This article is part of the comprehensive guide on different Types of Interviews. Read our related content on Phone Interviews, Video Interviews, Panel Interviews, and Behavioral Interviews.
As a recruitment agency, it is your responsibility to ensure a correct evaluation of your candidates.
A well-thought evaluation process is one of the recruitment pillars that help you increase your closing rates and make your clients happy. A happy client is a returning client, which translates into business continuity.
In this article, we look into one of the oldest forms of candidate evaluation: face-to-face interviews. We dive into its benefits, how to use it to build connection, and what are some of its red flags.
Since we live in a highly technological world, we also check the future of face-to-face interviews in the Digital Age.
The Role of Face-to-Face Interviews in Candidate Evaluation
Benefits of face-to-face interviews in assessing candidates
No wonder face-to-face interviews are one of the oldest evaluation forms in the recruitment industry. This type of interview has numerous benefits that help recruiters select, evaluate and hire the best talent for the organizations.
One of the main benefits is that it helps recruiters see the non-verbal cues of the candidates. We will cover more on this later because non-verbal communication might be one of the greatest tools at our disposal to evaluate someone properly.
Secondly, it allows immediate interaction, which means that all questions or needs for clarification can be done on the spot. Saving time, checked!
Another great benefit is giving recruiters a glimpse into the candidate’s cultural fit within the organization and the level of presentation skills of the candidate.
Importance of non-verbal communication
We previously mentioned non-verbal communication and its importance in evaluating candidates.
Non-verbal communication is one of the most helpful tools because it allows recruiters to assess the authenticity and credibility of the person in front of them.
Recruiters are not mind readers or fortune tellers. They can’t 100% predict if the candidate in front of them is who he appears to be. However, by observing non-verbal cues, they can determine if the candidate’s body language, gestures, and tone of voice align with their words.
Moreover, non-verbal communication is a great way to check the candidate’s interpersonal skills. This helps recruiters assess if they fit within the organization.
Building Rapport and Assessing Soft Skills
The value of assessing soft skills
One of the benefits of using face-to-face interviews as an evaluation tool is that it helps recruiters build rapport and assess soft skills.
Although most recruiters focus on evaluating the professional experience, during one-to-one interviews, we recommend looking for soft skills as well. Soft skills are important since they are attributes that help a person interact with others.
This being said, observing a candidate’s soft skills helps recruiters understand how he will collaborate in a team, interact with a client or adapt to the new environment.
Examples of non-verbal cues and body language
Both in hard and social skills, recruiters can look at non-verbal cues to complete the picture of the candidate’s compatibility with the role.
One non-verbal cue that recruiters should look into is eye contact. If the candidate sustains eye contact, this might signify confidence and engagement. On the other hand, avoiding eye contact might suggest discomfort or a lack of confidence.
Another non-verbal cue is posture. An upright posture indicates confidence, while a closed-off posture might indicate defensiveness.
Facial expressions are another cue that helps recruiters match the words with the action. Smiling and nodding indicates positivity, while tense facial expression might indicate concern.
Disclaimer! It is important to analyze these cues within the whole interview context and be aware of the cultural differences.
Detecting Red Flags and Cultural Fit
Apart from what we already mentioned, face-to-face interviews also enable recruiters to identify potential red flags in candidates’ applications or behavior before moving further with the recruitment process.
Plus, it creates the context to analyze if the candidate matches the organizational culture. Although this is something that some recruiters might not feel as important as evaluating professional skills, cultural fit is what will create the ground for a long-term collaboration between candidates and the future employer.
Overcoming Bias and Making Fair Evaluations
So far, we have mainly looked into the benefits of face-to-face interviews. However, there is one concern that constantly comes up. We talk about personal biases.
A face-to-face interaction creates the context for personal preferences that might impact the evaluation process.
The best way to avoid or diminish this tendency is to use the structured interview format, meaning having a specific set of questions the recruiter asks each candidate. Plus, having an evaluation criterion that works like a measurement scale.
The Future of Face-to-Face Interviews in the Digital Age
Although face-to-face interviews have many benefits, there is something we can’t deny, the rise of technology-driven recruitment methods, such as video interviews and AI-based assessments.
We believe these are great tools to make recruiter’s work more efficient. However, we believe that face-to-face interviews continue to hold value in candidates’ evaluations, specifically when recruiters have to assess hands-on skills or cultural fit.
Conclusion
In conclusion, face-to-face interviews are still an amazing tool for the evaluation of soft skills and cultural fit and for gaining insights into non-verbal communication.
While technology can augment the recruitment process, in-person interactions remain essential.
Ultimately, we recommend having a balanced approach that combines the benefits of traditional recruitment with technological advantages.
Face-to-Face Interviews FAQ
How does traditional face-to-face interviewing contribute to candidate evaluation?
Traditional face-to-face interviewing helps with candidate evaluation by allowing recruiters to have direct interaction with the candidates, analyze the non-verbal cues and measure the candidate’s fit with the organization.
What role do non-verbal communication and interpersonal skills play in face-to-face interviews?
Non-verbal communication helps recruiters evaluate the authenticity and credibility of the candidate. Moreover, assessing soft skills offers insights into the candidates’ interpersonal skills.
How can face-to-face interviews help in detecting red flags or assessing cultural fit?
Face-to-face interviews help detect red flags because the recruiter interacts directly with the candidate and can look for non-verbal cues that create the whole picture in evaluating the candidate.
What strategies can be employed to overcome bias in face-to-face interviews and ensure fair evaluations?
To overcome biases in face-to-face interviews, recuiters can use standardized questions and have a criteria list they can apply to every candidate.
With the rise of technology-driven recruitment methods in the digital age, why is there still a need for traditional face-to-face interviews?
In this Digital Age, there is still a need for face-to-face interviews to measure cultural fit and to evaluate hands-on skills.
