Suddenly Virtual

CHAPTER 9Remembering Virtual Meeting Etiquette: The Converged Perspective

Prior to the pandemic, video interviews – sometimes called “digital interviews” – were becoming more and more commonplace, but when COVID‐19 hit, they became the only kind of interview. Karin shares this story from one of her clients.

A Story from Karin's Perspective

Emily had waited for this moment. Having lost her job early on as a result of cutbacks made in response to COVID‐19, she was one of millions who found themselves unemployed. In the past, she would have worked her network, set up lunches with former colleagues, and attended Chamber of Commerce events to refresh old connections and create new ones, but her efforts to find a new position were stunted by a hiring landscape that was entirely remote. So, when she finally landed a promising video interview, she knew how big it was and prepared accordingly. She was ready.

When she entered the virtual meeting, though, she was met with an unusual sight. Instead of seeing the face of the interviewer reflected back in the screen, she instead saw mostly the top of his head, which was tilted to the left. He did address her when she popped into the virtual room, but the most that she saw of his face was his profile. The awkwardness deepened as he worked his way through what seemed to be a prescribed list of questions that she answered with aplomb. However, her confidence waned as her interviewer continued to look off camera, seemingly fixated on something ...