Social media sites can be more than just a platform for making connections and staying in touch with friends. When used effectively, they can also empower job seekers, allowing them to demonstrate creative communication and storytelling abilities and the kind of unique attributes employers are looking for.
At the recent webinar on “How to Ace Your Next Online Interview during the Virus Outbreak”, several experts shared insights on ways for digital-savvy candidates to upgrade their profiles and present a fuller picture of themselves and their talents via popular social media sites like Facebook and Instagram.
Organised by Classified Post, the webinar’s premium partner was Sun Life Hong Kong Limited (“Sun Life ”)and the supporting partner was recruitment consultancy Kelly Services.
“Sites such as Instagram help to give potential employers supplementary information about candidates,” said Archer Chu, a senior unit manager at Sun Life. Chu now makes a point of actively engaging with team members and clients via social media. He noted that employers want to assess each candidate’s professional knowledge and workplace competencies, but they also value other intrinsic qualities.
“Evaluation tools such as attitude tests and simulation games have limitations in helping to assess these other qualities,” Chu said. “Therefore, an increasing number of recruiters look at candidates’ social media posts to get a fuller and more accurate picture of their personality traits and outlook. This is particularly so when recruiters are filling positions that involve a lot of direct dealing with customers or when looking to hire people who excel in using creative ways to communicate.”
Chu added that job seekers can also use social media platforms to show their interest in and enthusiasm for a specific sector, such as marketing or finance. One way would be by “liking”, posting or commenting on recent articles about new developments in the sector. A candidate could also share his or her thoughts on, say, the latest trends in advertising or fashion.
“I believe a recruiter can soon see if candidates have a real passion for certain fields,” Chu said. “If those individuals then join the company, they will have the self-motivation to learn quickly and pick up the necessary industry-specific knowledge.”
In general, he added, companies in the insurance and financial planning sectors now tend to look for candidates who are extroverts, energetic and enjoy sharing stories and ideas. “Excellent interpersonal and communication skills are also highly prized attributes,” said Chu, noting that his team has become adept at identifying these abilities on social media platforms.
“First and foremost, we see if a candidate is genuinely an active social media user by looking at the frequency and number of their posts and comments,” Chu said. “We want to recruit extroverts who are keen on interacting with the others. We look at the number of “likes” garnered by an account and the level of interaction with friends and followers. Of course, we also look at the content of a candidate’s posts and prefer it if the overall tone of the messages is positive. If we see great story-telling skills and attention-grabbing but light-hearted content, that is a plus.”
Besides making available this kind of supplementary information about themselves, candidates should also be well prepared for online job interviews in order to make a strong, positive impression. According to Kelly Services, online interviews may continue to be the preferred option for many companies, at least for the initial stage of the recruitment process.
“Employers may still insist on having in-person final interviews,” said Genevieve Chan, marketing director at Kelly Services. “But when job openings, such as for software developers, mainly require hard skills, many companies have already adopted online interviews end-to-end. Even after the Covid-19 situation eases, tech-savvy firms, especially start-ups and research and development institutions, may be open to continuing with online interviews, partially if not entirely, so candidates should be ready for that.”
During the webinar, Denise Yu, a senior consultant at Kelly Services, shared tips on how to prepare for a successful online interview. For example, candidates should use an appropriate account name and email address, avoiding garbled names or “fun” words like “hellocutedog”, which often give a poor first impression. “It’s crucial to ensure that all the necessary equipment including computer, software, camera and headset/microphones are ready and working one or two days before the date of the interview,” Yu says. “Conduct a trial run with the technology you will use on the day. Also, your camera should be set at eye level, and the distance between yourself and the computer should be about an arm’s length. A bad camera set-up will lead to an ‘uncomfortable’ experience for the interviewer.”
In terms of venue, somewhere private and quiet is ideal. This makes it possible to avoid any disruption or embarrassment during the online interview and ensures unexpected people, pets or sound effects don’t appear or interrupt. “Also, tidy up your desk and surroundings and remove any items that could possibly distract you or the interviewer,” Yu said. “The on-screen background must be clean and neat. Good lighting is crucial too, so the interviewer can see your face clearly, without having to worry about too-bright overhead lights or everything being too dim.”
Yu noted that candidates should be sure to maintain good eye contact by looking at the camera. They should also look professional by dressing in smart casual or business formal attire, and remember to smile often.
“The role of financial advisors is evolving in the age of digitalisation and amid rising client expectations,” Chu said. He noted that the webinar attracted participants whose profile may suitable for Sun Life’s BrighterGen Academy (BGA). BGA is a key initiative of Sun Life to cultivate an excellent team of young financial professionals, taking the company to a Brighter Future. The academy attracts university graduates with passion to become professional financial advisors whom eager to achieve “Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) qualification in a year.
