Person 1: Although there are several benefits to virtual interviews, there are still some challenges that present themselves as well. For example, virtual interviews will never have that face-to- face interaction that could make the individuals involved connect. There is also less room for natural conversations. During a virtual call, the person who is getting interviewed could have a script pulled up or a random article titled "Commonly Asked Interview Questions and Answers". It is a bit more challenging for people interviewing to have a good feel for the person because they're also not able to read their body language.

I had a virtual interview this past week. I did the usual work in preparation for any normal interview, which includes researching the company, looking up my interviewer on LinkedIn and aligning my goals and resume to their organizational goals and to the position's goals and responsibilities. However, I also had to assess the environment of my interviewing space. I made sure there were no distractions which included having my children outside the house with my spouse. I also had to make sure to find a well lit area in my house which happened to be my office space. Lastly, I also had to make sure it looked tidy and had minimal distractions in the background. These are all important factors that are not required during a face-to-face interview.

First impressions are important for both in person interviews and virtual interviews. The candidates should be well groomed and be in a clean and quiet environment with the correct lighting and with the correct settings to be able to hear them properly. I would also try to see if they're not easily distracted by anything on their screen.

Person 2: While there are various positive benefits of virtual interviews, there are also many pitfalls when firms utilize this strategy to select candidates. I have selected 4 pitfalls to discuss in this post. 1.) In a virtual interview, both the interviewer and the interviewee can have trouble establishing and maintaining eye contact. Often when video conferencing, it is difficult to remember to look at the camera and not at the screen where you can see the other person talking. The lack of eye contact can translate into the perception that a candidate is unprofessional and not confident. 2.) Virtual interviews also make it difficult for both parties to read body language and reduces the individual's ability to be receptive to nonverbal cues as well. 3.) Either party may also run into connectivity issues wreaking havoc on the process. 4.) When conducting virtual interviews, there is a greater chance of distractions impacting the process that wouldn't have been as likely in an in-person interview such as a noisy background.

To prepare for a virtual interview you can do three things. First, you can test your technology. This means checking the strength of your Wi-Fi connection and running test to make sure your computer's software is compatible with the platform you make be asked to use such as zoom or teams. Second, you can do a trail run in a virtual meeting room by yourself. This is a great opportunity to practice looking directly in the camera to replicate real life eye contact. Third, you can decide on the best space for your virtual interview. Freeing the area of clutter and unprofessional dcor can highly impact the first impression you have on an employer. Opting for a blank wall with little distractions is the ideal way to go.

If I was relying on virtual interviews to select job candidates, I would evaluate them on an array of things. First, I would assess if they were on time and prepared. Sometimes a candidate getting on the call 5 minutes late can foreshadow future time management habits that may deter a company from hiring them. I would next look at how they presented themselves. Often people can take virtual interviews more casually. I would want to see that the candidate put effort into their appearance and effort in reducing distractions prior to our meeting. Lastly, I would look for details offered in responses to the questions I ask. The ability to thoroughly explain answers and expound upon statements in a professional way would prompt me to push an interviewee further along the process of hiring.

Instructions:

1. Reply to person 1 in a business manner. 2. After replying to person 1, reply to person 2 in a business manner.