If you’re like me, people fascinate you. You love connecting with others and listening to individual life stories is nothing short of amazing. Hence why, nerves aside, I thoroughly enjoy interviews. The whole process, on either side of the equation-- as the interviewer and interviewee. A friend of mine recently applied to a popular and highly engaged company in the Bay Area. She soon discovered her interview was hosted through the online interview platform, SparkHire. She had to record herself answering pre-selected questions within a certain timeframe. What if she wasn’t good on camera or wanted to ask questions? Shouldn’t the company be investing in the candidate? She never communicated with an actual person and her experience left her feeling disconnected from the company. As technology accelerates at lightning speed, it is only a matter of time before something like this could potentially become the norm. My curiosity consumed, so I began to explore some of these platforms. As I dove deeper into my research and began to compare, I couldn’t help but wonder: Will technology bypass the need for in-person interviews? Sure, online interview platforms are extremely appealing to a company that doesn’t have the resources to conduct in-person interviews. This can be due to popularity, rapid hiring and growth or staffing bandwidth issues. For example, GreenJob prides itself on being environmentally friendly through savings on travel and staffing for interviews. With the advancement of telecommuting, interviewing platforms make a bit more sense. For those with typical work environments, the candidate may be losing something without any personal face-to-face interaction during an interview. Pardon me, but I can’t help but always go back to the candidate (Hint: it may be because I work for a company that’s all about the experience). Aren’t they the most important piece to the puzzle? After all, they will represent the company. As our research points out, 89% of those surveyed say that interviewing excites them about the company. Interviews prep you for everyday realities of the job—coworkers, projects, variety of work, management etc. You get a feel for a day in the life of said company. The candidate and company can decide if things seem like a good fit. Most of us want to feel inspired and motivated from our jobs. Long-term engagement begins before a candidate even joins the company. Remember, the employee experience is holistic. photo courtesy: tuscolatoday.com