A Steady Practice Becomes a Broader Trend
While some may frame the rise of in-person interviews as a sudden reversal, the reality is more nuanced. Throughout the past several years, even during periods when many organizations moved fully to virtual interviews, Reimbi has seen firsthand that companies of all shapes and sizes continued to bring candidates on-site.
What’s changing now is that the practice is expanding more broadly across industries and roles, as employers look to strengthen their hiring processes and build more authentic connections with candidates.
A recent Wall Street Journal (link) article highlights this trend, noting that organizations like Google, McKinsey, and Cisco are reintroducing or expanding face-to-face interviews to improve skill assessments, build trust, and reduce AI-related hiring risks.
The Problem with AI-Assisted Interviews
Virtual interviews rose rapidly during the pandemic, but they’ve introduced new complications. Recruiters report a growing number of candidates using AI tools off-screen to generate answers in real time, especially in technical roles.
Some cases are even more serious: scammers impersonating legitimate job seekers to gain access to sensitive information or fraudulently secure remote roles. The FBI has warned of coordinated schemes involving deepfakes and stolen identities, particularly targeting remote tech jobs.
It’s no surprise that more organizations are adding in-person steps to strengthen the integrity of their hiring processes.
Why Companies Are Bringing Candidates Back On Site
For employers, expanding in-person interviews brings clear benefits:
- Better skill validation – For example, Google reintroduced in-person coding sessions to make sure fundamentals are solid, not just cleverly AI-assisted.
- Richer human connection – McKinsey now encourages at least one in-person conversation before offers are made, allowing teams to evaluate rapport and authenticity.
- Fraud deterrence – Cisco found that simply mentioning an in-person interview often causes scammers to disappear from the process entirely.
These moves are practical responses to real problems, not just nostalgia for handshakes.
But In-Person Interviews Add Operational Complexity
Of course, coordinating on-site visits isn’t simple. Recruiting teams are often stretched thin, and in-person interviews require extra time and effort to manage:
- Scheduling flights, hotels, and ground transportation
- Communicating reimbursement policies to candidates
- Collecting receipts and expense details (often through email threads or spreadsheets)
- Tracking the status of payouts and responding to candidate follow-ups
These administrative tasks can pile up quickly, diverting recruiters from their core focus: finding and closing great talent.
How Reimbi Simplifies the Process
At Reimbi, we see this shift firsthand. As more companies expand their use of in-person interviews, recruiting teams are looking for ways to keep the candidate experience smooth without increasing their own workload.
Reimbi takes care of critical but time-consuming tasks, including:
- Reimbursement policy distribution – Candidates receive clear instructions up front, reducing confusion and support requests.
- Expense submission – No more spreadsheets or email forwarding. Candidates submit their receipts through a clean, branded interface.
- Fast payouts and status tracking – Candidates choose their preferred payment method (direct deposit, PayPal, Venmo, eCheck, Amazon gift card) and can track status, so recruiting teams don’t have to manage follow-up inquiries.
When reimbursements are fast, transparent, and easy, candidates tend to remember the experience positively, regardless of the hiring outcome.
In-Person Interviews Are Back. Let’s Make Them Great.
The broader return to in-person interviews reflects a simple truth: face-to-face conversations still matter. They allow for deeper evaluation, stronger rapport, and less risk of AI-driven fraud.
By pairing these advantages with thoughtful candidate logistics, including a modern reimbursement process, companies can turn on-site interviews into a strategic advantage rather than an operational headache.
Learn More
Reimbi helps companies reimburse job candidate interview expenses quickly and seamlessly.
👉 Learn more at reimbi.com
