How To Set Up A Video Interview

Optimize Your Camera Angle

How To Set Up An Interview For Online Video

While there are not any hard rules of thumb when it comes to proper camera angle, its always best to ensure your webcam is as close to eye-level as possible. If you find yourself prepping for a video interview, there are some easy ways to improve your digital appearance.

If youre working on a laptop, or if your monitor/device is too low, it provides a less-flattering view of your face. Stack books or boxes on a desk or counter space and place your computer on top. This allows your device to film more closely to your eye-level.

If you use a USB webcam, make sure to position the camera above your nose or eyes. On average, webcams provide more flattering angles from higher angles rather than low ones.

Its always a good idea to test your footage before going live. Make sure you feel comfortable with the angle and distance from the camera. In fact, Zogby Analytics found that most people are annoyed by video calls where presenters sit too close to the camera.

Most importantly, be confident and be yourself!

Choosing The Best Location For A Mobile Video Interview

Our usual virtual interview tips still apply, even if you need to use your phone instead of a computer. Choose an interview spot that is quiet, where you wont be interrupted by a family member, pet or a neighbor mowing their lawn. Check that you have a strong signal or WiFi connectionif you do have any connection issues, let your interviewer know. Theyll have your contact information so they can call you back.

Good lighting is key so the interviewer has a clear view of your face. Phone cameras can be tricky with lightingmake sure light is shining on your face, not from behind you. You may also want to make sure the phone is focused on your face. On certain phone models, you can reset the focus just by tapping the screen. This will help the camera adjust the lighting around you as well. Make sure you pick a spot where you can prop up your phone and dont have to hold it for the duration of your interviews. You can also use on of our Zoom backgrounds for your interview.

Make Sure You Can Be Seen And Heard And Emote

Just like you would for an in-person interview, it’s necessary to practice and prepare questions you want to ask but there are a couple additional things to keep in mind. First, make sure your audio works and your video camera is clear. If it’s not, check out your Zoom settings by clicking the arrow next to Stop Video. You’ll find the audio settings there and can adjust accordingly.

Second, make sure your excitement and personality shows through the computer. This can be more difficult than it would be with an in-person interview, so focus on your body language, eye contact, tone and energy while you practice. If you want feedback, you can always record yourself and watch it over, or connect with a professional interview coach, who will set up a mock video interview and provide feedback.

Choose Install And Test Your Equipment

Regardless of which interview software you select, its important to understand and have experience with the nuances of your equipment before conducting an interview. Do some research beforehand to find out if the candidate needs to have certain log-in credentials, a particular email address or download a platform in order to join the conversation. Make sure to provide all of this information to candidates long before the interview so they can test out the software on their end.

Additionally, hold a few test interviews with your team members to ensure everyone understands how to set up video and audio functions, mute themselves, share their screen and chat during the interview. Go the extra mile and research pain points other software users have identified to practice solutions for common mishaps.

Thankfully, video conferencing is not a new concept and there are a plethora of excellent applications available. In response to the current situation, several providers are offering extended free trials and upgraded services. In a later section, well discuss 10 of the most popular video conferencing software options.

After The Interview Is Over

Record 1 minute of natural room noise . This is important for covering up edit points and enabling your editor to remove pesky background noise during post-production.

Need some examples? Check out these EditMate projects below to see how other businesses are shooting interviews to create all kinds of video content:

Club Sandwich Project incorporated a video interview with a recipe video. Heres the teaser!

The Instillery created a case study video where the interview highlighted both their own brand and Eat My Lunchs brand.

Read Also: Where Can I Watch The Interview

Prep For Optimal Eye Contact

Have you ever had a conversation with someone where they seemed to be looking over your shoulder or away from you entirely? Did you feel like you connected with that person? Probably not. So while actual eye contact isnt possible in a video interview, youll want to get as close as possible. Looking at someones face is usually enough to show that youre listening and engaged with what theyre saying.

To that end, make sure youve found a comfortable distance that allows you to look straight ahead rather than down at the camera. And place the window where your interviewer will appear on the same monitor as your camera and move it as close to the camera as possiblecentered is best. That way, when you look at them, as you naturally will during your conversation, youre also looking at the camera.

What To Remember While In The On

While I really hope youre not reading this while taking your interview, make sure to do these four things while taking a video interview:

Speak clearly. Okay, this should be pretty obvious for any interview, but it is even more important for on-demand video interviews. Each question only provides a certain amount of time to respond, so it is critical to speak clearly and efficiently in order to make the most of the time youre given.

