The Financial Times comments that Deloitte in the UK has reinstated in-person interviews for its graduate scheme, reflecting pressure from the Financial Reporting Council about reducing the potential for cheating in virtual assessments.
Deloitte stated it will resume to in-person interviews from this month for those applying for its graduate and apprenticeship programmes, switching back from a fully online recruitment process during COVID.
The FRC's lapidary annual review of audit quality at Deloitte, published in July, characterised Deloitte’s fully online recruitment arrangements as posing potential “risks”. In contrast the other Big Four were commended for taking steps to reduce the risk of cheating in online recruitment tests, for example conducting in-person interviews and assessments.
The FT states
The FRC has in recent years raised concerns that some recruitment tests were susceptible to cheating, saying that this type of misconduct affected the integrity of the profession. It said in July that it had continued to find examples of cheating over the past year, adding that this was “unacceptable”. It declined to say at which firms it found examples of cheating.
Deloitte said ... “In-person interviews provide candidates with an opportunity to see first-hand what it’s like to work at Deloitte and meet the people they will be working with. The initial stages of the application process will remain virtual.”
Deloitte declined to say whether the FRC found any examples of cheating by candidates in online recruitment tests at the firm. One person familiar with the details said the firm “investigates matters” if there are concerns that its people are not demonstrating the “highest professional standards”.
