4 Online Interview Platforms You Must Know How to Use

Between 2019 and now, there has been a shift on how recruitment processes are done. Due to COVID-19, many organizations adapted to using more online channels for interviews with candidates for jobs – this is also called virtual Interviews.

Maybe that is not new information to you but how many of these platforms can you effectively use? You need to answer that question correctly.

I remember recently calling some candidates to schedule interviews with them online and they all assumed it was going to be via ZOOM, maybe because ZOOM was more popular. But hey, there are now many more video conferencing tools you should have an idea on how to use.

Most times, candidates spend a good part of their interview time trying to figure out how to use these platforms. For example, if I send you an interview schedule using Google meet, it’s not okay to use our interview time to try out how it works. You should have tested it before the meeting. You get it?

Your knowledge of one channel may not suffice for the other channels. So, what are the most popular 4 video interview channels most organizations use today?

1. ZOOM: Yes! Let me start from the most popular. I’m sure you must have heard of or even used zoom many times for virtual interviews.

For ZOOM, the interviewer or hiring manager will most likely create a meeting and communicate the link to join the virtual interview to you. You join the meeting by clicking the link. If you have the zoom application on your phone, it will pop out and your meeting can start. If not, you can use the web option. It is most advisable to download the application though for a seamless meeting.

These etiquettes may help you at your interviews on ZOOM.

a. Mute your microphone on entry to ensure the noise around you doesn’t interfere.Turn off notifications and set up in a quiet, distraction-free area.

b. Before you turn on your video, ensure your background and surrounding has nothing that could distract the interviewer. Even if you are well dressed for an interview, don’t spoil your appearance with a messy background.

c. I recommend you use headphones. It improves sound quality and helps block out distracting noises.

d. Please test everything before time, including the strength of your internet. You can run these tests with your friends and families and let them know you are having interviews and won’t need any form of noise.

2. SKYPE: In my previous organization, during the early period of COVID-19 lockdown, I used Skype for all my interviews with candidates, and even some of my podcast episodes. Skype is also pretty easy to use. 

However, it is way much different from using zoom because both parties need an account to use Skype as at the time I used it.

What makes it different from zoom?

a. You need to download the application. There is Skype for personal use and a Skype for business account which is a premium paid version.

b. Once you download the application, you will be required to create a professional username. With Skype, people can search for you by your first and last name. Try not to use any unprofessional nicknames in your Skype name. My recommendation is that you use your first name and last name, first initial and last name or something similar.

c. Once you have created a username, test run how to use it with a friend or two. Check to be sure that your microphone and camera works. During your test call, check that your audio is working properly. As mentioned above, whether you are using Skype or Zoom, If you need to be in a public space, find the quietest area and be sure to wear a headset to help block out background noises.

The difference between Skype and Zoom is that you will be required to share your Skype ID created because that is what the interviewer will use to contact you for the interview. It’s like i am making a phone call to you but it is a Skype call.

3. MICROSOFT TEAMS: I also used Microsoft teams at my previous organizations but this was built for more of an in-house virtual meeting. It is something we used for all our virtual meetings during the wake of COVID-19 lock down where we were all working from home.

But I have also tested how it works for Interviews especially for people who are not members of the organization.

It works pretty much like Zoom and Google Meet (More on Google meet below). You don’t necessarily need to download the application because you can use your web browser for it but generally, a meeting schedule is created and your email address is added to the schedule and you will get an invite notification to be a guest. 

Again, before your interview date, you should have confirmed the stability of your network by running a test. Test with a different schedule with your friend and not with the invite sent to you. You get it?

4. Lastly, this is what i use more recently at my office for all my interviews – Google Meet. This is part of the Google Suite that allows you hold any kind of virtual meetings- both interviews or otherwise.

Google works well because because you don’t need a Premium or Business Google account to use Google Suites. You can even organize your personal virtual meetings with your own Gmail account.

So, for virtual interviews?

a. If you use a gmail account, when a Google meet is scheduled and your gmail is added as a guest, you automatically get a calendar notification with the link to join the meeting.

b. You don’t need to download a Google Meet Application if you have a google Chrome browser, it works perfectly.

The major difference between the four I have mentioned above is that you can record your meetings on ZOOM, Microsoft teams, Skype but you can’t record on Google Meet as at the time I wrote this post.

The conclusion of the matter here is; different platforms with their uniqueness. So please when next you are having a virtual interview, confirm what platform will be used so that before the interview date you can have that ready, test your network and ready for success.

That’s it!

What’s your favorite platform for interviews?