Focus on looking into the camera, not your own image. Looking at yourself while you respond can be distracting, and dont be afraid to break eye contact when considering what to say next.

Make the most of time youre given to prepare. If you are at a computer, you not only have easy access to your resume, the entirety of the internet is at your disposal. Consider referencing company resources when putting together your response.

Emote. This is another one that should be obvious – smile and display genuine interest in the position youre applying for. Your video responses might be viewed by more than one recruiter or hiring manager, so it is important to make your answers as engaging as possible.

HireVue aims to enable your authentic self, not squander it! Take a look at this introduction to HireVue for more help.

How To Prepare For A Video Interview At Home

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Online video interviews are becoming more and more common. Before you have one, prepare a little, and make sure you come out ahead.

Ways To Set Up Video Interview Process In Right Way

First and foremost, collaborate with your whole hiring team to create a written plan. Also, do a few practice interviews with the team to verify that everyone knows how to use the video and audio options, silence themselves, share their screen, and communicate throughout the interview. Go the extra mile and look into the problems other software users might have encountered to rehearse remedies for typical blunders. Request that applicants complete a survey questionnaire after each interview so that you may learn from them.

Lets learn how to set up a video interview in the right way.

Who Are You Interviewing

Think about your candidates: where they’re based, the type of job they’re applying for, and how confident they’ll likely be about interviewing on video. Be sure that you’re using video to find the best person for the job, and not just for your own convenience!

Bear in mind the skills and attributes that you need to assess. For example, if you’re hiring for a role that involves dealing with clients or customers remotely, a video interview could help you to assess candidates’ communication skills and ease with the technology.

However, if you’re more interested in presentation skills , an in-person interview may be more revealing.

Also Check: How To Write A Follow Up Interview Email

They Can Be Repurposed And Shared

Once you’ve got your interview footage, you’ll have a goldmine of content.

You can extract some short clips to post on social media and create teaser videos that link to the full version of the interview.
You can include the interview in a blog post.
You can attach the interview in a company newsletter.
You can use the audio for a podcast.
So much more… keep reading to find out.

Whatever the original purpose was for your video interview, you will certainly discover plenty of different ways to reuse and distribute it.

What To Do At The End Of Your Interview

WIN: RODE and RHINO ultimate interview set up!

At the end of an interview, its not uncommon for interviewers to ask if you have any questions for them. Be prepared for a few questions of your own. For example, you might ask for specifics about a typical work day or about next steps in the hiring process.

Once theyve answered your questions, politely thank the interviewer for their time and consideration. Later you might also consider sending those who interviewed you an additional note of thanks via email. This shows youre still interested in the position and keeps you top of mind, but dont be too pushy with your follow-ups. Allow the hiring team to arrive at a decision in their own time.

Also Check: How Hard Are Google Interviews

Practice Putting A Background On Zoom

If you do not want the interview panel to see what is behind you during the interview, you can use a Zoom interview background instead.

This will require some preparation.

You will need to set up your Zoom account and activate the feature in advance.

To convey a professional image, choose a plain background that is not too busy or distracting.

Be Considerate And Compassionate

Give your candidate the respect they deserve by minimizing background noises and distractions. However, life happens especially at home and there may be interruptions. Before diving in, take a moment to acknowledge and appreciate the candidates flexibility in moving the interview to a video conference and ask them for their patience if things pop up. Additionally, dont fault candidates if the same happens from their end.

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Preparing For Your Video Interview

To get used to the technology and the body language of a video interview, its useful to do some trial video calls with friends or family members. Ask them to give you candid feedback about your appearance and eye contact. Run through it a few times until things start to feel natural.

Practising can make all the difference in your interviews. So make sure to set aside time for this in your schedule in the weeks and days leading up to your video interviewyoull find it will help your confidence grow as you become more comfortable in front of the camera.

On the day of your interview, review this checklist as youre setting up:

Ensure that you wont be interrupted, either by locking the door or by alerting others that you cant be disturbed .
Clear your desk space, except for a notepad and pen/pencil for you to take notes.
Have a copy of your resume and any other notes ready for you to reference.
Set out a glass or bottle of water for yourself.
Check that your webcam is working.
Check that your audio is working.
Close any windows, tabs or applications on your computer that youre not using.
Check your internet connection and make sure youre not downloading anything in the background.
Set your phone to silent.
Check that the background behind you is neutral and free from clutter.
Adjust the lights in the room. If things appear dark or dim, you may want to bring in an extra desk lamp to brighten the space.

