Microsoft Teams Panel Interviews: APS Edition

Most APS interviews now happen on Teams

The technology is rarely the candidate's choice. Defence is locked into Teams. Most line agencies use it. The result is a set of subtle problems that don't exist in person: bad lighting that the panel notices but doesn't mention, a virtual background that strips half your face when you gesture, audio that cuts out at the precise moment you deliver your Result statement, and the dreaded double-take lag that makes natural conversation impossible.

None of this affects what the panel is supposed to be scoring. But in practice, candidates who present poorly on video score lower because the panel struggles to engage.

The setup that actually matters

• Camera at eye level. Not below. Stack books under your laptop if you need to.
• Light source in front of you. Not behind. A window behind you turns you into a silhouette.
• External microphone if you can. Built-in laptop microphones pick up keyboard noise and breathing.
• Wired internet if available. Wi-fi drops out at the worst moments.
• Plain wall or real background. APS security policy often blocks virtual backgrounds in agency Teams instances.

The etiquette

• Many agencies provide candidates with a Teams "guest" link — test the link 24 hours in advance, not 5 minutes before.
• Panels on Teams often dial in from different physical locations — you may not see all panel members on screen simultaneously. Address each one verbally.
• The APSC has issued guidance permitting closed captions and live transcript as reasonable adjustments — request them if helpful.

Verbal habits that compensate for lag

• Pause for half a second before you start speaking — Teams cuts the first syllable when audio activates.
• Signpost the structure of your answer ("Three things I did...") so the panel can follow even if a word drops.
• Use your hands less than you would in person — gesture below the waist or out of frame to avoid background-removal artefacts.

How GovPrep helps

GovPrep's practice mode includes camera-on rehearsal with timed responses, so the first time the camera is on you isn't the day of the panel.