The shift to virtual hiring is accelerating, rather than slowing, as the UK emerges from lockdown. Nearly three quarters (74%) of employers moved to a fully virtual recruitment process during lockdown, and even more plan to do so in future. A total of 77% say they expect to make further hires without ever having met the candidate in person, with 48% doing so as a matter of course and 29% doing so for some roles.

For employers, the most popular benefits of virtual hiring are making it easier to schedule interviews (49%), shortening the time it takes to complete interviews (42%) and reducing hiring costs (39%). More than one third (34%) of employers said virtual hiring speeds up recruitment.   

The shift is likely to be welcomed by jobseekers, with Indeed’s research also finding that 88% of candidates feel virtual interviews have advantages over the traditional, in-person format.

A third (33%) of jobseekers found virtual interviews make the process of getting a new job quicker, with a similar number (31%) finding them less intimidating than an in-person grilling.

Whether virtual or in-person, interviews are still viewed as crucial both by employers and those seeking to work for them. Almost half (49%) of the 500 companies polled by Indeed rated the interview as the most important part of the hiring process.

The interview is equally totemic for candidates, with 58% of jobseekers valuing them as a better opportunity to explain their suitability for the role than a CV, and nearly two thirds (64%) feeling that if they can get an interview, they can go on to land the job.

Indeed Hiring Platform
The findings come as employers gear up for a wave of hiring – the research found 68% of firms plan to recruit more as lockdown restrictions are eased – and Indeed launches Indeed Hiring Platform, a virtual solution that reduces the time it takes to get suitable candidates into jobs from weeks to days.

Available in the UK from July, the Indeed Hiring Platform seamlessly integrates the whole recruitment process, from posting a vacancy on the world’s largest job site through screening and onto virtual interviews, all conducted through Indeed’s easy-to-use portal and with no need for additional software.

Employers using the platform are able to set objective screening criteria, so any jobseeker whose skills are a match has the opportunity to move straight ahead to booking their own interview slot directly through the platform. They are also able to reach the combined networks of Indeed and its sister company Glassdoor.

Crucially, Indeed Hiring Platform automates many of the most time-consuming tasks of the traditional recruitment process, from reviewing CVs to scheduling interviews. This saves both employers and jobseekers time, getting qualified candidates to interview quicker and allowing hirer and candidate to focus on the part of the recruitment journey they both value most. 

In the United States, where the hiring platform is already available, more than 250,000 jobseekers have already connected with employers using it.

Bill Richards, head of UK sales at global job site Indeed, comments: “Our research confirms virtual hiring is here to stay, with over three quarters of employers planning to make hires in future without meeting the candidate in person. 

“As Britain’s job recovery continues employers need to be able to ramp up hiring quickly but the reality is that the traditional process is often too slow and ineffective and can leave jobseekers in the dark.

“Indeed Hiring Platform automates time-consuming tasks and offers employers a simple, fast, and fair way to manage the entire recruiting process. By freeing-up their time, the platform allows recruiters to do what they do best: focus more on human interactions.

“For jobseekers, the platform quickly connects them to companies that are hiring, enables them to book their own interview slots to fit their schedule and provide greater transparency that means they are no longer left waiting to hear back for weeks.”