I’m curious what an in person orientation does that a background check does not. In my experience, asking suspicious candidates to show me what is outside their window is enough to weed out North Korean candidates who are lying about their location. That is a much lower effort than an in-person orientation.
> In my experience, asking suspicious candidates to show me what is outside their window is enough to weed out North Korean candidates who are lying about their location.
...I have to say, if I was randomly asked in a job interview to show what is outside my window, I'm not immediately sure how I would do it. I use a desktop computer with a USB webcam clipped to the top of the monitor. The cord isn't long enough to show a good view out the window. I guess I could switch the video conference to my phone, but it might take some fiddling. I would probably find the overall request a bit off putting.
I live in Manhattan by the way. I also don't work in tech (any more), but I've still had online job interviews.
It's not something I spring on all candidates. I only ask the ones who seem suspicious. I recently started explicitly mentioning WHY I am doing it and stating my desire to not support the murderous regime of North Korea. The call always drops abruptly.
Re: fixed cam, I'm pretty sure you have a cell phone that you could walk over to a window, take a snap, and show me on a webcam if push came to shove.
If you tell them during the call that after being hired they are required to be in office for an orientation, and ask them if that’s a possibility they will come up with an excuse. I did the same and saved me the awkward window question, which might as well be the sky or they might be in a room with no windows