Study: Why in-person or video meetings convert better than e-mails

It’s only your voice

If you have been surfing the web for work and habitually sending resumes via email with little success, you may want to pay close attention.

A new Harvard study supports the age-old fact that interviewing face-to-face still reigns supreme in business, but new, interesting information has emerged regarding the reason why.

Using your voice makes you sound smarter

Traditionally, in person dialogues are favored because you’re being measured up by a variety of factors. Things like your appearance, body language and posture can supply a great deal of information regarding the type of candidate you might be.

People tend to believe that showing their accomplishment in written form, allows them to put their best foot forward. It’s quick, to the point and there is no concern about saying “um” or “ah” too many times. Not to mention, it can be reviewed and edited for errors.

As it turns out, your voice has a lot to do with how you’re perceived. What’s even more interesting is it isn’t necessarily what you’re saying, but instead, how you say things that gives potential employers key insight into how your brain works.

The study found that cues from your voice like pitch, volume and pace could prompt a more favorable outcome. Using your voice actually makes you sound more intelligent.

Spoken word over written word

The study required 18 MBA students to create a pitch to persuade employers to hire them. The students were then directed to write, video and record (just audio) the presentation. One-hundred sixty-two people were asked to judge one of the three types of pitches (audio, video or written form).

The results were clear-cut when comparing written pitches to audio ones. The surveyors not only felt that the candidates they heard were smarter, but they had a more positive opinion overall. However, when the videos and audios were compared there was little or no notable difference in the outcome.

To be certain, HBR asked 39 recruiters to chime in, and their conclusions, on average, supported the previous claim.

Use this information to your advantage

So, the next time you drop off a resume or shoot one over via email, make a point to set up (at the very least) a phone interview. Perhaps, your pipes could land you that dream job.

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