By Meena Kumari, Global Head of HR, Airmeet*
February 17, 2022: Human resource procedures have undergone a never-before-seen digital transformation in recent years. Companies across the board have initiated digital interventions to adapt to changing circumstances; from intimately paying attention to the quality of the hired staff to focusing on upskilling. 
Virtual event platforms have set a gold standard for recruiting with employing collaboration tools that enable efficient interviewing of applicants, both on a small-company level scale and with large scale job fairs and recruitment drives, significantly improving the overall interview experience. This new wave of virtual hiring is moving faster than ever before. Here’s a quick dive into its benefits and drawbacks:
Benefits
Flexibility: This is one of the most critical benefits of virtual hiring. Employers can source talent without geographical limitations, and deserving candidates get access to opportunities they otherwise could never have dreamed of. 
Diverse in nature: Virtual hiring fosters diversity in the company and aids in the formation of an inclusive team. Virtual recruiting enables you to hire people from all over the country or the world. It breaks down geographical barriers and encourages cultural diversity in the workplace.
Autonomous Process: A digitally driven process makes life easier for everyone involved in hiring, interviews are scheduled and conducted with a lot of freedom and flexibility.
Empowerment: The underlying fact is that virtual recruiting has given the whole hiring process more liberty and empowerment. It encourages engagement, shortens sessions, and restores people's capacity to do more with less. Sessions can be recorded and saved for future use. Because scheduling and coordination time is reduced, the majority of virtual recruiting can be executed autonomously.  Being virtual is more collaborative since all of the information is in one place and you don't have to rely on humans, to pass on critical information.
Cost-effective:  It saves money for both the business and the employee because there are no additional costs for travel, meetings or relocation and setting up a new place for the employee and, in certain situations, family members. As a result, working remotely has proven to be popular. It also encourages a hybrid work culture, which is best adapted to the current situation.
Saves time:People tend to plan their day better, and most calendars are updated. From scheduling interviews in an organized manner to making sure that the candidate shows up on time is easier in a virtual setup. The process for either party lasts for the duration of the interaction and no more. 
Easily Accessible:  Since everything is digital, the entire interview process is simplified. It enables the interviewer to review the CV whenever and wherever it is convenient, without worrying about misplacing materials. Now that everything is digitized, documentation and paperwork completion, from personnel information to offer letters, is much more seamless and quick. It provides the advantage of working smart..
Stress-Free Environment: Many candidates are rejected early in the recruiting process, despite their talents, just because they're too anxious during the interview or live in locations that are far away from the company's headquarters. Having these conversations online allows both parties to let go of these inhibitions and put a confident foot forward throughout the process. 
Challenges
Lack of Empathy / Emotional Intelligence: Often, when you don’t meet in-person, face-to-face, there is the chance that one might lack personal consideration and niceties. We forget to connect emotionally with one other, and forget that it is indeed a human being at the other end, while hiring virtually. Often, gestures are misread, resulting in a communication barrier that has a detrimental influence on both ends.
Chances of Potential Fraud: While it is not common, there will be companies out there that will try to scam candidates by asking them to pay a symbolic fee in exchange for the promise of being hired. Some businesses will attempt to advertise themselves as far superior to what they are, deceiving candidates and wasting their time. And the same is true for the candidates.
Poor Internet Connection: One of the biggest disadvantages of virtual interviews is reliance on a stable and fast internet connection. If the candidate's network cannot deliver a suitable level of service, frequent disconnects and poor video or audio quality may prompt the recruiter to go on to another prospect, even if the initial candidate has superior skills, education, and experience. Technical concerns, for example, would have no bearing on a person's ability to impress during a face-to-face interview.
Lack of Tech Awareness: There are still many professionals that aren't technologically savvy. However, such expertise is required if candidates are evaluated through virtual interviews. Therefore, when it comes to virtual interviews, a person's lack of IT skills for a position that doesn't need it at all might become an issue. 
*Airmeet  is a platform for hosting a rich variety of virtual events