Introduction
Mistakes happen! Unfortunately, HireVue interviews are very short and a careless mistake when answering questions on your HireVue can have an outsized impact on your chances of landing that dream job.
In this post, the HireVue experts at Voomer break down the 6 most common mistakes. After you’ve read this, make sure to practice for your HireVue for free at tryvoomer.com and get AI-powered feedback on your performance.
1: Underestimating how strange and unnatural they can be
HireVue interviews are weird! I remember bumbling through my HireVue quite some time ago and not getting the job.
Taking the time to do some prep before you open that HireVue link pays off handsomely.
It puts you at ease and helps get your mind ready for this very unnatural experience of doing an interview without an interviewer!
2: Getting distracted by your own video
When answering a Hirevue interview, some people get extremely distracted by their own video.
The best way to counter this is to turn off your camera feed in HireVue. There is a toggle just below your video feed that you can flip to turn the camera off.
Don’t worry, you are still being recorded and your answers registered.
3: Not preparing examples
Some people are great at thinking on the fly, improvising and getting great results – but not everyone!
Take a moment before the interview to write down some of your greatest accomplishments as well as the toughest challenges you’ve faced.
HireVue will ask about certain competencies – with those examples shortlisted you’ll be able to quickly answer anything they throw at you!
4: Not using your prep time strategically
One of the few ways in which the HireVue interview is better than a live interview is that you get a couple of seconds to prepare an answer!
So make that prep time count.
Have pen and paper next to you and after you hear the question jot down 3 things:
- Context – what was going on
- Action – what did you do about that context
- Results – what were the results of your actions
With that easy method, you’ll answer any question with ease.
Typing out notes during the prep time can be very distracting – avoid that and just stick to pen and paper.
5: Dragging out your answer
You might be asked a very straightforward question but get lots of time to answer – for example, 3 minutes!
Just because you have all that time available to answer the question, it doesn’t mean you should keep talking on and on just to wind that timer down to zero.
Deliver a clear and concise answer. After that click on the “submit answer” button and keep going!
6: Not doing any research on the company you are applying to
While most HireVue questions are classic behavioral interview questions, some might require some knowledge about the company you are applying to or its products and services.
Being familiar with the company you are applying to allows you to answer questions with examples that are far more relevant to the hiring team, thus increasing the probability of you getting the job.
Conclusion and next steps
Sadly, many applicants make the above mistakes which as you can see, are easy to avoid. Follow the tips outlined above and you’ll be ahead of your competition.
Another way to get ahead of the other applicants is to practice. Voomer is a great platform for that with hundreds of HireVue questions sorted by company and role. You’ll get AI-powered feedback on your answers so you can quickly improve and get that dream job!