Employers should be careful about relying too heavily on virtual job interviews because they may fail to reveal a candidate’s personality, confidence, and enthusiasm, according to Andy Burnham.

Speaking on a careers podcast, the prime minister criticised the growing use of platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams for recruitment interviews.

“One thing I really don’t like is this culture now of interviewing via Zoom or Teams,” Burnham said, questioning how young candidates can properly demonstrate their potential in a virtual setting.

His comments come amid concerns about the changing job market, with more than one million people aged 16 to 25 in the UK currently not in employment or education, while job vacancies have fallen to their lowest level in five years.

Many companies are increasingly using artificial intelligence tools to screen applications and conducting interviews online as part of faster recruitment processes.

However, some young job seekers have described the experience of applying for hundreds of roles without receiving responses as “robotic and brutal.”

Recent data from LinkedIn suggests that around 89% of UK recruiters plan to increase their use of AI in hiring this year, highlighting the growing role of technology in recruitment.

While AI and virtual interviews can help companies manage large numbers of applicants, critics argue that they may overlook important human qualities such as communication skills, creativity, and passion.

Burnham’s comments add to the wider debate about finding the right balance between technology-driven recruitment and personal interaction during the hiring process.