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HUMANIS BLOG

April 8, 2020

Zooming into The Future: Tips on Interviewing via Video and Putting Your Best Face Forward!

By: Erin Dand 

So you’re in the middle of a hiring process, and a pandemic hits. Having wrestled some of the more theoretical and existential questions to ground, you now need to focus on the practical.

Specifically, how will you, as the hiring manager, meet and interview candidates? And how will you, as the candidate, stand out while sitting in front of a computer screen?

Luckily with the advent of video technology, it is absolutely possible (not to mention absolutely advisable) to meet and interview via video, rather than in person. As a veteran video interviewer, here are some tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years on how to put your best face forward in a video interview.

  1. Yes, you do need to actually see their face

First, the actual video part. Yes, it is essential that you meet via video rather than conference call, phone call or any other non-visual means. They say that up to 93% of communication is non-verbal, and in my professional experience, you just can’t get to know someone without being able to look that person in the eye.

I’ve had experience using a variety of video platforms. Skype and Facetime are old stand-bys, being free options that have been around forever. Or at least my forever. Most people are familiar with these platforms, although they are not without their downfalls/occasional glitches.

My personal favourite during this pandemic has been Zoom Video, primarily for its ease of use and video/sound quality. To date, I’ve not had a single person not be able to use Zoom, whether it be the millennial lawyer I’m interviewing for a private practice role, or the septuagenarian from my church who leads our community group.

Other platforms that are popular (with varying price points) include Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts, Google Hangouts Meet, Blue Jeans, GoToMeeting and WebEx. They are all variations of the same general idea. For hiring managers, you may need to run your desired platform by your organization, for certain of these technologies don’t calm the nerves of corporate IT departments equally.

  1. What device to use and how to position in front of the camera

The best and most natural-looking video interviews are done via computers, with the computer camera positioned at eye level, or slightly higher. If you’re using a laptop, rather than a desktop computer, you’ll likely need to position it higher, on a stack of books or, more likely, puzzle boxes. Phones and tablets can work as well, but often result in awkward angles and positioning (and possibly a really sore arm, if someone tries to hold up their phone for the entire interview).

Since you are trying to simulate a face-to-face meeting, both candidates and hiring managers should be positioned so that you can see each other from the waist up (think of what you would see if someone were sitting across from you). You should be directly facing the video camera, close enough that you can clearly see the other person’s facial expressions, but far enough away that you’re not awkwardly showing the other person a close-up of your face (if someone can count the freckles on your face, you’re too close!) Hiring managers, remember that you may need to give video-newbie candidates some pointers on where to position themselves in the video.

Everyone always worries about where to look in a video meeting. Don’t worry so much about making direct eye contact. Video cameras are, by necessity, not in the middle of your computer screen, and therefore it is next to impossible to look at both your camera lens and the other person at the same time. Instead, focus on looking at the person directly on your screen. Hiring managers, you can make candidates feel more comfortable by letting them know that they need not worry about making direct eye contact, a normal “must-do” in an interview.

In terms of audio, your best bet is to use a pair of quality headphones with a built-in microphone to ensure that your conversation is private and you are not picking up any surrounding noise or pesky computer/phone notifications. We at Pekarsky & Co. use Plantronics headsets – these work really well. Apple Air Pods or something similar can also work. If you don’t have access to headphones with a built-in microphone, you can use your computer’s built-in microphone and speakers, but you’ll want to make sure you are in a quiet place, no more than an arm’s length away from your computer (if you can touch your computer screen from where you are sitting, you are probably close enough).

  1. Show up like you would a regular interview

Like you would any in-person meeting, make sure you are attending your video interview in a private place, where you won’t be distracted. Although it might be tempting for convenience sake to interview at your kitchen island with your kids playing in the background, do your best to find a private, quiet room where you can shut the door and create a more formal setting. It will be difficult to create a business-like and professional atmosphere otherwise.

Along the same lines, although it might be tempting to attend a video interview in your pajamas from home, show up for your interview just like you would a regular interview. For hiring managers, you should remember that candidates will respond to and mirror the tone you set in the video interview (so you are not exempt from these rules). And for candidates – this is an interview, so normal rules on dressing professionally still apply.

  1. Making yourself look better

There are a couple of ways you can make sure you are looking your best in a video interview, aside from dressing the part. First is lighting. The ideal is to find a space with ample natural lighting, which is always the most flattering light. If natural lighting is not possible, make sure you have two (or at least one) lighting sources around you, positioned so they are not creating harsh shadows on you. An easy trick is to put a piece of white paper in front of you, placed roughly under your wrists while typing, which will help reflect light onto your face.

