In the era of COVID-19, the time spent online has dramatically increased. People do their best to keep social distance and organize events online.
Interviewing candidates for a new job position isn’t an exception, either! That’s one of the reasons that Zoom has become one of the most commonly used tools.
Let’s find out the advantages and disadvantages of an in person interview versus a Zoom interview in this article. After reading them, you can decide which one would work best for your company’s interviewing needs.
Pros and cons of Zoom interview
Pros:
Saves time
Candidates won’t have to spend their precious minutes and sometimes hours going to the office for the interview. All they need to do is to turn their camera on and talk from home. The virtual interview will save time for both interviewers and interviewees.
Screening remote candidates
Zoom interview will show the interviewer how well the candidates can use their technical skills for a virtual interview. Although it may seem that there’s nothing complicated in Zoom, there are many cases when candidates fail to join the call because they don’t have technical skills. This will help the recruiters narrow down their selection.
Less pressure on candidates
You will surely be familiar with someone who gets nervous during the interview, or maybe you are that someone? Zoom interviews are real life-savers for such people as they feel more relaxed and calm. Being at home during the interview will help them answer the questions with more confidence.
Cons:
Connection problems
This is probably the most common issue when it comes to Zoom interviews. If any side doesn’t have a stable and fast internet connection, this interview will be a total failure. Sometimes poor video and audio quality may affect the decision of the interviewer. Even though it’s not the candidate’s fault that their internet service provider doesn’t provide quality service, this may have adverse effects on the interview results.
Lack of interpersonal interactions
As you know, some positions require the candidates to be charismatic and able to show their emotions. If one has a poor video quality that won’t let the interviewer evaluate the candidate’s required skills, they will have almost no chances of getting hired. The interviewer will forget that interview and move to someone else who can demonstrate the necessary skills.
Limited time
Sometimes candidates describe the process of Zoom interviews as a bit stressful because of the login procedure that may be complicated for some of them. Time spent logging in can detract from a candidate’s focus, not to mention the loss of time if the Zoom interview has a set time limit.
Pros and cons of an In person interview
Pros:
Evaluating communication skills
Communication is one of the most crucial skills for almost all positions so exploring how candidates communicate is vital… Zoom interviews don’t allow the interviewer to evaluate this skill correctly as candidates speak differently in person versus virtually.
Presence of body language
In-person interviews allow you to follow the body language of the candidates. Body language has always played a significant role when choosing the right candidate as it can reveal a lot about the person’s characteristics and behavior. There is no good way to evaluate body language on Zoom. That’s why most companies prefer in-person interviews. According to them, the company can make more accurate choices of new employees when they pay attention to these minor but crucial cues.
Building a rapport
During job interviews, it’s crucial to build rapport with the interviewer, which is much easier to do in person than in a Zoom interview. How will you try mirroring the interviewer’s body language if you can hardly see their faces through the screen?!
Cons:
More attention to dress and presentation
If we compare in-person interviews with virtual ones, we can note that the latter can be more casual. When you get ready for a Zoom interview, you may not care much about your entire outfit. You may believe that it’s only the shirt that matters, as the interviewer won’t see all the parts of your body. But, wearing only half of a professional outfit can affect your entire professional attitude. It’s true that dressing for an in-person interview takes more consideration and time. But it can boost your professional attitude. For instance, you may enter an office where they follow a dress code. Wouldn’t it be impressive if you dressed according to their dress code when you showed up to the interview? However, with all that in mind, it will indeed require more time from you to get dressed and present yourself properly.
It is time-consuming
All you have to do for the Zoom interview is click on the link and start the call without leaving your house. However, it’s not the case with face-to-face interviews, especially if the office is not close to where you live. The time and cost of traveling to in-person interviews are definitely a consideration.
Have all the above-mentioned peculiarities of in-person and virtual interviews in mind whenever you are invited to an interview. This will help you prepare for the interview more thoroughly.
By the way, HIRECLOUT recruiters help candidates navigate both virtual and in-person interviews implementing the most effective strategies. These strategies make them stand out among all other candidates and increase the chances of getting their desired job.
