Video interviews, did you have notes on your screen?

[SideWinder]

Scenario...you have a video interview. Did you arrange your screen so you could have Word open at the same time for example? So half the screen showing Zoom and the other half your prompts.

Is this "cheating" or to be expected?

EDIT: Realised this may be in the wrong section.

 

[AiiR]

Yep I had the JD open with keywords highlighted in red, and examples I could relate to them written in blue. Made the whole thing a lot easier.

Not cheating because you can do this in most normal interviews. I've done it in ever interview I've had where I've listened to the question, wrote down keywords and composed my answer from there.

 

[TNGL]

You can do but I try to avoid it. It's obvious to the person watching the video back and you're supposed to look into the camera. You can probably make it look natural tbf but just bear it in mind.

 

[HangTime]

It's not cheating because it's what (I assume) most people do in telephone interviews. To me it's just being well prepared and being able to react quickly to use resources at your disposal to achieve the best outcome. Both of which are good traits to have in an employee.

Cheating for me would be if you were forwarding on the audio to other people with a chat window open and they are feeding you the answers while you waffle a bit to stall time.

 

[SideWinder]

Okay thanks everyone!

 

[Haggisman]

You can do but I try to avoid it. It's obvious to the person watching the video back and you're supposed to look into the camera. You can probably make it look natural tbf but just bear it in mind.

How does this work? If you're staring at the camera, you're not looking at the person's image on the screen... How are they supposed to know if you're looking at them or the notes in the window next to them?

 

[TNGL]

How does this work? If you're staring at the camera, you're not looking at the person's image on the screen... How are they supposed to know if you're looking at them or the notes in the window next to them?

Try it yourself by using the front facing camera on your phone to record yourself looking into the camera and then looking at the screen as if you were reading notes. It's quite noticeable in my opinion and you can usually see the eyes zigzag across whatever is being read.

Each to their own though .

 

[Gray2233]

Try it yourself by using the front facing camera on your phone to record yourself looking into the camera and then looking at the screen as if you were reading notes. It's quite noticeable in my opinion and you can usually see the eyes zigzag across whatever is being read.

Each to their own though .

But you don't look "into" the camera in a video chat, you look at the screen as that is where the image of the person you're talking to is.

 

[TNGL]

But you don't look "into" the camera in a video chat, you look at the screen as that is where the image of the person you're talking to is.

That doesn't take away from the point that it will be obvious if your eyes are zigzagging across the screen whilst reading. It's very obvious.

I also think it comes down to preference. I know people who look directly into the camera when talking so it feels more personable for the person watching/listening.

 

[Garp]

I interviewed someone a few weeks ago for the first time since COVID hit. Our hiring freeze is over, thankfully, so we're back to expanding out our team.

I have to say, I really don't care if people are looking at notes or not during interviews, as long as it doesn't seem like they're reading rote from them. I always have specific things I want to get across when I'm being interviewed, and it's almost always the same for candidates. At the very least it's completely normal to have candidates reach for notes when asked "Do you have anything you'd like to ask me" towards the end (pro tip: Always have several questions written down, pre-prepared to ask. If everything on your list comes up naturally before that point, double check the list and say so)