Second, and more sneakily, you can improve your appearance using your video platform’s technology. On Zoom Video, for example, you can tick a box under your Video Settings marked “Touch Up My Appearance”. With the click of a button, you will look slightly more polished with smoother skin without having done anything at all!  Magic.

  1. Body language and interview environment

The purpose of any interview is for a hiring manager to assess a candidate for a particular role. Video interviews will be no different. Hiring managers should be paying attention to the candidate’s communication style and body language, like they would in an in-person interview. A hiring manager should be thinking: How is the candidate dressed? Is this person confident and articulate? Professional? Warm and approachable? Someone I could see fitting into my company’s “office” culture? (The day will come when we are allowed to use offices once again!).

Likewise, candidates should try to present themselves like they would in-person, remembering that the hiring manager will notice things like fidgeting and nervous chair swivelling.

And for both hiring managers and candidates alike, despite the temptation to look at other things on your computer, please remember that you need to focus during this interview. This is not the time to multi-task! Although you may think you are being subtle in reading your emails or the latest article on Buzzfeed on the side of your computer screen, I can assure you this will not go unnoticed by the other person (remember, they can still see you).

Video interviews also allow another level of insight that is not normally possible: hiring managers can see the environment the candidate chooses to be interviewed in (and hiring managers, candidates can see the environment you select as well). Ideally, candidates will be presenting themselves as professionally in a video interview as they would in an in-person one and, similarly, the client side of the screen should be conveying a fairly realistic virtual portrayal of the company’s culture and values. This includes choosing the most professional “at home” setting you can find – one that is organized, tidy and removed from distractions.

  1. Using screen sharing

On some video platforms, such as Zoom Video, the ability to share your screen with the other person means that you can add another dimension to your interviews. For candidates, instead of rattling off facts about your current role and company, why not share a quick visual presentation about what your company does? Why not show a recent Investor Presentation, or YouTube video or PowerPoint?  Or pull up some of your recent work?

If you’re the hiring manager, you can also use screen sharing to aid the meeting. For example, you could consider pulling up the candidate’s resume as the candidate walks you through their career history (although in a competitive process, you might want to be testing how well a candidate can articulate their experience without using the bullets on their resume to guide them).

If you do decide to use screen sharing as a creative way to add to your pre-screening or interview process (or for any other meeting, for that matter), make sure that you are not inadvertently sharing confidential information on your desktop or operating system. It might be a good time for you to change your desktop background to something professional and clean up all those random files and desktop icons that have been living on your computer screen for years. It’s also a good idea to bring up the materials you want to share on your computer in advance, so you don’t have to go digging through your files in front of the other person.

  1. Give the candidate (and the hiring manager!) some grace

Finally, my last tip in conducting video interviews is to afford each other some extra grace. Most candidates (and hiring managers) are not video interview experts, and may actually be using video technology for the first time. They may feel uncomfortable showing up to a meeting via video and may not know where to look. They may have gotten a bit frazzled struggling to make the technology work. And let’s not forget, in this particular moment in time, they are also struggling with the myriad of mental, physical and emotional issues relating to dealing with a pandemic, over and above the pressures of a job interview!

Affording each other a little bit of extra grace in a video interview can go a long way. Take some time to acknowledge the unusual circumstances of the interview and try to help the other person feel comfortable. With a little bit of patience and grace, you can be your most professional self, meeting as you would in any in-person interview.

Happy video interviewing!

For more tips and tools please reach out to any member of Pekarsky & Co. by emailing us at info@pekarskyco.com. Thank you as well to Jo Williams from Not Your Average Jo Communications for providing some additional inspiration and tips for this article.

Pekarsky & Co. is a proudly independently owned and operated, award-wining, boutique executive search firm based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

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YANOUK POIRIER

ASSOCIÉ-DIRECTEUR
M. Yanouk Poirier cumule plus de 25 ans d'expérience professionnelle et il a dirigé avec succès de nombreuses missions de recrutement exécutif, de conseil en leadership et de recrutement de membres de conseils d'administration pour des PME, de grandes entreprises nationales et internationales.

Très impliqué, M. Poirier siège aux conseils d'administration de Penrhyn International, du Club St-James de Montréal et de la Fondation du cancer du sein du Québec. Il est également mentor et gouverneur pour l'Université de Sherbrooke. Yanouk se décrit comme un homme de famille, un père, un entrepreneur et un connecteur. Il croit profondément que nous pouvons changer le monde un leader à la fois et que nous avons la responsabilité de redonner à la société.

