The advantage of the video interview is that you will attend from your home and do not have to bother about time constraints to reach the destination for an in-person interview. But you have to follow certain etiquette to attend video interviews. How early to join the video interview and how much time to wait for the interviewers to join the call will give you the confidence to deal with any disruption.
The practice of using video interviews through skype, zoom, GoToMeeting, google meet has increased manifold in the year 2020. We can safely assume that hiring through video interviews will remain the most preferred practice to hire candidates for the year 2021. You can apply for more jobs without any constraint on location as more jobs will be through the remote.
Here are the following risk factors before and video interviews:
- You are not able to join the interview as per the schedule.
- Your interviewers have not joined as for the interview schedule.
- You have a technical glitch before or during the interview.
- Your interviewers have a technical glitch before or during the interview.
In-Person Meeting and Video Meeting: Does it matter to be early
So here is a difference between in-person and video interviews. Reaching the destination before the schedule of the interview is the single most critical risk factor. You can manage 99% of the above risk factors by being at the place of the meeting as per the schedule. Once you are at the destination, then you have to wait for interviewers to call you for the interview, or the front office will inform you if they are running behind. That is the advantage of being in proximity to the interviewers.
Reaching the destination is not the biggest problem for video interviews. The most critical phase of the video interview is 5 minutes before the schedule of the interview and waiting for the interviewer to activate the video call. Whether you join a video interview five minutes early or one-minute early does not make any difference at all. The video call platform is such that the meeting will start as per the pre-defined schedule. It may begin sooner only if the interviewer allows it to start early.
Connectivity To The Meeting Platform
The single most critical factor for video interviews is connectivity. Everything will run smoothly for you if you can connect with the server, and the interviewers can start the meeting without any delay. Almost all are working from home in this pandemic. That means if you are meeting more than one interviewers, there is a possibility that all may join the interview from their computers. That increased the risk factor because any of the participants can face technical difficulties before or during the interview.
Action Plan Once You are Scheduled For The Video Interview
Here is what you need to do to avoid any disruption before or after the meeting:
Have all the contact details within your reach:
Collect all the mail IDs and the phone numbers of the participants and contact persons involved to arrange your interview.
Be Sure That You Have Correct Contact Details
Send a test mail to the mail ID to be sure that you have the correct mail IDs. You can call the person on the phone number to make sure that you have valid numbers to contact them in case of an emergency. Then copy all the contact details that include phone numbers and mail IDs of as many participants or people involved in arranging the interview on the notepad apps on your computer or mobile. This activity will make sure that you have the correct contact details of all the people involved to reach. In case you are not able to join the interview for any reason, or you do not see the interviewers on the video, then you can contact them from your phone.
Do a test run as soon as you have the video link for the interview. You will be sure that the meeting link is working. You do not have to worry about disrupting any meeting by doing a test trial because your interview will only activate during the interview schedule time. So you will see a message on the video platform that – You can join the interview once the organizer allows you to join the meeting.
Add an alert on your mobile calendar for an interview. Add a reminder on your phone with the time and link for the video interview. It will help you to have all the details on your mobile in case you have difficulty in finding the online invite from the hiring manager for scheduling the meeting.
Action Items Just Before Video Interview
Contact the hiring manager through e-mail or phone a few minutes before the start of the interview to let them know that you will be joining the call as per the schedule. You have confirmed with the hiring manager that you are attending the interview, and she can also remind the other participants to join the video call.
Take some time to relax and compose yourself at least 15 minutes before the schedule of the interview. First, check your computer, webcam, audio to makes your video and audio systems are functioning without any problem. Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and meditate for 5 to 10 minutes.
How Early To Join Video Call
Join the video interview just five minutes before the schedule. The interviewer and organizer can see your name on their screen once you join the link to the video call.
Call up the contact person without any delay If you face any problem joining the meeting platform. Let them know about the problem and try to find alternative solutions. Either they will arrange a phone interview or they can reschedule the call.
If you are able to join the platform then check your audio and video connection through their diagnostic system. By joining five minutes before the call, you will get some time to make sure that the meeting platform can connect with video and audio parts of your computer.
You may not face any difficulty attend the call and start your interview as per the schedule. But unfortunate things do happen, and you would be required to wait for an extended period for the interviewer to allow you to join the meeting.
Action Plan if No One Showed up for Interview As Per The Schedule
Send a one-line message to your contacts if they do not show up for the discussion beyond 5 minutes of the schedule.
I am on the call and waiting for the organizer to allow me to join. Are they facing any problem?
Most of the time, you will get an immediate response that they are following up and request you to wait for a few more minutes on the call.
But if it stretches more than 10 minutes, then the ball is in your court to wait for the interviewers or ask your contacts to reschedule the interview. The absence of interviewers Beyond 10 minutes is a red flag. It means that they are running too behind the meeting schedule or have some difficulties in joining the call. You can leave the meeting. Send your contacts a follow-up e-mail, informing them that you have come out of the meeting after waiting for 10 minutes. Ask them to reschedule the call and update you on the next interview schedule.
In most cases, hiring managers will let you know if they’re running behind or having an emergency. They will also let you know at what time they will join the call.
Do not hesitate to let your contact person know about any delay. Sometimes the hiring manager might not be in the loop and not aware that there is any technical problem or conflict of schedule. They will get an opportunity to coordinate and find a solution.
Do not join too early for video interview and do not wait too long for interviewer to join the Interview.
What to observe during the first five minutes of the meeting
In the first few minutes of the meeting, you’ll get a chance to observe the interviewers who may become your team members if they confirm you and you decide to join them.
Take the initial few minutes before they start the interview to look at their verbal and non-verbal / body language to find out if they are too busy or working under stress. The communication between the team can also give you an idea if they are relaxed and organized. The initial introduction will also give you a fair idea if they are trying to rush the interview or taking time to make you comfortable to attend the interview.
Checklist To Avoid Problem For Video Interview
- Have all the contact details of the hiring manager and interviewers.
- Send test mail and call up the number to make sure that you have the correct e-mail IDs and Phone Numbers.
- Add the interview details to your calendar and set alter on your mobile phone and computer.
- Copy all the contact details to your notepad apps on your computer and mobile phone.
- Turn on your computer 15 minutes before the schedule and test internet connectivity, your webcam, and audio.
- Meditate for five minutes to focus your attention on the interview.
- Join Video meetings five minutes before the schedule and check video and audio connection with your meeting platform.
- Contact the hiring manager if you have any connectivity issues or not able to join the platform.
- If everything is working fine then send an e-mail to the hiring manager letting them know that you have joined the call.
- Observe other participant’s behavior to get ideas about the working environment.
- Send an e-mail to the hiring manager if no one joined the call beyond five minutes of the schedule. Wait for another five minutes.
- Wait for the response from the hiring team for another 5 minutes. Do not wait beyond 10 minutes.
- Send them an e-mail and ask them to reschedule the call if they do not show within 10 minutes.