Can’t find work? Blame your webcam. Video interviews—which roughly half of all employers report using—can tank your job prospects, shows new research from Canada’s McMaster University.
In the study, hirers judged candidates who interviewed via video to be 13 percent less competent and 11 percent less trustworthy than face-to-face applicants.
Why? Videoconferencing programs like Apple’s FaceTime or Skype erect a “technological barrier” between you and the interviewer, explains study coauthor Greg Sears, Ph.D. Important social cues—such as good eye contact or appropriate facial expressions—don’t always translate on video, which can spoil the interviewer’s perception of you, Sears says. For those same reasons, phone interviews are even worse, he adds.
Whenever possible, push for an in-person meeting—especially if you know other candidates will have face-to-face sit-downs. But if you’re applying from out of town and video is your only option, here are two ways to improve your odds:
- Position your webcam no more than 2.5 feet from your face to ensure the interviewer can clearly see your expressions. This will help him feel fully engaged with you during the chat, Sears says.
- Be sure to look into your camera’s eye (and therefore the interviewer’s)—especially when introducing yourself at the start of the call and whenever the hirer is asking questions, Sears recommends. If you’re looking at your computer screen instead of into your camera, you’ll come off as inattentive and untrustworthy, he says.
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