It was Elly Bowen's big moment in her job interview. She was asked to describe why she was the best candidate for a job as a human resources manager.
And she thought she had a winning answer. But when the she started talking, her interviewer suddenly looked baffled.
At that moment, the video-conference equipment that linked her from a studio in Toronto to the hiring team in Nova Scotia had a technical glitch that shut off the sound. The interviewer could see her lips moving, but couldn't hear a word, she recalls.
"I wondered what am I saying wrong? It didn't cost me the job, but it was disconcerting to say the least," says Ms. Bowen, a human resources specialist. She got the problem fixed, finished the interview and landed a job as director of work force strategy for Sobey's Inc.
Experts say learning to master interview technology will be an increasingly important skill for job seekers in the future.
As though job interviews were not enough for a serious case of the nerves, a fast-growing trend is toward video interviewing as an alternative to face-to-face meetings.
The proportion of initial job interviews that are done remotely by video rather than in person has risen to more than 30 per cent today from about 10 per cent two years ago, says Gordon Orlikow, senior client partner in the Toronto office of executive recruiter Korn/Ferry International.
The reasons are purely practical. "Increasingly, executive searches are looking at candidates across Canada and around the world to find the best talent available," Mr. Orlikow explains. Video interviewing saves the expense and travel time of vetting a large number of potential candidates for further consideration.
And you are going to see the proportion of video interviews rise because the technology is fast improving, predicts Bart Mindszenthy, a partner in Toronto-based corporate communications advisers Mindszenthy & Roberts Corp.
"There are going to be more of these electronic encounters and we have to learn to use the technology, rather than to think of it as scary or uncomfortable," he advises.
Doing a video interview requires acquiring a new set of skills, even for those who are experienced at doing interviews on television, Mr. Mindszenthy says. "It's an unreal experience and you have to prepare to come across as real.
"A big difference is that, in a television interview, the encounter is only for a few minutes. A video job interview is a very long, intense encounter, which can last more than an hour and you have to be prepared to handle anything -- but at the same time come across as relaxed," he explains.
As well, participants are in studios where they are interacting with a television monitor and camera rather than a person, which changes how people react, he adds.
In a personal encounter, an interviewer puts a majority of attention on what a person is saying but in video, appearance and presentation become predominant, Mr. Mindszenthy says.
He says research shows visual appearance is at least half of what people focus on when they watch someone on television. Another 40 per cent of the viewer's attention is on the tonality and inflection of the speaker's voice; less than 10 per cent of their attention may be on what the person actually says in a video encounter, he adds.
"You can be saying all the right things, but if you don't look like you mean them, you're going to lose," Mr. Mindszenthy says. "So, you need to think much more about how you are going to dress and how you are going to use eye contact to come across with an impact to someone who is not even in the same room."
Practice is vital. Going over the points you want to make during the interview in front of a mirror or watching yourself on your own video will give you feedback, he suggests.
It will also help if you can enlist a trusted friend who can ask interview questions, and comment on how your responses come across, Mr. Mindszenthy says.
"In training, I find that people start out looking very uncomfortable being interviewed on camera, but with regular practice they get much more comfortable using it."
Observing yourself will teach you presentation tricks. For instance: "You have to think of the camera as a face and deal with it that way. If your eyes are looking around the room, you seem unfocused and distracted," he says.
But despite the growing popularity of video interviewing, there are limits on how ubiquitous it will become, Mr. Orlikow at Korn/Ferry believes. "It's a growing trend and it's a valuable tool but it should never be considered a replacement to face-to-face meetings before a person is hired.
"In senior assignments, particularly, you would never want to make the final decision based only on video interviews," Mr. Orlikow says.
At the executive level, visual and non-verbal cues are extremely important to determining whether a person will be right for a position, he explains.
What's different? "There's a warmth about a face-to-face meeting that comes from mannerisms, such as how the person responds when you smile or reacts to something you say," he says.