Start Off With A Digital Handshake

How to Set up an Interview on Call

When you interview in person, theres a period where the interview has started, but it hasnt started. You and your interviewer are physically meeting, shaking hands, walking into the room, and sitting down. Even if youre not making small talk, theres still some time to settle in. For a video interview, this isnt always the case, so you need to focus on making an initial connection even more than usual, Eonnet says.

Try a digital handshake, she says. After you say hello, look right into the camera to forge a connection, do a small head nod as if to say yes!, and add a smile, which translates warmth and openness.

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Best Practices On Framing Equipment Sound And More

Whoever youre interviewing, no matter who they are, will be interesting to watch because humans enjoy looking at human faces. When framing your shot, favor a plain background over visually distracting elements. Placing your interviewee further away from the wall behind them will give the frame depth and look better than sitting close to a wall.

Using a shotgun microphone and external recorder for sound will make a big difference in sound quality. Since your interviewee is sitting still, you can set up your shotgun mic in a fixed location using a C-stand to hold it. Position the mic above your interviewees head and point it down toward them. You want the mic just out of frame, yet close enough that youll need to remind them not to bump their head when they stand up!

If you can add it, a lavalier microphone is always helpful. Learning how to use a broadcast loop/newsmans loop will give you the best audio result and keep your equipment in good shape.

Pay Attention To How You Sound Too

People are usually concerned with how they look in a video interview and often forget to think about how they sound, Turner says. During your practice, take note of how fast you speak, how you pause, and the tone and pitch of your voiceand ask the person youre practicing with if any of these things makes it harder to hear or understand you.

For the sake of any interviewer with a bad connection, be sure to speak clearly and at a reasonable pace, but keep it natural. Just because your interview is being conducted over a computer doesnt mean you can sound like one! Since theres less body languagebased communication in a video interview, you also want the way you speak to help get across how you feel about what youre saying. Make sure you sound excited when discussing the things youre passionate about, for example.

Recommended Reading: What Is An Exit Interview

Setting Up Your Video Equipment For A One Camera Interview

If you only have one camera, you want to set the room up in a certain way. Two chairs or stools will be needed.

Make sure your subjects have a nice background behind them and use a light behind them to add separation from the backdrop or wall.

Use a soft light source in front of your subjects to remove any harsh lights.

Make sure your camera is at eye level so the subjects do not have to look up or down at the camera.

Stay far enough away to get a great shot, but watch out for the forbidden crotch shot.

Make sure you are paying attention to the amount of time the subjects are looking at each other and looking at the camera.

Set yourself up for video magic success by capturing great audio with a set of lapel mics.

Here is an example of this type of setup.

Prepare Answers For Your One Way Video Interview

Before your interview, do your research and speak to the recruiter to get a full understanding of how the process will work. Here are some questions to ask:

Can you re-record your answers?
Will you have the questions ahead of time?
When is the interview due, and how long will you have to record it?
How much time do you have for each question?
Will you be able to review your videos before submitting?

Its common for pre-recorded interviews to let you re-record your answers, but you need to go into the experience prepared. If it isnt possible to re-record, make sure you do a few test runs before entering the formal interview experience.

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Lights Camera Interview The Dos And Donts Of Lighting

This is your chance to literally present yourself in the best light. Take time to find a well-lit area before your interview.

Setting up optimal lighting need not be complicated. The easiest lighting solution is near a sunny window with lots of natural light. Artificial light can work just as well, especially if your interview takes place after the sun has set.

An example of poor lighting

An example of good lighting

Recruiters wont be able to see you if the light source is behind you.

When participating in an online interview, you want whoevers evaluating you to see you clearly. You can achieve this by positioning the light source in front of you rather than behind you. Why? Because backlighting will make you look like a silhouette and interviewers wont be able to see your facial expressions.

Lighting can often be the difference between a pleasant interview and a situation where its difficult to focus on the candidate and what theyre saying. Its best to have the main light source pointed toward your face .

Biron Clark, founder of CareerSidekick.com and former recruiter

This camera is positioned incorrectly. Ideally, you want to be centered within the camera frame.

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