How your internet connection can negatively affect your interviews

Virtual is a reality of our current business and world climate, and whether you’re a stark advocate that remote is the way of the future or you’re missing your in-office work distractions, virtual seems like it’s here to stay.

It’s yet to be determined if the collective workforce can permanently strong-arm corporate America into a permanent hybrid or remote way of work. Regardless of your preferences, one of the areas trending along the line of permanence is virtual interviews. Let’s face it; whether you’re recruiting active or passive talent, it’s much easier to get a commitment to connecting over video than finding the time, effort, and availability to meet at an office.

Yet, even with humanity’s practiced video communication over the last few years, there are some things that our human brains can’t seem to fight against when it comes to communication via technology.

Technology bias.

Opinion and feeling have always been significant factors in interviewing process. We consistently fight against expertly vetted interviewing best practices backed by clinical studies that are shown to be effective. Why? Because we’re human and make decisions based on emotion first and logic second — that is proven.

As we’re launched into an age ruled by video interviews and virtual meetings, we have to recognize that we are not like the machines we surround ourselves with and that this shift presents new challenges.

The remote way of work has added a new factor that we can’t ignore. Your wifi connection.

There’s science!

A study published in 2018 suggests inherent bias during virtual interviewing processes. Even when interviewers were asked to not let potential internet or technology disruptions influence their decision, they found that the “[audio/video] quality impacts decision making in job interviews” and that “job candidates were rated as more hirable when the AV quality of their interviews was better.”

What’s even worse is even though participants were warned about connection issues, it was still a factor in their decision-making.

This may seem like a trivial issue in the virtual interview process, but have you ever been on one end of a video call, trying to present or impress and are met with, “you must have a bad internet connection. Can you repeat that?”

Repeat that enough times, coupled with the fact that you have no idea what’s wrong or how to fix it, and it would cause most people to tense up and panic.

Why it can harm your interview

• Humans, by nature, dislike anything difficult or annoying. We tend to divert our attention or ignore things that cause us distress. Think about when you’re on the phone with customer service, and you can’t hear what they’re saying because they’re cutting out every few words. Even if they effectively solve your complaint, are you more likely to be dissatisfied with their service?
• We automatically attribute problems or complications to incompetence. If something goes wrong, it’s someone’s fault — we’re looking for cause and effect. Let’s go back to our customer service rep. Even though they solved your problem, you blame them for their phone connection. You’re probably not thinking that you’re driving through a tunnel.
• Questions become barriers to human connection and decision. Likeability is a significant factor in the interview process and is also one of the more subjective attributes in an interview process. If you can’t understand the individual you’re talking to, it’s more likely to affect their likeability or cultural compatibility during the interview process. Even if you want to like the person, but the video call was plagued with connection problems, you may come out questioning a perfectly good candidate.

It’s probably not your fault, but here’s why

• Infrastructure. We all experienced internet connectivity problems when the entire world started working from home. We know how unreliable our internet connections can be. Internet providers nationwide had to jump into high gear during a pandemic to upgrade their internet infrastructure to accommodate the sudden influx of remote workers. Depending on your location, that infrastructure problem may not be fixed or is still under construction.
• Although corporate wifi infrastructure may be more reliable, it’s far from perfect. Networks go down; lines get cut, crazy weather or freak accidents can cause unexpected outages or disruptions in service.
• Weather. Weather can also affect your internet service. Crazy snowstorms, floods, tornados can all be potential internet hazards when interviewing across the country.
• Congestion or time of day interruptions can make your internet service unreliable. You can’t control when everyone else has to hop on video meetings or live-stream work events from home. Having too many people connected to your network or utilizing bandwidth in your area simultaneously can cause interruptions to your stable internet signal.
• Software, hardware, and human failure. Otherwise known as the unpredictable. Sometimes things just happen.

There are multiple reasons you may be experiencing a problem with your internet connection. It may not be something you can control or even on your end.

What you can do to prevent problems

• Update your computer and restart. Make sure your computer and any software you need to use are installed and up to date. Once updated, don’t forget to restart your computer.
• Use an ethernet cable instead of wifi. Even in the best circumstances, your wifi can be spotty. If possible, try to connect your computer to an ethernet cable. This created a more stable internet connection.
• Check your technology compatibility. Sometimes your technology isn’t compatible. You shouldn’t have to worry about large providers like Zoom or Teams being compatible between PC and Mac users in today’s world. If you do have out-of-date technology, that could be affecting your internet speed or causing other problems.
• Close all programs. The more programs you have open during your video calls, the more bandwidth is taken from the video meeting program.
• Speak slower. I’m not joking. If you are experiencing a troubled connection, speaking slower may help the person on the other end hear what you’re saying more clearly and reduce any “I’m sorry can you repeat that.”

The interview process can be frustrating enough — for candidates and companies. Remember to check your biases at the door.

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