Since the pandemic there has been a shift away from in-person interviews as more and more employers are in favour of using Zoom and Microsoft teams as their technology of choice within their recruitment process.

With over 90% of fortune 500 companies utilising technology in their recruitment process, it seems like future hiring will take place in the metaverse rather than the boardroom.

However, we at VANRATH have researched and it appears that although technology has been able to bring communities and people closer together, the local consensus is that connecting with others in a face-to-face capacity will remain the status-quo.

A recent VANRATH LinkedIn poll highlights, that although ¼ of people believe new technologies should be embraced within recruitment, 59% of voters contest that human interaction will remain the best form of interviewing throughout the recruitment process.

Benefits of Face-to-Face Interviews

1. Communication and Body Language

When interviewing face-to-face, both the employer and the candidate are able to easily communicate and understand their counterpart's body language.

This allows for both parties to identify each other’s personalities and compare them with their own. In doing so, both the employer and the candidate will be able to understand whether this move is in their best interests.

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2. Improved Judgement

Interviewers have the sole objective of recruiting the best person for the job. Face-to-face interviews allow an interviewer to understand prospective candidates on a personal level and therefore will result in making the best decision.

Online interviews, whether they are one-to-one or group calls, may prevent candidates from being able to showcase their skillset as well which could result in many deserving candidates losing the opportunity of the job.

3. More accurate impression

With online applications and CV rejection software in place, many high-value candidates are not even considered for interviews, as they are rejected by an algorithm before a human gets to see their application.

The face-to-face recruitment process promotes human interaction and therefore, candidates are given the opportunity to present why they are the perfect fit for the organisation. This should result in recruiters making informed decisions and hiring the best person for the job.

4. Higher commitment to participate

Candidates may feel more engaged with the recruitment process if they can meet with the hiring manager face-to-face and build a relationship early on.

While online calls and emails could see a candidate lose interest or fail to connect with the organisation, in-person meetings will allow for both parties to establish a strong connection and could result in higher engagement from the candidate.

This will result in recruiters being granted the best view of their applicants, therefore, resulting in better decision-making throughout the recruitment process.

Although these are only a few of the benefits of in-person interviewing, it is clear that this tried and tested recruitment method has many merits and is here to stay.

However, regardless of the recruitment methodology (Face-to-Face vs. Online), the most important aspect of in-depth interviewing is ensuring the right candidates are paired with the right job.

Here at VANRATH, we specialise in this and have over 21 years’ experience building career success stories for over 15 thousand candidates.

If you are ready to take the next step in your career, VANRATH can assist in providing expert advice and guidance when exploring the highly competitive and expansive recruitment field.

For further information or to arrange a confidential discussion, contact VANRATH on 028 9033 0250 or visit our current job openings here.