Nail that video job interview
How to sharpen body language skills
to set right tone
Video job interviews have become the norm, and it can be tough for the job candidate and the hiring manager.
For the latter, it’s stressful enough having to interview people for jobs face-to-face.
Now shrink your physical interviewing space to a small screen, and you’re at a real disadvantage.
For those looking for a job in this tough climate, you want to have an edge in a virtual job interview, and that may mean having to sharpen a neglected skill that will carry over post-pandemic: your body language.
The New York Times reports pioneering anthropologist Ray Birdwhistell found face-to-face conversation is less than
35% verbal, and more than 65% of communication is done nonverbally.
Becoming more aware of your own body language can certainly help job seekers communicate more effectively. A hiring manager could recognize certain nonverbal signals in a job candidate that will raise his or her ability to spot the contradictions between someone’s words and his or her body language.
A recent post by FlexJobs, which deals with the flexible job movement, proposes several tips for job candidates to master their body language during virtual job interviews.
Look at the camera, not at yourself
When it’s your turn to speak, make a habit of maintaining good eye contact by looking directly into the camera, rather than at your computer screen or at yourself, which someone may perceive as a disconnect. Looking at yourself also can make you self-conscious and throw you off your game.
Have good posture
Avoid slouching or sinking into your chair, which can come across as too casual and indicate that you’re not interested in the interviewer. A good posture signifies that you’re alert, interested and engaged in the conversation.
Lean in a bit
It’s natural to show interest during a face-to-face interview by leaning in. For a video interview, the key to leaning in is the distance to the camera. Too close and the hiring manager will be turned off by your nose hairs. Rule of thumb: Be an arm’s length from your screen and lean forward just a few inches to express your interest when the other person is speaking.
Minimize the gesturing
Gesturing to express yourself and get your point across isn’t a problem, unless you do it to the extent that it becomes distracting during a video interview. If you think you might get too animated and move your hands too much, practice preinterview to make sure your motions are kept to a minimum.
Don’t fold your arms
Folding your arms (or crossing your legs, if the screen distance is far enough) might indicate you’re closed off or possibly Mr.
Grumpy. To avoid any negative perceptions on the other side of the screen, “keep your arms comfortably at your sides and your feet planted on the floor to make yourself look more open and engaged.”
Nod at certain points
When you have nodding down to an art form, it can help people feel more connected and relaxed; it also shows that you’re listening intently, which keeps both parties engaged. But avoid bobblehead nodding in a video interview. Pick the right spots to look genuine. Otherwise, too much nodding with a glazed look will make it appear that you’re distracted by thoughts of not wanting to be there.
Smile genuinely
Body language experts say that people can judge you in less than a second. And in two or more seconds, people’s judgments of you tend to become more negative.
To communicate right off the bat that you’re safe and approachable in the virtual presence of a hiring manager, start working on your smile.
Take Sara Blakely, the self-made billionaire and founder of Spanx, as a model example. Blakely’s big flash of straight white teeth in her videos and photos is disarming, and we practically smile back at her because she makes us feel socially connected.
According to FlexJobs, smiling while speaking also “makes you sound friendlier and can give a more upbeat tone to your voice.” And if the interviewer says something funny, it’s OK to smile and laugh.
The first step in employing these tips is the hardest: being aware of your body language downfalls during a video interview. Once you figure out what they are, try some of these practices, hone your skills and let your virtual interviewing mojo shine.
Marcel Schwantes is a speaker, executive coach and the host of the Love in Action podcast.