They say that it takes 21 days to make a habit and 90 days to make a lifestyle.

At the beginning of March 2020, a lot of companies started social distancing and started moving to virtual meetings, and a lot of our clients offered virtual interviews to job seekers who were not comfortable with face to face meetings.  It certainly was an interesting venture to embark on, and people around the world were suddenly trying to figure out how to host a meeting, what software was the most professional, and what etiquette to put in place to make the meetings and interviews as professional as possible. 

By the middle of April, most companies had passed the 21 days and the habit was firmly entrenched in the business practice.  More than being a way that they had to operate to merely function, virtual meetings have become a welcomed connection with colleagues, staff and clients.  Many festivals and conferences have gone virtual, and the exercise industry has exploded into the virtual meetings space.  In short, for most people, connecting on Zoom, Google Meet, Google Hangout, WhatsApp Video Calls, Teams, Skype or similar platforms, has become to equivalent to popping into the office next door, or catching up over a coffee to discuss an idea.

Whether or not you are going back to work in June, Social Distancing is here to stay for the rest of the year, to a greater or lesser extent, and as we leave 2020, virtual meetings will be a part of normal business.

What this means for recruitment, is that the majority of job interviews are going to be done via video interview in the future, especially as a first-round interview.  Some of the advantages to virtual interviews are that employers can now look at applicants out of the area; at applicants that could not get time off work to attend an interview; they are able to record interviews easily to refer back on; they are able to conference in more that one manager to interview, and it is far more efficient on time management and productivity. 

What this means to job seekers, is that if you want to position yourself ahead of other job seekers, you need to be proactive and get comfortable with virtual interviews.  RESOURCE recruitment has been doing virtual interviews throughout lockdown, assisting and coaching job seekers on this new platform, and the response has been unanimously positive and motivating for job seekers.

In January 2020, if you had tried to fax your CV or look in the Sunday newspaper for a job, you would not have been highly effective in securing interviews and employment.  That is how things were done 20 years ago.  It is time to evolve and embrace the new technology.  Create a professional online presence on platforms such as LinkedIn, load your CV onto job portals, and get comfortable with virtual interviews.  You will be pleasantly surprised at how this new change in the way things are done, benefits you.

“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”. — John F. Kennedy.

1. We have a wealth of knowledge and experience.

RESOURCE recruitment was established in 2002, after the owner, Kirsten Glen, has been working in the industry for a number of years.  RESOURCE recruitment prides itself in having an exceptionally low staff turnover, which means that our consultants have developed long term relationships with our clients, and are seasoned professionals in the industry.  Our team interviews job seekers all day, every day, and consultants with our clients on their requirements and job specifications.  This experience translates into being able to often detect irregularities and discrepancies in applicants CV’s and reasons for leaving jobs, and often insights into the best person to fit our client’s vacancies.

2. We save you time and make your recruitment efforts more efficient

There is often a misconception out there that the market is flooded with job seekers.  While this may be the case to a certain extent, it does not mean that the market is flooded with good applicants with the required skills, experience and work ethic that you are looking for.  With the volume of job seekers that we interview, and have interviewed over virtual interviews throughout lockdown, we have an extensive database of job seekers that have been reference checked and screened, saving you time and getting you straight to the interview stage!  We pride ourselves on always striving to get you CV’s within 24 hours of receiving your applicant requirements.

3. We thoroughly background check all our applicants.

Having been in the industry for over 20 years, it still amazes me that recruitment agencies still market CV’s to their clients, without having interviewed the job seekers.  In a world inundated with fraud, it is essential to do extensive background checks- telephonically with previous employers, ITC and criminal checks, as well as ID, drivers and qualification checks where needed.  If you are wanting a mentally healthy employee, and one who hold the morals and values of your company heart, and will fit into the team, it also means checking their social media footprint and obtaining a clear character assessment.  We also offer psychometric tests, if this is something that you value.

4. We are flexible

RESOURCE recruitment has been operating for almost 20 years, but we are still a small, personal business at heart.  This means that we cut the red tape, and meet our clients in the recruitment process, where they need us.  We are constantly innovating and adapting to the constantly changing marketplace; researching new jobs and industries, advertising on new platforms and trying new assessments and recruitment methods.  We also have a variety of flexible fee options, including our “Employ Now, Pay Later Option”  (DM us for more details)

5. We are leaders in e-recruitment

We are aware that you need to be on every platform possible, to attract the best applicants for your job, so we have worked extensively over the past decade to build a huge following on Facebook (over 20 000 followers), LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram; in addition to our bulk mailer of over 35 000 active job seekers and a WhatsApp Broadcast list of 10 000, in addition to the traditional job portals that all employment agencies use.  We do not know of another local employment agency that comes close to competing with our e- footprint, which means when you let us submit CV’s for your vacancy, we submit different applicants, from a fresh new source.

