Remote interviewing prospective employees as a recruitment tool
Introduction
When deciding on recruiting new employees to a company it is important to select the most effective process available to
managers and the company. We will in short order discuss the positive and negative aspects of remote interviewing of
prospective employees. We will also reflect on the shortcomings of the available tools that one can use to assist the
process in context to the South African work environment.
Benefits of remote interviewing
Numerous online tools are available at no cost and can be utilised across different platforms and devices. This is both cost
effective and creates relatively easy access to interviewer and applicant, depending on each individual’s situation.
Remote access software, such as Skype, Zoom and Microsoft Teams, clearly provides benefits to both the interviewer and
applicant. For instance, the availability of online interviewing can diminish geographical difficulties, alleviate transportation
issues and provide flexibility and accessibility to people with complex schedules. (Deakin & Wakefield, 2014; 3062-04)
As discussed in a consultation with A.J. de Klerk (Project & Site Manager; 2021) the larger the scale of the recruitment the
better the cost benefit ratio in terms of monetary cost and time saving to companies or projects. This sentiment is clearly
seen when dealing with large amounts of applicants, professional teams prefer to start the process with remote/online
tools. The time-saving aspect of remote interviewing greatly outweighs any selection bias caused by the online tools. The
monetary cost to a company of in person interviewing large amounts of people is heavily reduced by this method. An
important note to add to this discussion is that these advantages are somewhat dependant on the scale of the operation.
An example of where this process could be seen as a disadvantage is when interviewing a small number of highly skilled
professionals for specific appointments, such as attempting to appoint a new director or department head, in this instance
in person interviewing is critical to establish which applicant would be the correct appointment.
Negative aspects of remote interviewing
Making use of digital tools for interviewing may cause a selection bias by excluding potential applicants who do not have
access to the necessary technology. (Cook, 2012; Padgett, 2017; O’Connor et al., 2008; 3063-05). Throughout South Africa
reliable internet connections are not readily accessible to all, as well as accessibility to the hardware needed to run online
tools. This creates a disadvantage to the interviewer and candidates by lowering the number of applicants that could apply
for positions via remote interviews. Another aspect to consider is the applicant’s knowledge in use of technology. Some
skilled sectors do not require applicants to be computer literate, even if a skilled person would be a good appointment, it is
unfortunate that their limitation to understanding the technology could disqualify them from the interview process.
In person interviews involve non-verbal cues, even though these cues are not necessarily always noted in the interviewer’s
report of the applicant, they do hold a significance in communication. Body language is not just directed at the interviewer
but also at others which may join and leave as the interview progresses. Unfortunately, current technology is limited with
presenting non-verbal cues, tone of voice and body language over camera, low quality microphones and cannot be
accurately assessed. (Longhurst and Johnston 2014; Sharp and Dowler 2011).
Remote interviewing in a South African setting
Each country faces their own difficulties and hindrances. South Africa presents two unique obstacles namely loadshedding
and intermittent connectivity. Disruptions due to loadshedding, bad internet connectivity and delays during a remote
interview leads to frustration, confusion and possible negative outcomes.
Conclusion
While there is still more research to be done on this topic, it is clear that remote interviewing presents clear advantages
and disadvantages alike. In specific scenarios remote interviewing is a clear front-runner, however this does not account
for the needed assessing of prospective candidates in the majority of cases. In the words of Thomas Moran (CEO; Addison
Group) “Humans are a social species and ultimately need that direct, in-person contact”.