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Zoom has rejected Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s criticism of employers interviewing job candidates by video call, saying the fairness of an interview depends on the skills of the interviewer rather than the format of the meeting.
Burnham told the Jimmy’s Jobs of the Future podcast that he disliked the practice, which he described as convenient for the organisations using it but a potential barrier for young candidates trying to make a personal connection with a prospective employer.
“One thing I really don’t like is this culture now of interviewing via Zoom or Teams. That doesn’t seem right to me,” the prime minister said.
“I know it’s convenient for the organisations that do it, but how does a young person shine in that situation? How do you get over some of your personality, your passion?
“It seems to me to then work against people who have that side to their character, and work for those who are just giving the more formulaic answer.”
Zoom’s response placed the responsibility for candidate experience on employers rather than the technology.
“The issue isn’t whether an interview happens on video or in-person; it’s whether employers are creating an environment where every candidate can perform at their best. That’s the interviewer’s responsibility,” said Louise Newbury-Smith, head of UK and Ireland at Zoom.
“Poor interviewing existed long before video technology, and the format has never been the deciding factor.”
Burnham, whose arrival in Downing Street prompted questions about his agenda for smaller employers, was speaking to podcast host Jimmy McLoughlin, a former adviser to Theresa May. He suggested technology risked making the hiring process less equitable.
“It doesn’t feel to me that recruitment in the … post-pandemic era is becoming fairer,” he said.
“Recruitment has got to be about individuality … people bringing out the unique things that they’ve got to offer.”
Newbury-Smith said video calls had made recruitment more accessible for many candidates by removing geographical barriers and reducing travel costs. She said they could also help people balancing work with caring responsibilities and those living with disabilities.
Zoom is not the first recruitment technology firm to answer criticism from the prime minister. Screening software company Oleeo defended its AI screening tools after Burnham raised concerns about automated hiring in the same interview.
Zoom was founded by engineer Eric Yuan in 2011 and launched its video conferencing service in 2013. Its technology became a defining feature of the pandemic as meetings and social gatherings moved online, and its valuation briefly exceeded $100 billion in 2020.
Despite competition from Microsoft Teams and Google Meet, Zoom remains one of the leading video conferencing platforms, with more than 300 million users worldwide.
