By Jasmine Lewers.

In my job at the front desk at CBC Staff Selection, I book candidates in for meetings with recruitment consultants every day. In doing this, I’ve noticed that many people have come to expect virtual meetings as the default.

I am often asked by candidates whether it is necessary for them to come to our office for a face-to-face meeting, or if they could do a video call instead. After all, virtual meetings and job interviews are common in the workplace these days. Remote meetings via phone or video call carried us through the pandemic and offer improved accessibility and efficiency.

However, recruitment is a profession built on human connection. Face-to-face meetings allow our recruitment consultants to look beyond the resume and get to know candidates more fully as people. They can also help us develop a deeper understanding of client needs, enabling us to make better recommendations and create stronger long-term matches.

This is why at CBC Staff Selection our preference is to meet face-to-face wherever possible.

Reading Beyond the Resume

There is always more to someone than what is on their resume.

Resumes give recruiters and hiring managers an overview of what someone has done, but face-to-face meetings provide a glimpse of who they are.

We know that job satisfaction comes down to more than the role itself. It comes from feeling comfortable in your work environment and having a sense of camaraderie with your work colleagues. It follows, then, that knowing whether someone will succeed at a job is about knowing more than if they have the technical skills to perform the role.

Meeting in person gives our consultants the opportunity to better understand how a candidate communicates, what matters to them and the type of workplace environment where they may feel most comfortable and perform at their best.

Similarly, in-person meetings give our recruiters a clearer idea of how a candidate communicates verbally so that we can better understand the types of teams and workplaces they may work well within.

Sometimes a candidate’s resume may not stand out as much as others on paper, but when they meet with a consultant in person, their enthusiasm, professionalism and communication skills shine through. Equally, meeting face-to-face can help identify the type of workplace where a candidate is most likely to thrive.

These are qualities that can be difficult to capture in a resume or video call, but they often play a significant role in determining whether someone will be successful in a role long term.

This is why, although remote meetings are sometimes the most practical choice, face-to-face meetings can provide additional context around a candidate’s communication style, experience, expectations and interpersonal approach, helping us build a more complete picture of the person behind the resume.

Building Trust Through Stronger Relationships

Recruitment is an industry built on trust.

Our clients understand that we only put forward the candidates that we genuinely believe are the best fit for their role, and that we will always represent our candidates in the most accurate and truthful way possible.

To achieve this, we need a level of transparency with our candidates. Our recruitment consultants need to understand what candidates are genuinely looking for, what other opportunities they may be considering and any concerns they have about making a move.

Face-to-face meetings can help build that trust more quickly. Having a relationship beyond a screen can make the process feel less transactional and give candidates greater confidence to have open and honest conversations with their consultant.

That transparency helps us represent candidates accurately, manage expectations on both sides and guide people through the recruitment process with greater confidence.

This relationship element is particularly important in a regional market like Far North Queensland, where employers, candidates and professional networks are often closely connected. Taking the time to get to know people properly can make a meaningful difference to the quality of a recruitment outcome.

Deeper Understanding of Client Needs

The recruitment consultants don’t just assess our candidates; they also spend time getting to know our clients, too.

Face-to-face meetings with clients, particularly when we can visit them in their workplace, help facilitate a better understanding of the role they need to fill and how it sits within their business.

When we can see the workplace for ourselves, we know what the physical work environment is like and we also get an idea of the team dynamics and culture. Not only can we make better matches for our clients, but we can also represent the workplace and role more accurately to our candidates during the recruitment process.

When the candidate knows more clearly what to expect, they are better positioned to make an informed decision about whether the opportunity is right for them, which can contribute to a stronger long-term placement.

As a result, face-to-face client meetings remain an important part of the recruitment process and, at least for the information-gathering stage, they are not easily replicated by a phone call.

Where the Value Comes From

We have phone and video call meetings with our candidates and clients every day. However, meeting face-to-face can give our consultants a more complete understanding of the people and workplaces they are working with, which is why we prefer it for initial meetings where possible.

Our value and expertise come into play when we have these in-person interactions. They allow us to ask deeper questions, understand the context behind a role or career decision and build the relationships that sit at the heart of good recruitment.

It is the reason clients come back to us for every new hiring need, and it is what keeps candidates returning to CBC each time they are looking for their next opportunity.

While technology has transformed the recruitment industry for the better, we believe there is still no substitute for getting to know people face-to-face. Phone and video meetings will always have an important place in recruitment, but where the opportunity exists to sit down together and have a genuine conversation, there is still real value in doing so.

Whether you’re looking for a new career opportunity or your next great hire, those in-person conversations help us create stronger matches and better long-term outcomes.

If you’d like to discuss your hiring needs or career goals, we’d love to meet with you.