of interviewing.

Related: How to Introduce Yourself in an Interview

How To Introduce Yourself In An Online Interview

An online interview is similar to a phone interview or an in-person interview, but instead, it’s done over a video call online. Today, many companies are using platforms such as Skype or Zoom to interview potential candidates to see if they are a good fit for the company. Usually, they do it this way because it may be difficult for the parties to meet in person or because the company wants to get to know the candidate better before going to the expense of flying them in for an official interview.

While online interviews have many benefits, it can be awkward to introduce yourself via video camera and still give a good impression. A video interview introduction is different from other types of interview introductions. Luckily, there are many tips out there to help you conduct a strong introduction that will segue into what hopefully will be a very successful online interview.

Recommended Reading: How To Write A Thank You For An Interview Email

How To Prepare For The Interview

Remember that online interviews are just as important as in-person interviews. Your interview could get you to the next round or even a job offer if the company handles all the interviewing online.

Here’s how to get ready for your interview:

• Create a professional username, such as a variation on your real name as it appears on your resume, if its available.
• Dress professionally even if you are sitting down. Wear nice pants and shoes, as you never know when you may have to stand up. Plus, dressing the part will help you get your head in the game.
• Clear your workspace and any clutter that is behind you so that it doesn’t show up on the screen. You dont want your interviewer to be distracted by visual noise in the room or to assume that your disorganized space is a sign of how youd perform as a worker.
• Make sure that you are in a quiet room where you will not be disturbed by people, pets, etc. Turn off your ringer, any alarms, and electronics that are likely to interrupt. Let roommates and family know when you’ll be interviewing so they keep quiet and handle anything that comes up .
• Have a piece of paper and a pen ready so that you are not scrambling to find them later.
• Have a copy of your resume in your sightline in case you have to refer to dates, job titles, or numbers.