This blog has been updated in 2025 to reflect more recent trends.
Video interviewing really wasn’t a thing before 2020. However, the pandemic taught us that sometimes it’s OK to do things differently, and video interviewing has remained an important device to combat distance and time restrictions.
We compiled these essential tips to guide you through the process of remote interviews during the pandemic, but they remain relevant today.
Whether you're a seasoned recruiter or a job seeker, these insights will ensure a seamless and effective video interview experience.
1. WHAT APPLICATION ARE YOU USING?
First things first, you want to be using a reliable and, crucially ubiquitous application to conduct your interviews. You want a well-known and widely used application to increase the chance the candidate has familiarity with the product and minimise tech issues during the interview. Some good ones are Teams, Zoom or Bluejeans. They are easy to use and common in the current climate.
Skype for Business is another prevalent one, but we have found it to be a bit more of a muck around – you need to set up a Skype account first, and if you don’t have a Microsoft account, you’re in for ten minutes of painstaking signup prompts. If the candidate isn’t prepared for that, the interview could be delayed.
If you are using a lesser-known system, we recommend informing the candidate well in advance and advising them to complete a test run before the interview itself.
2. TECH CHECKS AND TIMING
To ensure little disruption to your call and minimise any tech issues on your end, pick a time of the hour for the interview – for example, 10:10 am or 2:20 pm. This means you will miss the peak infrastructure congestion times.
Check your technology before the call – you want to impress the candidate, not be fumbling around and struggling to test your microphone during the scheduled interview. Do a test run before the interview, test with a colleague, and then be ready to log into the call early to ensure it’s all set up correctly.
3. VIDEO COURTESY
We’ve put together a blog about video interviewing that covers some general video etiquette, but there are a couple of tips to consider as an interviewer.
Don't stand up in front of the camera. Hang up or turn the camera away before standing up.
Make sure the candidate has left the meeting before you start discussing anything. Best practice would be to schedule a separate meeting with a separate link straight after the interview panel so you can debrief without any danger of the candidate hearing.
Move the candidate screen close to the camera on your laptop so it looks like you are looking straight at them.
Turn your phone and computer notifications off so you don't get distracted. It's easy to see when your eyes flit to a notification, and it can be disheartening for a candidate to see you look unprofessional and uninterested.
4. PREPARATION AND DEBRIEF
Something to take into account is the removal of those quick side chats you have when you are working together in an office. So when it comes to interviews, you need to go to the effort of scheduling in those times to prepare and to debrief.
5. MINDSET
When it comes down to it, this is still a face-to-face interview, even if it’s not in person. It is important to establish the mindset between you, your fellow interviewers and the candidate that this is still a proper interview and despite the physical separation, the same standards apply.
However, noting it’s kind of a weird circumstance, allow time before and after the formal interview for some small talk and chatting with the candidate. Not only does this replicate an in-person interview and settle any nerves, but it also gives you some time to make sure all the tech is working so there’s no disruption to the actual interview.
So there you have it! Whilst a virtual event, video interviewing should be prepared for and conducted with the same aim in mind as a face to face interview.
