Video Interview Tips Specifically for In-House Counsel
To be clear, we all absolutely HATE video interviewing. Outside recruiters like me, internal HR folks, and especially the actual hiring manager CEOs and GCs … none of us want this. And so a strong preference to wait for the traditional process has become an added reason, beyond macro conditions, to kick the hiring can down the road.
April 20, 2020 at 12:55 PM
3 minute read
There are already hundreds of perfectly good articles with "top tips" for video interviewing. Most focus, and correctly so, on trying to just normalize the process through proper attire, posture, background, etc. For solid general tips that include a few less obvious technical suggestions, I recommend this one.
To be clear, we all absolutely HATE video interviewing. Outside recruiters like me, internal HR folks, and especially the actual hiring manager CEOs and GCs … none of us want this. And so a strong preference to wait for the traditional process has become an added reason, beyond macro conditions, to kick the hiring can down the road.
Interviews are only proceeding in two situations: 1. A GC is rushing to fill an already open position, in order to get a hire made while headcount is still authorized. These are the smartest and best GCs, by the way. They understand the urgency and are willing to act on it. 2. A new corporate need arises that is strategically imperative and will move forward regardless of macro conditions, in some cases even because of them. An unexpected GC departure could certainly trigger an expedited executive search, for example.
You can use that urgency to your advantage. More than ever, the candidate who presents as game ready will win. What does that look like specifically for in-house counsel, above and beyond general recommendations that could apply to anyone? I challenged myself to take a stab at that question and came up with these three. Here goes:
Tip One specific to in-house counsel: Give examples of past success demonstrating your readiness to help now. This might include a contract that you re-negotiated in the face of changing business conditions. If you have helped secure insurance payments after an insurer initially balked at paying a claim, offer the details of that experience. Have you drafted and filed 8-K reports in the face of changing conditions in-between regular quarterly filings? Whatever your specialty area(s), you can probably offer an example of how you responded to an unexpected condition and added value.
Tip Two specific to in-house counsel: Let it be known that you have good traffic cop skills, and give examples. New workplace rules related to social distancing and safety are already taking shape quickly. No GC really wants to get into the weeds of those details. Let it be known that you have a history of collaborating well with HR, and that you can be the law department liaison on these important policies. You can counsel HR on evolving government regulations, and you can be the fair but stern voice when worker complaints inevitably rise—either directly or via confidential hotlines.
Tip Three specific to in-house counsel: I'm cheating a little here, because this tip applies beyond the law department. But it especially applies to lawyers. Be the beacon of calm and reason. All good lawyers project confidence and competence, especially in the face of anything that can feel uncertain or fearful. You must convey this quality in the video interview. You must present yourself as a problem solver who adds value, and not as a work-in-progress talent seeking a job.
Mike Evers recruits attorneys for corporate legal departments throughout the United States. Visit www.everslegal.com. His firm also offers experienced in-house counsel to companies on an adjunct basis.
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
You Might Like
View AllA Blueprint for Targeted Enhancements to Corporate Compliance Programs
7 minute readThree Legal Technology Trends That Can Maximize Legal Team Efficiency and Productivity
Corporate Confidentiality Unlocked: Leveraging Common Interest Privilege for Effective Collaboration
11 minute readTrending Stories
Who Got The Work
Michael G. Bongiorno, Andrew Scott Dulberg and Elizabeth E. Driscoll from Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr have stepped in to represent Symbotic Inc., an A.I.-enabled technology platform that focuses on increasing supply chain efficiency, and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The case, filed Oct. 2 in Massachusetts District Court by the Brown Law Firm on behalf of Stephen Austen, accuses certain officers and directors of misleading investors in regard to Symbotic's potential for margin growth by failing to disclose that the company was not equipped to timely deploy its systems or manage expenses through project delays. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton, is 1:24-cv-12522, Austen v. Cohen et al.
Who Got The Work
Edmund Polubinski and Marie Killmond of Davis Polk & Wardwell have entered appearances for data platform software development company MongoDB and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The action, filed Oct. 7 in New York Southern District Court by the Brown Law Firm, accuses the company's directors and/or officers of falsely expressing confidence in the company’s restructuring of its sales incentive plan and downplaying the severity of decreases in its upfront commitments. The case is 1:24-cv-07594, Roy v. Ittycheria et al.
Who Got The Work
Amy O. Bruchs and Kurt F. Ellison of Michael Best & Friedrich have entered appearances for Epic Systems Corp. in a pending employment discrimination lawsuit. The suit was filed Sept. 7 in Wisconsin Western District Court by Levine Eisberner LLC and Siri & Glimstad on behalf of a project manager who claims that he was wrongfully terminated after applying for a religious exemption to the defendant's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The case, assigned to U.S. Magistrate Judge Anita Marie Boor, is 3:24-cv-00630, Secker, Nathan v. Epic Systems Corporation.
Who Got The Work
David X. Sullivan, Thomas J. Finn and Gregory A. Hall from McCarter & English have entered appearances for Sunrun Installation Services in a pending civil rights lawsuit. The complaint was filed Sept. 4 in Connecticut District Court by attorney Robert M. Berke on behalf of former employee George Edward Steins, who was arrested and charged with employing an unregistered home improvement salesperson. The complaint alleges that had Sunrun informed the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection that the plaintiff's employment had ended in 2017 and that he no longer held Sunrun's home improvement contractor license, he would not have been hit with charges, which were dismissed in May 2024. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer, is 3:24-cv-01423, Steins v. Sunrun, Inc. et al.
Who Got The Work
Greenberg Traurig shareholder Joshua L. Raskin has entered an appearance for boohoo.com UK Ltd. in a pending patent infringement lawsuit. The suit, filed Sept. 3 in Texas Eastern District Court by Rozier Hardt McDonough on behalf of Alto Dynamics, asserts five patents related to an online shopping platform. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap, is 2:24-cv-00719, Alto Dynamics, LLC v. boohoo.com UK Limited.
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250