The 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is spreading from country to country, slowly making its way around the world via person-to-person contact between the affected and non-affected. The virus' seriousness is not to be understated: it can spread among people who don't realise they're sick yet, and about one in five people who contract COVID-19 need care at a hospital.

Some of the best defences against the virus are practical solutions anyone can (and should) implement: wash your hands frequently, maintain social distancing, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, and practice good respiratory hygiene.

Yet the implementation of these practices also has an effect on the way we work and hire. Companies are restricting travel, cancelling in-person events like conferences, and expanding their remote and work-from-home capacities. Some offices are even restricting outside visitors to their buildings or campuses.

Job interviews are one practice that have been especially affected in the wake of COVID-19 ‒ meeting in close quarters, face to face is viewed as too risky in light of the virus' contagiousness.

Global employers are cancelling face-to-face interviews

Many large global employers, including Twitter, Amazon, and Facebook have completely cancelled in-person job interviews for the foreseeable future to protect both employers and candidates.

All of these companies are taking smart measures in the name of community health and safety ‒ and in many cases, the move to remote interviews benefits both candidate and recruiter. The virtual interviews take less time and candidates have increased availability as travel becomes increasingly restricted.

Recruitment firm PageGroup's chief executive Steve Ingham told the BBC:

It was actually easier to get hold of many clients because they were at home, bored, and on the end of a mobile phone than it was when they were in meetings, walking factories, or flying somewhere.

Some of those companies are rescheduling the interviews to occur over video chat, so that the hiring process is not impeded whilst social distancing and similar measures are being encouraged. That means there's a possibility that your next job interviews might follow suit.

How to succeed in a video interview if your in-person meeting is cancelled

If you're facing the prospect of a pivot to a video interview, don't stress. We understand that a virtual interview and an "in real life" experience are not the same thing, and that it's important to practice before showing up on camera in front of your potential new boss. We've got a plethora of resources to help you feel just as comfortable and confident conveying your skills and expertise on camera as you do in person.

Here's some further information and tips to help you to feel ready to rock a video interview.

How to prepare for a virtual interview

This is your ultimate guide for how to successfully tackle a virtual interview, with tips on everything you need to know. This includes:

How to check your technology ‒ the last thing you want is to have your computer not work when you're relying on it to connect to the HR Manager
How to find the right location to conduct the interview ‒ privacy is important
How to make proper eye contact and emote in front of the camera
How to gracefully say goodbye

How to boost your likability in video and phone interviews

This addresses research that showed that "in simulated job interviews, candidates who were interviewed by video were rated lower by interviewers and were less likely to be recommended for hiring."

The odds may already be stacked against you in video interviews ‒ so how can you overcome that and boost your likability? This article coaches you through a variety of strategies to ensure that you're making just as strong an impression on a video screen as you might in real life.

The ultimate guide to the HireVue interview: everything you need to know

When it comes to virtual interviewing, there are automated video interview platforms like HireVue ‒ a service used by companies like JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Deloitte.

HireVue doesn't just record your responses; the technology also analyses your facial expressions, eye movements, voice inflection and more to paint a picture of you as a job candidate.

Our guide to HireVue gives you a sense of what to expect with this new technology and prepares you to face the unknown head-on with tips, tricks, and HireVue strategies.

Don't panic

Most importantly, throughout all of the unknown consequences we might experience throughout the continuing spread of COVID-19, it's important to remember to keep a calm and level head. Additional worry about anything ‒ especially something like a rescheduled job interview ‒ won't serve you. We're here to help you tackle the challenge.

For the most up-to-date information on COVID-19, please visit the World Health Organization and the UK Government's page on coronavirus guidance.

If you want to excel in your next interview, our coaches can help. Learn more.

Editors Note: This article was originally published on our sister site, TopInterview.

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