Texan Mosaic

Editor’s Note: Photos by Giovanni Martinez, COMM 1318 Photography 1.

Whether it’s a Zoom call or a Microsoft Teams meeting, video interviews have become a normal part of the hiring process.

A 2022 Forbes Council post goes so far as to call the virtual interview the “new resume.” The post cites a 2021 Hiring Trend report from Indeed.com which shows 82% of respondents say they implemented virtual interviews due to the pandemic. A whopping 93% of employers said they planned to continue using virtual interviews in the future.

There are commonly two different types of virtual interviews. Both are explained in Forbes. They include:

• Live interview- essentially an in-person interview conducted in a remote environment; and
• One-way interview – when candidates’ responses to questions are recorded and sent to an employer for review.

It doesn’t seem to matter what or who you look to for advice, the key to acing any virtual interview is preparation, preparation, preparation.

“If asked to interview virtually,” the Forbes authors write, “you should prepare at least as much, if not more, than if you were interviewing in person.”

Employers appear to offer the same advice. 

Aida Luevanos, a sales representative with an oil-field company in West Texas, says she’s handled many employee interviews as a hiring manager. She suggests a job candidate should prepare by doing research before the interview.

“Learn about the company,” she says. “Familiarize yourself with the leadership, the mission, and history.”

She also discusses how important mastering basic technology is when preparing for a virtual interview.

“For starters,” she says, “make sure you have a good connection and a peaceful setting. A common mistake people make is being in a public setting like a coffee shop or a living room.”

South Plains College student Mauricio Ramirez says he completed a project over the summer that included a seminar about interview techniques. He agrees with Luevanos about being prepared with technology.

“It’s really important to have a clean background, good attire, and no background noise or distractions,” he says.

He also adds another camera-wise tip that may be easy to forget. “Don’t look at the computer screen,” he advises, “but directly look at the camera.”

According to TestGorilla, a hiring platform that offers companies information about how to evaluate job candidates, nearly half of employers say candidates fail because of poor preparation or presentation.

Ramirez says he prefers in-person interviews. “I don’t believe video interviews are better than in-person interviews,” he says, “because in person you can read body language and better understand a person’s social capability.”

Statistically, Ramirez isn’t the only one who says he prefers in-person interviews. According to TestGorilla, a survey conducted by the Harris Poll on behalf of the American Staffing Association, found 70% of Americans prefer in-person interviews. Only 17% prefer video interviews, and 9% choose voice calls. 

Like it or not, it doesn’t sound like virtual job interviews are going away any time soon. Forbes points out they help employers meet more candidates since they can be scheduled close together. They also get rid of geographical barriers. That means it’s easier to interview remote candidates.

When you think about it, those points work in the candidate’s favor too.

So, prepare, prepare, prepare for that job interview. And remember, you might just have to be on camera.