INTERVIEWING

Webcam Interviews On the Rise
Skype and other webcam tools take the principles of candidate selection and interviewing to the next level, technologically speaking, by eliminating the costs of flying candidates across the country to interview for a job. The use of Skype as an interviewing tool and protocol is expected to continue to grow rapidly in 2010 and beyond. Time magazine discussed the trend in the October 20, 2009, issue. And online retail giant Zappos is using Skype extensively in the interview process, reports Bizmology.com.

Candidates who are being interviewed via webcam should spend time preparing just as they would for any interview, with the addition of some important visual and audible components:

• Get feedback from someone you trust as to “how you look” and how you come across when viewed via Skype. Do a practice session!
• Be particularly careful where you position your chair and what is behind you that the camera might pick up as you adjust yourself through the interview (you don’t want a large painting or odd object ‘growing’ out of your head).
• Have your resume handy and notes accessible—but out of view of the camera. Eliminate all distractions, from barking dogs to ringing or singing phones.

Contributed by Jan Melnik, MRW, CCM, CPRW

Twitterviews = Twitter + Interview.
George Stephanopoulos used Twitter to interview former presidential candidate John McCain in March of 2009. It’s expected that companies will begin to experiment more with conducting twitterviews for job applicants. This approach will really test a candidate’s ability to be concise and distinctive, all in 140 characters or less per tweet.

Contributed by Jan Melnik, MRW, CCM, CPRW