Why in-person interviews came back, and what a structured interview must now prove

Google, Cisco and McKinsey have all moved part of hiring back into a room. The reason is not nostalgia. Remote screening became unreliable, because candidates now use live AI assistance and, in some markets, false identities. So employers are rebuilding the structured interview around evidence a screen cannot fake.

Why are companies bringing back in person interviews?

Companies use in person interviews to verify identity and judgement. Gartner research reported by Computerworld found that 72.4% of recruiting leaders currently conduct interviews in person to combat fraud. Google, Cisco and McKinsey have each added a face-to-face element. Therefore this shift is about verification, not tradition.

Google banned AI tools during virtual interviews and wants candidates to visit offices earlier. Cisco added verification steps and enhanced background checks that may involve an in-person component. McKinsey points to human qualities that cannot be automated, such as judgement, empathy and creativity. That stated reason matters, because a screen mediates exactly those signals away. Computerworld reported the shift in detail.

What is a structured interview, and why does it matter now?

A structured interview asks every candidate the same planned questions, in the same order, scored against a fixed rubric. Because the scoring stays consistent, it predicts job performance better than a free-flowing conversation. In an AI-mediated market, a structured interview also creates a defensible record of how each hiring decision was made.

Unstructured conversations reward fluency, and generative AI now supplies fluency on demand. A structured interview moves the weight onto demonstrated reasoning instead. Pair it with a work sample test and the interview process starts measuring output rather than polish.

How did hiring fraud change the interview process?

Hiring fraud moved from exaggerated CVs to outright impersonation. Gartner analyst Emi Chiba estimates that for remote IT roles, employers can expect at least half of the applications received to be false. Gartner also predicts that one in four candidate profiles worldwide will be fake by 2028. Consequently, the interview process now has to verify identity, not just skill.

Candidate behaviour shifted too. In Gartner’s surveys, 39% of candidates used AI during the application process and 6% admitted to posing as someone else. Just as importantly, candidates are not resisting the correction. Gartner found that 62% are more likely to apply when an organisation requires in person interviews.

Which assessment methods still hold up?

No single method holds up alone. A work sample test measures real output, an assessment centre observes behaviour under pressure, and a structured interview scores reasoning consistently. Combined, these stages close the gaps that remote screening opened. The table below compares what each stage in the interview process actually proves.

Stage	What it proves	Resistance to hiring fraud	Best used for
CV and application screen	Claimed experience only	Low	Filtering high volumes
Recorded video screen	Basic communication	Low	Early shortlisting
Structured interview, live	Reasoning and judgement, scored consistently	Medium, higher in person	Most roles
Work sample test	Real output on a real task	Medium to high when supervised	Technical and specialist roles
Assessment centre	Collaboration and behaviour under pressure	High	Graduate intakes and leadership
Final in person interviews	Identity, culture fit and human signal	Highest	The final stage

How do you run in person interviews when the candidate is in another country?

You need people on the ground. A final in-person stage only works if someone can host the candidate, check documents locally and employ them compliantly. Otherwise a cross-border hire stalls at the last step. Local presence turns that stage into a routine part of the interview process.

Right-to-work rules differ in every jurisdiction, so a check that satisfies a Dutch employer will not automatically satisfy a German one. After the offer, the same border question returns as an employment question, because contracts, payroll and social security must follow local law. Moving talent across borders depends on that groundwork, and our compliance risk calculator shows where the exposure usually sits.

Read this as a rebalancing, not a reversal

Most employers are not abandoning remote hiring. Instead, they are adding one verified stage at the end. Remote screening still handles volume, while in person interviews handle confidence. Axios reported that one recruitment firm saw in-person requests rise from 5% to 30% of client roles in a year. That is growth, not a full return.

A practical rebalance usually looks like this:

• Keep remote screening for volume, then move verification later in the funnel.
• Standardise every question so the structured interview stays comparable.
• Add a work sample test that mirrors the actual job, not an abstract puzzle.
• Reserve the assessment centre for cohort hiring, where behaviour matters most.
• Verify identity face to face once, before the offer goes out.

What this means for cross-border hiring

The return of in person interviews raises the cost of hiring badly across borders. A failed identity check or a non-compliant contract creates real exposure, including misclassification penalties, sick pay liability and retroactive social security collections. A well-run structured interview reduces the first risk, and local employment expertise reduces the rest.

Octagon Professionals works at exactly that intersection. We have nearly 40 years of experience across the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, Cyprus and the UK. So we help international organisations meet candidates in person, then employ them compliantly. You still choose the salary, the benefits and the working arrangements. We remove the administrative burden, not the decision. To plan your next cross-border hire, talk to Octagon Professionals.

Frequently asked questions

What is a structured interview?

A structured interview is a standardised conversation where every candidate answers the same planned questions in the same order. Interviewers score the answers against a fixed rubric rather than a general impression. Because the format stays identical for everyone, it produces fairer comparisons and a clearer record of the hiring decision.

Are companies bringing back in person interviews?

Yes, but selectively. Gartner research reported in 2025 found 72.4% of recruiting leaders running interviews in person to counter fraud. Google, Cisco and McKinsey each added a face-to-face element. Most employers keep remote screening for early stages and add one in-person round before making an offer.

What is the difference between a structured interview and a work sample test?

A structured interview scores how someone thinks, using consistent questions and a rubric. A work sample test scores what someone produces, using a task drawn from the real job. The two measure different things, so strong hiring processes usually combine them rather than choosing one.

What is an assessment centre?

An assessment centre is a multi-exercise selection event, usually held in person over half a day or longer. Candidates complete group tasks, presentations, case exercises and interviews while trained assessors observe. Employers use it mainly for graduate intakes and leadership roles, where collaboration and behaviour under pressure matter most.

How can employers prevent hiring fraud in remote recruitment?

Employers reduce hiring fraud by verifying identity documents in person, supervising any work sample test, and keeping one live stage that cannot be pre-recorded. Consistent scoring helps too, because inconsistent notes hide problems. For international hires, a local partner can carry out the in-person checks on your behalf.