"In an in-person meeting, interviewers are looking at how people pick up on non-verbal cues and are able to respond, while in a video conference that is not always possible. Even with the best equipment, there is a distance and impersonality, and a lot of nuances about character can be missed."
For some people who don't take care to use the video format correctly, the performance actually can become a negative in their quest to impress an interviewer, Mr. Orlikow says.
Too often, he has seen people treat the video discussion as just like a phone call. "They forget they are being looked at. It is important to dress appropriately and maintain eye contact."
Other common faults are fidgeting or appearing to be daydreaming, which are magnified when the face is the only thing the interviewer can see, Mr. Orlikow adds.
And the microphone for television picks up everything and magnifies it. "Sometimes people do odd things, like tapping their pen on the table or bouncing their knee. That becomes booming when it is picked up on the microphone.
Then, there is learning to mind the time gap. "A live conversation flows back and forth naturally, while in a video link there can be gaps of silence because of a delay in the reception of the information at the other end." Mr. Mindszenthy says.
People get unnerved by silence from the other end and may try to fill it, thinking it's their turn to speak, he says. "You have to remember to take a deep breath just to make sure that the other person has finished their thought."
But the practice will be well worth the effort, he notes. Being adept at video interviewing is also an increasingly sought after skill in management because, increasingly, companies are using video conferencing and requiring leaders to do appearances on television.
"It's going to be a skill everyone needs in their repertoire," he says.
Ms. Bowen couldn't agree more. In her human resources work, she has done many video meetings, as an interviewer and a candidate.
After a strategic change at Sobey's made her job redundant at the end of the year, she is back on the job market and has just done a video interview for a new position with an employer in Vancouver.
She's learned some key points that make you stand out in a video interview. "You have to be very prepared with quick, concise answers."
The longer you ramble on, the more likely the listener is to become distracted and miss what you have to say, she's found. "I have to remind myself to answer the question and wait for the next question." And you have to be confident about your responses. Uncertainty or nervousness is magnified in the close-up focus of a camera, she adds.
But despite its quirks and the frustration of not being in the same room as the person you're speaking with, she's become a fan of video interviewing.
"I have to say as I've used video interviewing, I've come to enjoy it. At times it can be nerve-wracking, but it can also be a lot of fun."
Get the picture
A video interview should be choreographed as carefully as an appearance on a television talk show. Here are tips for success from media trainer Bart Mindszenthy, partner in the Mindszenthy & Roberts Corp. in Toronto.
Dress tastefully. Appear as you normally would for business, but avoid bold patterns and dark colours, which can be distracting on television.
Make a pit stop. Anxiety can cause you to suddenly feel the urge to use the washroom just as the video interview is to start. Stopping on the way to the studio also gives you a chance to check your attire and your hair. A surprising number of people forget this important step, Mr. Mindszenthy says.
Speak with conviction. Don't try to rush through what you have to say. And don't try to fill pregnant pauses; for technological reasons, there may be a momentary time lapse between the visual and the audio.
Use a prop. Sipping from a glass of water not only will relieve a dry mouth, but give you a few extra seconds to formulate a response.
Be yourself. As with any kind of job interview, if you try to fake it, you'll either come across as a phony or might end up with the wrong job for you.
Watch your body language. Keep eye contact with the camera; don't slouch or get too comfortable; be animated but don't make sweeping hand gestures.
Listen before answering. Pause for two seconds, which seems like a long time but it makes you seem thoughtful and introspective.
Ask for clarification. If you're uncertain what's being asked, make sure you're responding to the right question.
Keep notes. Jot down key words or phrases as questions are being asked that you want to use in your answers.
Make your point. Don't just answer the interviewer's questions, use them as a springboard to things you want to highlight.
Keep it short. The longer your answer, the more likely you'll start losing the interviewer's interest and your own train of thought, Mr. Mindszenthy advises. Wallace Immen