In recent years videocalls and online job interviews have become very usual for almost any kind of work. Thanks to platforms such as Zoom or Google Meet, you can talk and express yourself on real time from your home instead of going to the headquarters of the company.
In digital spaces, the first impression is crucial and that’s why you need to prepare for online job interviews. In this article we explore a Yale’s University research that indicates that microphone quality is one of the most important aspects of an online meeting.
Sound quality and online job interviews
According to the research, bad audio quality may affect your professional image negatively and reduce the chances of getting the job. If your microphone is not good and the interviewer can’t hear you properly, it may impact on your overall score for the interview.
The research is on the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences magazine and shows that bad quality audio is bothersome for those who hear and judges of your interview performance. The researches indicate that when sound is poor, the hearer tends to describe the aspiring person as less intelligent, trustworthy and with few chances for passing. It can also affect the appealing of the person in every aspect.
The research team used 6 experiments to reach conclusions. Each group listened the same recordings but with different audio qualities. One had clear, high quality sound and the other was a distorted audio like it happens when using a cheap or defective microphone. In every case, the content of the recordings was the same but the quality of the sound was different.
A defective microphone may cost you the job
The results of the research were clear. In each experiment, the hearers showed preference for the high quality recordings. The people on those recordings were clear, more intelligent and trustworthy than the poor quality ones.
The main author of the investigation Brian School is a Psychology professor at Yale. He explained that the microphone sound quality is a worrisome topic because users are not always conscious about how a videocall sounds. The voice the others hear doesn’t depend entirely on us but on the devices quality and options.
The experts recommend paying attention to audio quality before a job interview or an important meeting. It’s a good idea to make a sound test and even use an external microphone if needed. The main conclusion of the research is that when facing online job interviews, you must make sure they will listen clearly. It’s also important to check on lights when using videocalll because the image also can help you get the job.