{"id":16362,"date":"2025-10-07T03:07:30","date_gmt":"2025-10-07T03:07:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.asr.com.au\/?p=16362"},"modified":"2025-10-07T03:07:30","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T03:07:30","slug":"first-impressions-on-video-vs-in-person-are-we-starting-in-the-right-place","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.asr.com.au\/first-impressions-on-video-vs-in-person-are-we-starting-in-the-right-place\/","title":{"rendered":"First Impressions on Video vs In Person: Are We Starting in the Right Place?"},"content":{"rendered":"

First Impressions on Video vs In Person: Are We Starting in the Right Place?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When COVID hit, \u201cvideo first\u201d became the norm overnight. Teams and Zoom kept business moving and for a while the choice was simple: meet online or don\u2019t meet at all. Fast-forward to today and many organisations still default to a video call for first conversations – briefings, candidate screens, partner intros – because it feels efficient and low-friction.<\/p>\n

But is it the right first step now?<\/p>\n

We all know first impressions land fast – and they stick. In recruitment and in business in general, those first few minutes set the tone for everything that follows: the depth of the conversation, how quickly decisions get made and whether people feel confident saying \u201cyes.\u201d Over the last few years, we\u2019ve defaulted to Microsoft Teams or Zoom as the first touch. It\u2019s efficient. It\u2019s convenient. But is it the best way to begin high-stakes relationships?<\/p>\n

A recent open-access study in PLOS ONE looked at how we form first impressions on video calls and found something simple but powerful: just the frame around you – the background, lighting, angle, and tiny non-verbal cues – can nudge how trustworthy and competent you appear. In other words, context does some of the talking online. In a boardroom, the context is shared and steady. On video, it\u2019s variable and fragile. That doesn\u2019t make video \u201cbad,\u201d but it does introduce friction at precisely the moment we\u2019re trying to build confidence quickly.<\/p>\n

From a recruitment lens, you can feel this in real time. A brilliant candidate can read \u201cflatter\u201d on screen; a cautious hiring manager can seem cooler than they truly are. Micro-delays, camera lag, awkward turn-taking, the slightly-too-dark room – all eat into the warmth and momentum you\u2019d usually build face-to-face. When the goal is trust and speed (shortlists, sell-in, stakeholder alignment, offers), those small gaps matter.<\/p>\n

It shows up in business more broadly, too. The first meeting with a potential partner. A tricky client reset. An executive interview panel. A board update with a sensitive recommendation. These aren\u2019t just information exchanges – they\u2019re trust transfers. In person, you benefit from all the signals that deepen rapport: eye contact that isn\u2019t filtered through a lens, the natural rhythm of conversation, shared space, the small walk to the room where people say the thing they didn\u2019t put in the slide. Decisions happen faster when people feel they \u201cget\u201d each other. That feeling is simply easier to create in person.<\/p>\n

So why have so many of us settled on \u201cvideo first, then maybe we\u2019ll meet\u201d? Mostly because it\u2019s practical. But practicality shouldn\u2019t be our only filter, especially when the cost of a lukewarm first impression is delay, indecision or a lost hire. The research suggests we should be more deliberate: use video for cadence and reach; use in-person to establish trust, read nuance and move the ball.<\/p>\n

What does that look like in practice?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For recruitment – Keep the very first screen touch short (15\u201320 minutes to confirm basics and interest), then push the first substantive conversation in person wherever possible, particularly for critical and senior hires \u2013 you\u2019ll get a cleaner read on culture fit, stakeholder chemistry and decision appetite.<\/p>\n

For clients and partners – If the topic is high stakes, ambiguous or relational (new engagement, renewal, escalation, negotiation) – meet first, then maintain momentum online. You\u2019ll spend less time proving and more time deciding.<\/p>\n

When video is unavoidable –<\/p>\n