Video Interview Market Grows, But Most Candidates Would Rather Meet In-Person

The use of video interviewing platforms has been slowly but inevitably rising, with a number of reports showing that a majority of U.S. employers use their technology in one form or another. But at the same time, nearly two-thirds of U.S. workers say they’d prefer their job interviews to be conducted in person.

A Harris Poll, undertaken for outsourcing firm Yoh, said 62 percent of Americans would rather meet their prospective employer face-to-face if they had a choice. For many, it’s not an issue of technology but of sizing up the organization. More than half (59 percent) believe in-person interviews provide the only way for them to “truly judge” an opportunity. Thirty-seven percent believe virtual interviews limit their ability to, er, connect with interviewers.

That doesn’t mean everyone disparages technical options. Some 22 percent of the respondents said virtual interviews would allow them to feel more relaxed.

Yoh President Emmett McGrath said the survey’s findings demonstrate the continued need for “human interaction” during the hiring process. “While virtual interviews can offer a wider reach and can often be quicker to schedule, they should not be replacements for face-to-face interaction and the personal connection provided by highly skilled recruiters,” he said.

Recruiting technology vendors—not only those involved in video interviews—don’t usually spend much time talking about replacing recruiters. Instead, they emphasize their ability to streamline the process for both candidates and talent acquisition teams. Most video-interview platforms highlight their advantage as an early-stage screening tool, or as an economical way to interview remote candidates.

And in general, few HCM technology vendors expect video to replace human interaction on a wholesale basis. “We see technology as amplifying people, not replacing them,” Pat Pickren, Ultimate Software’s senior director of product strategy, said during a roundtable earlier this year. “For example, video in recruiting can reduce the time and cost of travel, but still provide the opportunity for both candidate and recruiter to engage.”

More Education, Less Video Interview

Issues of technology versus personal touch aside, several of the survey’s demographic findings are worth noting.

For one thing, college graduates are less likely to favor virtual interviews than those without a college degree. More than two thirds of college graduates (68 percent) would prefer to meet in person, compared to 57 percent of high school graduates or below.

Also, the more money people have, the less they like virtual interviews. Americans with annual household incomes of more than $100,000 prefer in-person interviews (69 percent) compared to 57 percent of those with incomes of less than $75,000. Here again, they believe showing up at the workplace gives them a better chance to evaluate the job opportunity that’s on the table.

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