62% of professionals value an agency more if they conduct face to face interviews rather than online applications. 

We’ve always face-to-face interviewed our candidates. Firstly, we’re kinda old-school in that we love to put a face to a name, create a rapport with our applicants and be able to understand their needs and capabilities.

Another important reason we face-to-face interview is the compliance side of things!

Our Compliance Manager, Lisa, makes sure we thoroughly check our candidate’s Right to Work documentation. This is easier and safer in person as we can more easily see whether the applicants are who they claim to be. We’ve seen a few instances where our eagle-eyed consultants have spotted inconsistencies – something they’re regularly trained on, as to do our bit to combat Modern Day Slavery.

There is also an element of human compassion. Whilst an online interview process would be efficient and provide statistical evidence of suitable applicants, we feel some candidates would miss the opportunity of a placement they would excel at due to their lack of tech knowledge or a mis-understanding of what was being asked of them.

A study on the subject found that “data quality may be poor due to low engagement of the respondents or limited understanding of the questions” – springer.com. In person, we are able to tailor questions to ensure they are understood!

Our Senior Branch Manager, Belinda Henshaw ran a LinkedIn poll to gather data to prove our hypothesis. Results indicate that ‘the service we offer is what prospects seek’.

Data suggests that ‘clients value and appreciate the initial time spent with our workforce’, meaning the extra time we devote to our candidates is well spent.

If you’re looking for a Recruitment Agency to assist with your hiring, find your local branch here: https://www.essentialrecruitment.co.uk/contact-us/