After a year of Zoom job interviews, has recruitment changed forever?

Pandemic restrictions ruled out face-to-face job interviews for long periods, forcing organisations to adapt to online recruitment processes and many may never go back to the old methods.

But things aren’t all that different, according to Niamh O’Brien, head of talent management at BDO Eaton Square. “The process hasn’t really changed. The difference is you are not sitting in a room with the person. The interview is still the same, even if it’s on a video call. Some clients may still want a face-to-face interview. It used to be face-to-face for the first and second rounds, now the first is virtual. Other than that, it is very similar.”

There are, however, benefits from an in-person interview. “Nothing beats that personal conversation, walking through reception and having a chat. I don’t think we will ever revert back to having the first round [interview] in the office.”

There has been some speculation that as well as using virtual processes to facilitate the recruitment of overseas candidates, organisations might also allow these candidates to work from their home countries after they are hired. This is not as straightforward or attractive as it first appears, however.

“There is still a hesitancy around overseas recruitment,” O’Brien points out. “There is a lack of clarity around the tax implications of non-resident employees. Having employees based overseas may result in a firm inadvertently creating a tax presence in another jurisdiction. It’s a very complex issue. We are seeing organisations reverse out of it and are encouraging their non-national employees to come back to Ireland.”

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Content adapted from The Irish Times special report,  After a year of Zoom job interviews, has recruitment changed forever?