6 Tips for Recording Interviews with a Mobile Device

So your company page already features on MyNextCompany, and a new vacancy just opened. The job ad is done and dusted, and all you’re missing is the video job description. How to record it with a smartphone or a laptop so that it looks professional and attractive to candidates? Here are 6 simple tips.

1. Have your questions ready ahead of time

• Ask your interviewee what character qualities are he/she looking for? What do you as an employer have to offer to the candidates? Have main lines in mind but don’t script the answers, if you want the video to come across as spontaneous and genuine. If you are doing the interwiew all by yourself, visualize that you are speaking to someone. Don’t forget to use facial expressions and hand-gestures.

2. Choose the best possible location

• Find a quiet, well-lit room, with as little disturbances as possible. Make sure to turn off all sources of white noise, such as air-conditioning, computers, radios, etc.
• Choose a good background, not too busy, but not necessarily an empty wall. Stay away from windows and glass walls, to avoid reflections showing in the back. If you are recording videos with multiple people, put them all in the same place. You may change the camera angle between recordings to add some variation.

3. If possible, use an external microphone

• Using your built-in microphone will most likely lead to poor audio (far more disturbing than poor video!) Instead, you can use a simple clip-on microphone, which works both on iOS and Android devices. Put the cable under the clothes and clip it to the collar. Make sure the mike doesn’t touch anything to avoid crackling sounds. Run a little test before starting to record the video to see if everything is OK.

4. Hold your device correctly

• First things first: if you’re using a smartphone or a tablet, hold it horizontally. If there is only one piece of advice we could give to our clients, it would be this one. Remember, viewers will see your movie either on a laptop with a horizontal screen, or on a mobile device they can tilt.
• Go ahead and use a tripod if you have one. Otherwise, hold the device steady with both hands, elbows resting on a table or propped against your chest.

5. Shoot at a medium distance

• Record at a distance that includes the subject’s head and torso, and does not cut off the tip of the head. Include the hands, gesturing makes the interview more interesting.
• Make sure the camera’s lens is at the same level as the subject’s eyes and it is focused on the face and not on the background.

6. Be natural

• Try to relax the interviewee. If they are tense, ask a silly question, for example “What did you have for breakfast today?” Start a new video when ready to record.
• To give encouragement to your subject, you can use facial expressions but try not to nod or say “mhm.” Nodding may make the recording device shake, and all other sounds will be heard in the recording.
• … And remember, you want to give the candidates a good idea of what it would be like to work with you. Be natural and don’t forget to have fun as well!

You tried all of these tips, and your recording is still not what you want it to be? Send us a message to ask about charges for the MyNextCompany crew to come and record it for you.