Interview Chatter

Lights! Camera! Action! - Interview With HireVue COO

by Darlene McDaniel on June 15th, 2007

Interview with Mark Newman, COO of HireVue Part 2

Darlene: Do the candidates ever want a do-over? Does anyone ever say, “I need to do that again, I didn’t really do that so well?”

Mark: The funny thing about interviews, if you ever ask anyone about their interview, no matter how old they are, from 15 to 50 they always say “it went ok.” No one ever says, “it went great, I knocked it out of the park.” People are always very humble about it. When using HireVue, people tend to say “the first couple of questions I was getting use to it.” But most are fine after that. People like technology. They think it’s cool.

Other people say, “if I could, I would go back and talk about this experience or I should have said that.” In most cases if they are thinking that way and being positive more than likely that will show up in the interview; the client will see it and they will get another opportunity to discuss those additional things further in a follow up interview.

Darlene: From your perspective, what makes a candidate more successful than another when using your tool to interview? What things make one candidate more likely to get a face to face interview with the hiring organization?

Mark: I always tell candidates to “tell a story.” Be open, sit back relax and tell your story. Second thing, be professional, it is a real interview. Take it seriously. Dress professionally. Be aware of what is behind you in the picture. Third, follow directions.

This is a big one. We have fewer problems with older, mature candidates. Younger, college-aged students who feel comfortable with technology, tend to jump in without reading all of the instructions.

Make sure your speakers are on, close your browser windows and follow any other instructions given to ensure your interview records well. The error rate is higher with the younger candidates because they fly right through it, rather than the person who is much more detail oriented.

Darlene: Does that choose them out of the process or do they get to do it again?

Mark: Generally the company will let us know someone’s interview didn’t come through correctly. It is on a case by case basis. It is would be the employers call whether or not to allow a “do over.”

Darlene: What else is the hiring manager looking for to help them make their decision about which candidates to invite to continue in their hiring process? Are there some intangible things that come across in the interview that might get in the way – other than professionalism?

Mark: Absolutely! How well a candidate communicates matters. Oral communication skills are very important when interviewing on camera. Again tell a story. It is important that candidates discuss the specific project, task or situation. Tell them what happened. Develop the story as you go through the presentation and make sure to include the outcome.

Candidates need to remember, the manager is evaluating how well they will represent their company. Presentation and communication skills are very important.

Part 3 of my Interview with Mark Newman, COO of HireVue tomorrow!

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POSTED IN: For Managers, Interesting Stuff, Technology, The Interview