6. We are passionate about what we do!

Words cannot portray exactly how much we love our jobs and what we do.  We are passionate about helping both clients and job seekers and are very aware that we have the ability to change the lives of both, and take the whole process incredible personally.  We see ourselves as being partners in our client’s businesses and the careers of our candidates.  We are so excited about showing you what we can do!

The world is changing and so is the way we do business.  2020 has seen businesses globally, from big to small, being given the “virtual shove” into changing the way that they do things- working remotely and communicating electronically.

Since the day I opened RESOURCE recruitment almost 20 years ago, we have prided ourselves on being leaders in e- recruitment. With a Facebook Following of over 20 000 job seekers, almost 10 000 connections on LinkedIn and a Bulk Mailer of 35000 active job seekers (in addition to the regular online portals most employment agencies use), we have a very big digital footprint.  All that being said, I have always been adamant (and still am) that we need to maintain the human connection and personally meet our clients and candidates, get to know their businesses and them as people, and not be tempted into communicating exclusively electronically.

But, 2020 has had different ideas for me, and I am being forced to grow and evolve and embrace video meetings like Skype and WhatsApp Video Calls.

Here are some tips that I have researched that will help you prepare and ace your next video job interview!

1. Dress to impress
   It is so tempting to not dress up for your interview, if you are sitting at home in casual wear.  There are two reasons why you should dress to impress.  The most important is the way that it makes you feel when you power dress in a smart outfit, versus the t-shirt you were going to wear.  The second is that research shows that on video job interviews, the details are amplified.  The person on the other side of the camera is more likely to notice your makeup, earrings and nail polish; than a person would face to face.  I have also read that shades of blue, black and white are the best colours to wear, because red, orange, yellow does not always appear good to other screens.

2. Avoid interruptions

Most important- PICK A QUIET SPOT WITHOUT INTERRUPTIONS.  Tell people that you are having a video meeting and that you cannot be interrupted.  If you can, lock the door so that no one walks in mid-meeting.  Personally, when I have tried to have a conversation with someone and there is a child screaming, or what feels like a party going on in their background, and I am battling to hear them, I get irritated at the lack of respect and professionalism that they are showing.  I can also only imagine how distracted they are feeling.

3. Prepare your surroundings
   In a traditional interview, you are going to a company, or inviting them into your meeting room.  But on video interviews, you may be inviting them into your home.  Make sure that your backdrop is neat, uncluttered and does not reveal too much about you personally.  Be authentic.  I once had someone send me a video interview with some motivational books strategically placed on their desk to impress.  When I asked about their opinions on them, it was clear they had never even read them!

4. Close other programs on your computer.
   Getting notifications during your interview is distracting and unprofessional. Before your interview, make sure all other windows on your computer are closed (especially if they make a noise).

5. Look at the camera, not the screen.
   It is very tempting to watch yourself or your interviewer during a video session but looking directly at the video camera is the only way to maintain direct eye contact with your interviewer.

6. Use notes, but not too many
   Don’t be afraid to help yourself with post-it notes or a copy of your resume handy when you interview. A benefit of having a video interview is that you can have a cheat sheet in front of you so that you don’t have to memorize everything and can keep your focus. However, avoid having scripts written out and being so concerned about the notes that you disrupt the flow and human connection of the interview by awkward pauses and papers flapping.

7. Keep your profile professional.
   Unlike face-to-face interviews where your first impression is made by arriving well-presented and smiling as you shake someone’s hand, when you do a video interview it is different. The first impression is your profile, your username and your picture and before the call even clicks through you have made an impression. If your profile is not professional- create a new one.

8. Watch your body language.
   Sit up straight, but keep your shoulders relaxed.  Chose a desk chair over a comfy couch.  Try not to fuss with your hair or fiddle with things on your desk.

9. Practise makes perfect.
   The job interview itself or meeting is not the time to test the audio settings and internet connection and if your Skype is working.  Do that beforehand.  Video call some friends and ask them how you look, what the background looks like, and how they can hear you.  Get comfortable with seeing yourself as you talk to someone, and not getting distracted by that image, while you make a connection.

10. Stay connected and engaged
    It’s easy to lose the connection with the person on the other side of the screen when you are talking too much, or not to notice when their interest has been lost.  Try have a two-sided conversation, rather than launch into long speeches.

This is new to us too, so we would love to hear any hint, tips and hacks you may have for video interviews or any experiences that you would like to share.