Firms shift to online interviews as technology saves cost

The recruitment process undergoes a change as companies gear up for recession.

Companies the world-over are planning cost-cutting measures and Indian firms are following suit. Most companies are opting for telephonic interviews rather than conducting face-to-face interviews. This is expected to reduce costs as travel expenditure comes down.

Indian Institute of Management-Kozhikode (IIM-K), has had three companies, including Deloitte and Britannia, request for video conferencing for the final rounds of lateral placements. Four-five firms, including Tata Steel, are doing the interviews entirely through video conferencing.

“Britannia’s chief operating officer will conduct the last round of interviews through video conferencing,” said a student at IIM-K.

Students of a leading management institute in New Delhi say that a lot of companies coming for placements are opting for telephonic interviews and only the last round is the usual face-to-face round.

“The companies might be holding interviews on video conferencing and telephone to minimise cost and save on travel expenses,” said a final year student.

Second-rung institutes echo the same. “The trend is same everywhere and we are no exception. Companies have asked for telephonic interviews with students as a cost-cutting measure,” said the placement director of such an institute.

Pepsi, that didn’t visit the IIM-K campus last year, conducted the entire process for their pre-placement interviews through video conferencing. “SBI Capital will be doing a complete videoconferencing process,” said a final year student at IIM-K.

“Companies have the option of doing such interviews, but the online process can never be the same as face-to-face,” feel a student from a Gurgaon-based B-school.

So, is this the end for the interview process as has been the now. Only time will tell. However, sometimes the purpose of using these facilities is not exclusively to save costs.

Abroad, companies conduct all rounds of interviews online. In fact, students say that now even colleges have become pro-active in reaching out to the companies by offering them all the facilities.

“We’ve always had telephonic interviews for firms unable to visit the campus and have been continuing the same this year. It has nothing to do with saving costs. Sometimes firms are unable to visit a campus owing to travel constraints or unavailability of top management. In those cases, we conduct telephonic interviews or a videocon,” said Joseph Ike, recruitment coordinator, IIM-Calcutta.

Cognizant used video conferencing for conducting pre-placement interviews at a Delhi-based management school. Ernst & Young (West Asia) also resorted to online interviews for lateral placements at a B-school. Other companies Like L&T and HCL are also following online method of interviewing.