Titulaire d'un MBA de l'Université de Sherbrooke, Yanouk détient également un post-MBA axé sur les grands enjeux stratégiques mondiaux. Il est également certifié en coaching exécutif (ACC) par l'International Coaching Federation.
CO-MANAGING PARTNER
Mr. Yanouk Poirier has over 25 years of professional experience and has successfully led numerous missions in executive recruitment, leadership consulting, and board member recruitment for SMEs, large national and international companies. Highly involved, Mr. Poirier sits on the boards of Penrhyn International, Club St-James in Montreal, and the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation. He also serves as a mentor and Governor for the University of Sherbrooke. Yanouk describes himself as a family man, a father, an entrepreneur, and a connector. He deeply believes that we can change the world one leader at a time and that we have a responsibility to give back to society.

Holder of an MBA from the University of Sherbrooke, Yanouk also holds a post-MBA focusing on major global strategic issues. He is certified in executive coaching (ACC) by the International Coaching Federation.

CYNTHIA LABONTÉ, MBA

ASSOCIÉE-DIRECTRICE
Depuis plus de 20 ans, Cynthia Labonté assiste des conseils d'administration et des dirigeants d’entreprises dans la gestion complète des processus de recrutement de cadres exécutifs. Auparavant, elle a dirigé une équipe en recrutement de cadres au sein d’une importante firme de consultation stratégique au Canada.

Elle a réalisé à bien, plus de 350 mandats de recrutement de cadres exécutifs pour des entreprises et des firmes réputées dans les secteurs manufacturier et industriel, de la distribution, du commerce de détail, des services professionnels et des organisations à but non lucratif. Son esprit entrepreneurial et son sens des affaires, lui permettent de reconnaître la culture unique et d’analyser le leadership requis afin de répondre aux enjeux d’affaires de ses clients.

Mme Labonté est membre d’EntreChefs (réseau de plus de 2000 membres d’entrepreneurs au Québec). Cynthia est très impliquée dans la communauté philantropique de Montréal et participe activement à des conseils d’administration et de nombreuses causes locales.

Elle est titulaire d'une double diplomation MBA de l'Université Paris-Dauphine et de l'ESG-UQAM.
CO-MANAGING PARTNER
For over 20 years, Cynthia Labonté has been assisting boards of directors, corporate executives and public organizations in the complete management of executive search processes. Previously, she led a team of senior managers and consultants at a major Canadian strategic consulting and executive search firm.

She has successfully completed over 350 executive search mandates for leading companies and firms in the manufacturing, industrial, distribution, retail, professional services and not-for-profit sectors. Her entrepreneurial spirit, business acumen, rigor and analytical skills are essential attributes that enable her to recognize the unique culture and needs of organizations, and to analyze the leadership required to meet her clients' business challenges.

Ms. Labonté is a member of EntreChefs (a network of over 2,000 entrepreneurs in Quebec). Cynthia is very involved in Montreal's philanthropic community, actively participating on boards and in many local causes.

She holds a double MBA from Université Paris-Dauphine and from ESG-UQAM in Montreal.

ROBIN FERRÉ

CONSULTANT
Robin Ferré est consultant en recherche de cadres exécutifs.

Avant de se joindre à Humanis, Robin a travaillé comme consultant, puis directeur chez un acteur important en recrutement exécutif ou il a œuvré dans des secteurs variés tels que les services professionnels, les technologies ou le secteur manufacturier.

Auparavant, il a travaillé dans diverses organisations en Europe et au Canada, dans des fonctions liées aux ressources humaines et au recrutement.

Durant son temps libre, Robin est très impliqué dans sa communauté. Il est membre du conseil d’administration de la Société Économique de l’Ontario et du conseil d’administration de l’Alliance Française de Toronto.

Il est également un grand amateur de sports de combats qu’il aime pratiquer ou simplement regarder, après un bon diner avec ses proches.

Robin Ferré est titulaire d'un baccalauréat en droit et d'une maîtrise en ressources humaines.
CONSULTANT
Robin Ferré is an executive search consultant.

Prior to joining Humanis, Robin worked as a consultant and then as a director for a major player in executive search in Canada, where he worked in a variety of sectors including professional services, technology and manufacturing.

Prior to this, he worked in various organizations in Europe and Canada, in human resources and recruitment functions.

In his spare time, Robin is very involved in his community. He is a board member of the Société Économique de l’Ontario and the Alliance Française de Toronto.

He's also a big fan of combat sports, which he likes to practice or simply watch after a good dinner with his loved ones.

Robin Ferré holds a bachelor's degree in Law and a master's degree in Human Resources.

MARIA ICAZA

CONSULTANTE
Maria Icaza vient de Mexico et possède plus de 13 ans d'expérience en recrutement de cadres. Elle collabore en continu avec les associés pour le recrutement de cadres supérieurs dans les secteurs manufacturier et distribution, de la vente au détail, des services professionnels et des OBNL. Elle a surtout travaillé sur des mandats au Canada et au Mexique, elle a aussi effectué quelques projets en Europe et aux États-Unis.

