Sir, in the current pandemic situation many universities are preparing for virtual panel or multiple mini interviews and virtual interviews are being used for the recruitment of dental staff and in training posts.

Benefits include cost reductions with the decrease of hiring interview rooms, catering, paper consumption, travel and accommodation as well as carbon footprint reduction and fewer missed clinical or teaching sessions.1 A study comparing virtual and face-to-face interviews for anaesthesiology noted the former 'met or exceeded the expectations of candidates'.2

Drawbacks include university applicants are unable to visit the campus (although universities have worked hard to provide a virtual experience through online open days), difficulty in building personal rapport and assessment of non-verbal communication skills.2Technical challenges can include poor internet connection, no or poor quality webcams or microphones. Digital inequality is a risk for university applicants from deprived or remote backgrounds who may not have access to a laptop or have poor connectivity.

One study noted unconscious bias can exist in virtual interviews in relation to the candidate's IT ability and their background setting during the interview as 'religious symbols, evidence of family structure, or the physical state of their environment may reflect socioeconomic status'.3It is recommended candidates should use a blurred or neutral background and training should be provided for the interviewers.4