The Benefits of Face to Face
Wind back four years and there was probably only a small proportion of companies actively using online meeting tools compared to today where up to 77% of meetings will be handled online.
Clearly there were huge benefits to this during the pandemic, not only from a health perspective but the green benefits of reducing carbon emissions related to business travel for meetings/interviews are enormous and this remains with us today.
But is there a cost to operating an online policy for interviews? We are totally behind the idea to help reduce carbon footprints as we work towards net zero, but what are the softer benefits that we may be losing when it comes to face to face interviews.
We caught up with Recruitment Consultant John Langley who spoke to us about the subject.
“In my view face-to-face interviews offer several unique advantages that can't always be replicated in other forms of communication. These are my top five things that are lost when conducting online interviews.
1. Non-verbal Cues: A significant portion of human communication is non-verbal. Facial expressions, body language, and gestures can convey a lot of information that might be missed in a remote interview but are so much easier to pick up when sat across from someone.
2. Personal Connection: Building rapport and establishing a personal connection often happens more naturally in face-to-face interactions. This can create a more comfortable environment for both the interviewer and interviewee, potentially leading to more open and insightful conversations.
3. Real-Time Adaptation: In face-to-face interviews, immediate feedback allows for adjustments in conversation flow, probing deeper into certain topics, or redirecting discussions based on visual cues and reactions.
4. Assessment of Cultural Fit: Observing someone in person can give insights into how well they might fit into the company culture. It's easier to gauge personality, demeanour, and overall presence when meeting face-to-face.
5. Reduced Technological Barriers: Technical issues that can occur during remote interviews (like poor internet connection or software glitches) are eliminated in face-to-face settings, allowing for a smoother interview process.
To be clear, online definitely has its benefits, and in an early stage or high volume search I would turn to online first, but I would very rarely allow a client to run an entire process online as there are just so many other indicators around cultural fit which are just not possible to work out when viewed through a computer screen.”
If you need help structuring an interview process then we would be happy to offer some assistance. Please do get in touch for help or guidance.