Elle a d’excellentes aptitudes relationnelles et sait naturellement attirer des talents de haut niveau. Outre sa passion pour les relations interpersonnelles, elle s’épanouit en apprenant sans cesse. Engagée auprès de la firme, elle comprend le marché des talents et carbure travail d’équipe.

Elle possède un baccalauréat en marketing de la Universidad del Valle de Mexico.

Maria est parle couramment l’espagnol et l’anglais et améliore son français de façon intensive!
CONSULTANT
Maria Icaza is from Mexico City; she has more than 13 years of experience in executive search. She has collaborated with partners on senior management roles up to C-Suite positions in the manufacturing, consumer, retail, pharmaceutical, industrial and professional services industry. She has been working in Mexico and Canada, nevertheless she did some assignments in Latin-America, Europe, and in the United States.

She has strong interpersonal skills and naturally attracts high-caliber talents. Besides her love for connecting with people, she aims to learn new things every day. Committed and devoted to the firm, she understands the talent market and thrives from being part of a team.

She has a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Universidad del Valle de Mexico.  

Fluent in Spanish and English, and in French (in development).

STÉPHANIE LAROSE

COORDONNATRICE DE PROJETS
Stéphanie œuvre en communications et en recherche depuis plus de 10 ans. Toujours à l’affût du mot juste, elle se spécialise en rédaction, en traduction et en révision. Elle a également à son actif plusieurs mandats de recherche de candidats. Son sujet de prédilection reste l’humain : l’exploration du potentiel de celui-ci la fascine.

Véritable caméléon, elle navigue au sein d’industries variées et côtoie tant des profils exécutifs qu’artistiques. Sa force réside dans sa curiosité ainsi que son sens de l’écoute de ses collaborateurs.

Titulaire d’un baccalauréat en Lettres modernes de l’Université de Lorraine (France), elle accorde une place importante à la bonification de ses connaissances linguistiques et littéraires. Sensible à l’art sous toutes ses formes et créative, elle tire son inspiration de ceux qui osent sortir du lot.

Mère de deux jeunes enfants, l’éducation et l’ouverture sur le monde restent au cœur de ses priorités. Dans ses temps libres, rien ne la ravit plus que de recevoir à sa table des personnes authentiques et ricaneuses.
PROJECT COORDINATOR
Stéphanie has been working in communications and research for over 10 years. Always looking for the right word, she specialized in writing, translating, and proofreading. She has also worked on many search mandates. Her favourite topic remains human beings: exploring their potential fascinates her.

A true chameleon, she has worked within various industries and still deals equally with executive and artistic profiles. Her strength lies in her curiosity and her listening skills towards her collaborators.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Modern Literature from Université de Lorraine (France) and attaches great importance to improving her linguistic and literary knowledge. Sensitive to art in all its forms and creative, she draws inspiration from those who dare to stand out.

A mother to two young children, education and openness to the world remain at the heart of her priorities. During her free time, nothing pleases her more than to welcome at her table people who are authentic and have a great sense of humour. 

RICHARD BÉLANGER

CONSULTANT SENIOR
Le parcours de Richard Bélanger en tant que gestionnaire de haut niveau lui a permis d'accompagner plusieurs types d'entreprises dans divers secteurs d'activité, principalement en recherche de cadres mais aussi dans leur processus de planification de la relève.

Son expérience de plus de 25 ans dans le domaine du recrutement exécutif a été acquise au sein de sa propre firme ainsi qu’auprès d’une importante firme canadienne de consultation stratégique et de recherche de cadres.

Richard a été président d’une filiale au sein d’un important détaillant et distributeur dans le domaine des produits de consommation et de vente par catalogue au Canada.

Il siège sur différents conseils d’administration et a développé un réseau enviable basé sur ses valeurs personnelles qui sont l’authenticité, la rigueur et le sens de l’éthique. Ses compétences relationnelles et sa capacité d’écoute active combinées à son courage managérial lui permettent de s’assurer de la compréhension des besoins de sa clientèle.
SENIOR CONSULTANT
Richard Bélanger is a senior consultant who has extensive experience in high-level management which has allowed him to support several types of businesses in different industries and sectors, mainly in executive search but also in their succession planning process.

His experience of more than 25 years in the field of executive recruitment was acquired within his own firm as well as with a major Canadian strategic consulting and executive search firm.

Richard was President of a subsidiary of a key retailer and distributor of consumer products and catalog sales in Canada.

He serves on different Boards of Administration and has developed an enviable network based on his personal values which are authenticity, rigor, and a sense of ethics. His people skills and his ability to actively listen combined with his managerial courage allow him to ensure that the needs of his customers are understood.
Richard Bélanger
514.808.6084