Virtual interviews don't show bosses your personality, says Burnham

Here is a story making headlines in the economy: Virtual interviews don't show bosses your personality, says BurnhamImage source, Getty ImagesByJennifer MeierhansBusiness reporterPublished30 July 2026Bosses should not rely so heavily on virtual job interviews when hiring as they don't capture candidates' personality and passion, Andy Burnham has said. "One thing I really don't like is this culture now of interviewing via Zoom or Teams," the prime minister told a careers podcast, adding: "How does a young person shine in that situation? "With more than one million 16 to 25-year-olds not in work or education, and vacancies at a five-year low, firms are increasingly turning to AI to sift through applications and choosing online interviews over in-person.

But some young people have told the the experience of applying for hundreds of jobs and never hearing back is "robotic and brutal". It comes as some 89% of UK recruiters say they are planning to use more AI in the hiring process this year, according to data from Linked In. Figure caption, Watch: 'AI rejects some applications in less than two minutes'Speaking to former political adviser Jimmy McLoughlin on his podcast Jimmy's Jobs of the Future, Burnham said he was concerned that the use of technology was not making recruitment processes "fairer".

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"How do you get over some of your personality, your passion? " he asked, referring to virtual interviews. "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.

"I do worry about that and I've seen that in relation to my kids and their situation. "Responding to Burham's comments, industry body the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) said online interviews were useful, particularly in earlier hiring stages, but could not replace vital in-person connection. Maxine Bligh from the REC said: "AI tools are helpful, even essential, when dealing with a huge volume of applications, but it takes skill and professionalism to make the right call.

"The key message from us to recruiters is to go digital where it matters and human where it counts. "Elizabeth Anderson, chief executive of the Digital Poverty Alliance, said online interviews allowed people who do not live in cities to access opportunities. "Forcing young people to travel into London and other major cities or be limited to local roles that are often in short supply, doesn't support aspiration or opportunity within the UK," she said.

"AI is the bigger issue. AI in job interviews and CV sorting is unfair on young people due to its inherent bias and the vast majority of school leavers being unaware of how to write to be shortlisted by the AI recruitment tools doing the sorting. "Amy Davies from Talent People, which designs assessment and selection solutions for early careers hiring, said while video interviews were not an ideal substitute for an in-person meeting, they could make the process more accessible.

Economists are analysing what the news means for the markets.