Many of us have forgotten what life was like before we took to our laptop and desktop screens for nearly every meeting. Zoom is now just as much of a staple tool as Gmail or Outlook mail. From weekly syncs with our teams to cross-functional meetings and new-hire interviews, video calls play a vital role when it comes to promoting connection and collaboration at work.
In 2022, Zoom experienced a record 300 million meeting participants daily, reports Business Insider. As organizations maintain their virtual daily workflows, we can expect the numbers of Zoom users to rise continually. With this move towards a higher frequency of remote roles and digitally native companies, video-centric interviews are becoming a key pillar in many organizations’ hiring strategies.
In order to stay on par with the times, candidates must learn new skills when it comes to interviewing remotely.
Learn how to make yourself marketable to recruiters from four Hunt Club Talent Experts.
Hunt Club Expert's Zoom Etiquette Guide
The uptick in remote interviews has led to Zoom becoming a mainstay while organizations search for talent. With the opportunity to hire anywhere, this offers a convenient way to conduct the interview process without needing to coordinate travel or in-person meetings. As a candidate, there are certain steps you can take to ensure that your interview goes as smoothly as possible in virtual settings.
10 Tips for making a great first impression on Zoom
Hunt Club’s Experts compiled their virtual etiquette tips for candidates to help ease the transition from in-person to video interviews.
- Show up on time - or even a minute or two early. Always give yourself time to test your camera and microphone - get familiar with the technology.
- Have a clean and simple background that doesn’t distract the interviewer from you and your responses.
- Find a quiet place to take the interview. Like a physical background, background noises can easily distract you and the hiring team. If needed, use headphones to ensure you don’t miss a question.
- Dress as you would if you were meeting the hiring team in person. Creating the familiarity of dressing up can help you feel as though you’re back in the office.
- Look into the camera rather than looking at yourself - they can tell! Check their facial expressions throughout the interview process, however keep most of your attention on the camera so it appears as though you’re making direct eye contact with the interviewers.
- Be aware of your body language. While the hiring manager will only see you from your torso up, it’s important to sit still and demonstrate a calm and confident composure.
- Practice speaking points prior to the meeting in order to provide insightful feedback. Keep notes by your computer so you have reference points about the company and position.
- Ask questions. After spending hours on video calls, it can be easy to lose focus and stop listening as closely as you should. To maintain concentration, come up with 2-3 questions for your interviewer that directly relate to the topic at hand.
- Use the mute button. When the hiring team is asking you questions, make sure it’s quiet from your end and prevent audio feedback. This will help not only you, but it will also help the interviewer stay focused as well.
- Whether it’s your first interview with a company or third, send a thank you email following the interview in order to maintain a professional connection.
The new normal is here to stay. From here on out, digital-first impressions made through Zoom will continue as the number of Zoom users continues to rise. Identifying what works best within your home office early on can help ease the interviewing and onboarding process. Take it from the experts when it comes to navigating first-time interactions through Zoom. By following our Zoom Interview Etiquette Tips, you’ll be well on your way to landing a new job that you love. Find what works best for you and implement it into your daily Zoom strategy.
Looking for more interview tips? Discover how to set inclusive boundaries during the hiring process.
