Why Face-to-Face Interviews Should Come Last in Hiring

At Fermion, we see it all the time: organisations still leading with the face-to-face interview.

It feels intuitive, but it’s a trap.

When the interview comes first, unconscious biases take over. A candidate’s handshake, appearance, or small talk can influence the decision before any objective evidence is gathered. This bias in recruitment is one of the biggest reasons for poor hires and costly recruitment mistakes.

The Smarter Recruitment Process

A more effective, structured hiring process flips the order:

1️⃣ Telephone Screen

A quick, structured phone call confirms motivation and baseline suitability. It filters the basics without overinvesting time.

2️⃣ Objective Testing

Psychometric testing in recruitment provides measurable data, from general intelligence to personality and emotional intelligence. Role-specific tasks and objective candidate assessments give you a clear view of ability and fit. This is data you can rely on, rather than guesswork.

3️⃣ Face-to-Face Interview

Only now does the face-to-face interview happen. With evidence already in hand, the interview adds the human layer without drowning out the data. Subjective impressions have a place, but not the first place.

Why This Recruitment Strategy Works

This sequence changes everything:

Better hiring outcomes

Decisions grounded in objective candidate assessment, not gut feel.

Fairer process

Candidates know they’re being judged consistently, which strengthens your employer brand.

Reduced hiring mistakes

Interviews no longer dominate decisions based on first impressions.

Best practice recruitment strategy

Data first, then opinion, aligned with global hiring standards.

Put simply: fewer mishires, stronger hires.

Time to Rethink Your Recruitment Process

If your hiring process still starts with the interview, it’s time to re-evaluate. Sometimes the smallest change, moving the interview to the end, delivers the biggest impact.

Recruitment is too important to leave to chance. Start with evidence, finish with opinion, and hire with confidence.

Fermion specialises in psychometric testing for recruitment. Please contact Fermion to discuss how a test of IQ, EQ, and a personality profile, or any other psychometric test, can help with your recruitment decisions.

Christopher Apps is a Workplace Psychologist and the owner of Fermion. He stays updated on the latest psychology research and shares evidence-based insights.

The focus of Fermion is "Psychometric Testing for Recruitment" and "Recruitment to Retention: How to select good staff and keep them". If you would like to learn how to select good staff and keep them, please feel free to contact us at Fermion.