I've lived long enough to see many changes, especially in the technology world. When I was a kid, computers were giant machines that filled an entire room. In college, I used punch cards to write computer programs. In my 20s, I got my first desktop computer. And that was just the beginning.
Advances in technology have revolutionized how we do almost everything, especially communicate. These days, we seem to have an urgency to respond to or be in constant contact with people, but not face to face. In people younger than I, an actual phone call is considered rude, and texting is the more polite way to communicate. Emails are seldom read unless they are required for business.
Communication shifted with the appearance of COVID when social distancing and isolation became important. This need for distancing caused an explosion of virtual calls and meetings. Zoom became a new verb. These kinds of conversations were more personal than texts or emails because you could see who you were talking to. But now, even Zooming is reverting into hide-behind-the-screen dialogs. I have noticed that cameras that were always on two years ago are sometimes off now--especially if it's a big, general meeting. However, having cameras on is always desirable if it's a small group. At least that's what I think. But I learned something lately that suggests not everyone thinks this way.
Recently, Wally was searching for a job and talked with many companies, all virtually. Sometimes, it was a screening call. Sometimes it was a technical challenge. Sometimes it was to meet the team. Sometimes it was to meet the boss. The point is that he had many meetings with many companies. Here's the part that surprised me. During the vast majority of these meetings, the interviewers had their cameras off. Wally kept his camera on, but he often could not see who he was talking to. These meetings/interviews were supposed to be an opportunity for Wally and the company to get to know each other. A personal interaction. But I don't know how well that happened if one-half of the exchange was hiding. This no-camera practice just seemed wrong to me. But maybe that's the new norm. I don't have enough experience to know. (BTW, this was for a technical position where he would be part of a team.)
So what did Wally think about this practice from his younger perspective? He didn't like it. Luckily, he received multiple offers, but guess what? He went with a company that interviewed with their cameras on. He said he got a much better feel about the work atmosphere and the people he would be working with.
What has been your experience with virtual calls and meetings? Do you find generational differences?
Until next time...
I've never done one. I used facetime for the first time, by accident the other night. When I was in high school, I was a very good verityper and could also fix the machine if it broke. I was told this skill would take me far. Ha! By the time I got to college verityping had been replaced with key punch, so I became a key punch operator and again was told that skill would land me a job anywhere anytime. Double Haha! I was outdated before I left college two years later.
ReplyDeleteI had never heard of a verityper before. They look like they were quite revolutionary. The big deal when I was in high school was the IBM Selectric typewriter. Soon, if not already, typing/keyboarding will become a thing of the past with more and more things being touch screens.
DeleteYep. The times are always changing.
I see things changing rapidly. I have told my kid not to text men unless they were relaying info that requires no response, or if they need the answer to a question that only requires yes or no. But any actual conversation should be either a phone call or FaceTime. I am not budging on that. I refuse to carry on a conversation through text
ReplyDeleteI text a little, but mostly still use the phone or email. One reason is that I don't use my cell phone like an appendage, like many do, so I don't check it often. Sometimes work communications happen through text, so I need to get better about that.
DeleteYour observations are spot-on. I'm with Wally--if you are interviewing to determine the best fit, then face-to-face (even virtually) is the best way to go. There are so many non-verbal cues in communication that can only be picked up by visualizing each other.
ReplyDeleteWe do a Duo call with my son in college weekly. It's free, whereas an actual phone call would cost us money. I like being able to see him--I get a better feel for how he is doing if I can lay my eyes on him. Currently he is the only person with whom I do that sort of thing. I dislike Zoom and will only do it if there are no other options.
I started a young adult group through my church in the fall. I've tried both group texts and a Facebook page (I don't manage the Facebook page--one of the girls in the group does) and by far the most popular option for communicating is the group texts. I tend to be more businesslike when texting but have had to loosen up a bit, as they like to do a little goofy chit-chat with it. If I want to be able to communicate effectively with them, I have to go where they are .... but we meet 2-4 times a month so we do get in face-to-face interaction, as well.
I tend to forget that phone calls are an option. I was texting a friend recently. We were trying to come up with a time/place to get together but the weather was icky and we decided to forego that. I had a brainstorm .... we could use this technology called a phone call! So funny that something I once took for granted is way down on my list as a way to connect.
I have daily phone calls with one sister or another, so I still use the phone a lot. A couple of years ago, our mechanic told me that if a customer was under 40, they would not answer the phone call to let them know that their car was ready. The garage was not using a cell phone in its business, so it was a problem.
DeleteMy sister has a group text with people she went to college with. They have a lot of fun with each other. The only time I participated in a group text (outside of the family), I inadvertently offended someone. That has made me shy about texting. In person, it would have been easy to clarify the meaning.
I understand about seeing your son instead of just talking to him. So much to be learned by body language as you mentioned.
Times are definitely changing and drastically so. I'm sure I would feel the same way Wally did. Luckily I have not had to deal with any virtual calls or meetings, and hope I don't have to at any point.
ReplyDeleteI have done meetings and trainings for work and book club virtually. However, I have not done any of the virtual cocktail hours, etc. Actually, it's not like I did those things in person, either.
DeleteDuring the lockdown in March of 2020, I did a zoom job interview, and I just didn’t like the lady interviewing me at all. She was asking me weird questions and had a threatening demeanor. So I just said, “You know what? Thanks but no thanks.” And I clicked “end call”. I could see her do a little scoff and that was it. I’d have never done that with an in person interview for obvious reasons lol.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. You're right. We do things with the protection of a device between us and another that we'd never do in person.
DeleteI am way behind with the times when it comes to technology and I'll be the first to acknowledge it!
ReplyDeleteI'm also way behind. Lack of experience sometimes makes my job difficult when I need to help people upload books, etc., to their devices. The hardest is doing it over the phone, although we're not allowed to touch anyone's device, so that adds some difficulty, too.
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