5 Reasons Why Job Interviews Should Be Face-to-Face

It is now three years since the start of the pandemic and we have all become accustomed to a ‘norm’ of conducting meetings via Teams or Zoom. ?Suggesting we should go back to doing them face-to-face has recently become a hot potato in media and business circles.

One thing we at PRMS know for sure following our 24 years in marketing recruitment is that it is always much better to take the time to meet a client (preferably at their premises) than take the instruction on a video call or over the phone.?Important extra information about the vacancy and/or the company always emerges from a personal meeting. Our client has appointed us to promote their vacancy effectively/positively to the candidates we develop, so it is vital we paint a picture of the firm and the workplace environment. If the candidate were to ask us “have you met with the recruiting manager and been to the company?” we naturally want to be able to tell them “yes”.

The same logic applies for a job candidate ‘attending’ an interview.?Both parties will get a much better understanding of each other in a face-to-face meeting, even for a first interview. Since the pandemic many employers have begun to expedite the first interview process to save time and expense, often rendering it a short and superficial online vetting (i.e. fact verification) exercise.?That should of course be unnecessary if the pre-qualification and candidate CV selection process has been done thoroughly – which in the case of the candidates we supply, it always has!

Specific benefits of conducting a first interview face-to-face include:?

You get a glimpse of your potential office and colleagues: An interview is not just an opportunity for employer to evaluate candidates, but also vice-versa. ?Going to the premises enables a candidate to get a real ‘feel’ for the workplace environment, office layout, dress code, and interaction between staff. It can often help them decide if it’s a place they can fit in and thrive. ??

You get undivided attention!???An in-person meeting enables you to better command your interviewer’s attention.?It is more challenging for them to sneakily look at their phone or laptop without appearing impolite.?And they will have to dress properly instead of slipping a shirt and tie over their pyjamas in their back bedroom! ??

No annoying connectivity issues: How often has the Zoom connection failed or the WiFi blipped at precisely the wrong time for you in an important video meeting? ??

Making full use of body language: ??In-person interviews allow you to make full use of body language to express yourself – and to likewise better interpret that of the person you are meeting.??Many candidates we interview come across vastly different online than in person. In a face-to-face interview they are typically more relaxed and will thus ‘open up’ far easier when we get on to drill down into their career, aspirations and suitability for a particular vacancy. ??

More opportunities to make an impression:??Everybody with whom you interact on your visit, from the receptionist who greets you to the interviewer and their colleague who makes the coffee, might have a say in the hiring decision. Each person you meet gives you another opportunity to impress. ???

??Remember – whether you are interviewer OR the interviewee, you only get one chance to make a first impression. If given the option, choose the interview format that best allows you to get yourself and your proposition across.

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