A number of recruiters are using online interviews to find new staff during the coronavirus outbreak, the BBC has reported.

As a social distancing measure, a number of businesses have asked their employees to work from home and are beginning to use online interviews as a way of meeting potential hires. Taking up less time, online interviews are becoming a vital life-line for recruiters who still want to find staff during this pandemic.

Allowing for less travel and less face-to-face contact, these online interviews will not only help to slow the spread of COVID-19, they also appear to be more convenient for employers and prospective employees alike. While they may be missing out on some of the benefits of a traditional in-person meeting, could it be possible that they are trial-running what interviews of the future may look like?

COVID-19 Tips for Jobseekers & Recruiters

What will job interviews look like in the future?

By utilising modern technology, it's easier than ever for recruiters to reach out and conduct interviews with candidates. It's said that online interviews take up less time, so it may be beneficial for businesses to stick with this style of hiring even after the present pandemic. By eliminating the need for travel, video interviews may also reduce pollution and CO2 emissions, making them an attractive option for eco-conscious businesses.

The BBC report also mentions how much easier headhunting has become under the current conditions. With more people working from home instead of spending all day in meetings, it's easier for headhunters to reach applicants and offer them interviews and positions. Instead of waiting for candidates to respond to their emails or voicemails, recruiters now have a better chance of reaching them with a single phone call.

While many people will be looking forward to the end of social distancing, recruitment companies may be able to learn a lot from the measures we've adopted during this period. It will be interesting to see if video interviews make things fairer for candidates who live far away and/or have medical issues that would make it difficult to attend a traditional interview.

We're in uncharted territory right now, and as scary as it is, it will be exciting to see how recruiters can adapt and create new hiring solutions. It's important to take the lessons we learn in difficult times and move them forward into the future - and who knows what the future of science recruitment might look like?

Browse Science Jobs >>