In an interesting reversal of artificial intelligence technology trends, some employers who’ve embraced more progressive approaches to selection are going “old school” in their interviewing formats. The Wall Street Journal recently reported on a growing shift among employers away from a reliance on virtual interviewing formats and toward conducting more in-person meetings.

Online interviews became standard practice during the Covid-19 pandemic, and many companies have continued using them to save time, costs, and to connect with candidates in different geographies. But concerns are growing among recruiters, hiring managers, and even government agencies that video interviews, when paired with AI technology, can open the door to candidate deception and fraud. Applicants are increasingly using AI tools to generate answers in real-time, particularly in technical interviews, and in some cases, are attempting to impersonate others. 

Hiring managers report a range of tactics. Candidates may type questions into a chatbot during the interview and read off generated responses.  Others use AI programs to solve coding problems that are meant to test their skills on the spot.  “Deepfake” audio and video, though less common, add another layer of risk by allowing imposters to mimic applicants.  The FBI has warned of organized efforts to take advantage of these vulnerabilities.  Last year, the Bureau issued indictments for 14 North Korean Nationals who used false identities to land remote IT jobs at U.S. companies.

Some well-known firms are responding by reintroducing face-to-face meetings.  Google has added in-person stages for certain roles, especially in software engineering.  Cisco and McKinsey have made similar moves, citing the need to confirm both skills and authenticity. Recruitment agencies also report a shift.  One Dallas-based firm said that on-site interviews have climbed to roughly 30% of clients this year, up from just 5% the year before.  

The return of traditional interviews highlights the back-and-forth between job seekers and employers in recent years.  Companies, overwhelmed by online applications, began using automated screening to narrow the pool.  Applicants, in turn, adopted AI to improve resumes and apply to large numbers of openings.  As AI tools advance further, companies are rethinking how to maintain trust in the process.

Tech firms that provide hiring software are also stepping in.  Greenhouse, a recruitment platform, recently partnered with Clear – the identify verification service used in airports, to give employers new ways to confirm who a candidate is.  Cisco has worked with biometric identification providers for the same reason.  Still, many recruiters say the most reliable check is to meet a candidate in person.  Some note that requiring an on-site visit can be enough to deter suspicious applicants, who often stop responding once the request is made. 

For most candidates, the return of in-person steps means additional scheduling and travel, though video calls remain common in early rounds.  Analysts expect that hybrid hiring processes – mixing virtual and in-person states – will be the norm.  A survey by Gartner suggests that concerns about deception are not unfounded.  Out of 3,000 job seekers polled, 6% acknowledged participating in some form of interview fraud.  The firm predicts that within a few years, a significant share of job profiles worldwide could be fabricated.

Of course, in addition to preventing deception, face-to-face interviews have other significant advantages. They provide an opportunity for applicants to experience first-hand a prospective employer’s location, facilities, operations, and “vibe” of the culture.  They provide opportunities to meet team members not included in the interview process.  Finally, employers can more fully assess candidates in a dynamic, live environment not bound by the confines a single screen. 

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Source: Smith, R. (2025, August 12). AI is forcing the return of the in-person job interview. The Wall Street Journal