Should I Blur My Background for a Virtual Interview?

The “should I blur my background for a virtual interview” question has been going on too long.

Let’s paint a familiar picture.

It's 10 minutes before your big interview. You've prepped your questions, rehearsed your killer responses, and polished those data-backed wins.

You're pumped - ready to wow your interviewer with your mad skills and rock-solid experience.

Then it hits you. You should probably check your camera.

You fire up your webcam and... oh crap. The scene behind you is a total trainwreck.

Cue the panic.

Do you go full tornado and clean up? Haul your entire desk across the room to flex that sweet book collection? Or do you just smash that blur button and call it a day?

5 minutes on the clock. Tick-tock. What's it gonna be?

Let's put this modern-day interview mind-bender under the microscope and figure out if we're all losing our minds over a little digital smudge.

The Blur Defense: When Real's Too Real

It's go-time. Your hair's on point, your lucky interview shirt is wrinkle-free, but behind you? It's like a tornado and a filing cabinet had a baby.

Stacks of papers from yesterday's meeting, the hoodie you yanked off when it got too hot and is that... yep, this week's coffee cups are making a cameo in the corner.

Let's face it: We're not all living in MTV Cribs.

Sometimes, life happens. And sometimes, life happens all over your visible background.

There's a solid argument for keeping it simple and just hitting that blur button. After all, isn't this interview about you, your skills, and your experience?

This school of thought vibes with a growing mood in the remote work scene. Keeping it real trumps perfection. It's about showing up as your authentic self, not some Pinterest-perfect version of your living space.

Even the big guns are weighing in on this. McKinsey, for instance, is telling candidates not to sweat the small stuff. Their playbook for virtual interviews tells candidates to chill about their background.

Their main concern? That you turn your video on so they can connect with the real deal you.

The Case for Keeping It Real: Why Your Background Matters

Let's hop in our time machine for a sec.

It's 2014, and you're about to strut into a big-time interview. You push through those glass doors, and WHAM - you're hit with a sensory overload.

Rows of cubicles stretch as far as the eye can see. The clickety-clack of keyboards fills the air. Everyone's decked out in pressed shirts and power ties.

The vibe? Pure corporate intensity.

Before you've even shaken hands with your interviewer, you've gathered a boat load of intel about company life at Corporate Corp™.

Fast forward to today. The interview game's gone digital, and the script's been flipped. Suddenly, it's not about what you're picking up -it's about what you're putting out.

The slice of your world visible in your webcam is having a chat with your interviewer before you even open your mouth.

The good news? You get to decide the story it's telling.

Here's a 10,000 foot view from our friends in the lab coats:

• A PubMed study found that backgrounds with plants and books significantly enhanced perceptions of trustworthiness and competence.
• The same study revealed that home and virtual backgrounds consistently received the lowest ratings for trustworthiness and competence.
• Research out of Nanyang Technological University found gray backgrounds can induce negative emotions and increase video conference fatigue.

Picking the wrong background for your next video interview could leave you with a bummed-out interviewer who's too drained to really tune into your brilliant responses. 

On the flip side, the right choice could give you a +1 for competence and trustworthiness from the get go.

Sounds like a no-brainer...

Finding Your Perfect Background Balance

Here's our take on the “should I blur my background for a virtual interview” question.

Ditch the blur, but don't lose sleep over your backdrop.

A simple, clean, authentic space is enough. It's a subtle flex that says, "Yeah, I've got my act together, and I'm not hiding a thing."

No words needed.

Here's our playbook for background success:

1. The 5-Minute Makeover: No time for a makeover? No problem. Focus on what's in frame. A quick declutter and a strategically placed plant or book stack can work wonders.
2. Light It Up: Natural light is the MVP. No windows? Invest in a small ring light. We're aiming for professional, not Blair Witch Project.
3. The Power of Perspective: Play with your camera angle. Sometimes, a slight tilt can turn your cluttered chaos into a curated corner.
4. The Confidence Boost: Pick one item in your background that makes you feel like a total boss. An award, a cool piece of art, or even just your copy of Algorithms to Live By. Let it be your secret weapon of awesomeness.
5. When in Doubt, Blur it Out: About to spiral into a cleaning frenzy? Hit that blur button. Don't let background panic derail your interview prep.

Look, at the end of the day, you want to set your best foot forward. Your background is part of that all important first impression, so give it some thought. But don't mistake it for the headline... that's you!

Whether you go au naturel or hit that blur, make sure the spotlight stays on your skills, your experience, and your winning personality. That's the real money maker. Time to go knock 'em dead!