Back to basics: Why fast growing firms are prioritising in-person recruitment to achieve the right fit

COVID-era shortcuts created bad hires, now strong CVs, references and face-to-face meetings are non-negotiable
 

As many industries lean heavily on technology, algorithms and video calls to recruit staff, MR Roads is going back to basics. One of Australia's fastest-growing road building civil construction companies, MR Roads is returning to fundamentals; strong CVs, solid employment records, verified references, and, most importantly, in-person interviews.
 

Cofounders Daniel Mikus and James Rolph said the move is about ensuring cultural and capability fit at a time of rapid business expansion.
 

"Visuals and phone screens don't capture culture, commitment or character," Rolph said.
 

"The basics are still the foundation for good recruitment. Sitting across the table from someone, working through practical activities with them, looking at their work history and checking their references tells you far more than a resume filtered through an AI program ever could."
 

Why back to basics matters
 

Mikus said in-person recruitment is fundamental to achieving the right fit between employees and the company. Meeting someone face-to-face allows leaders to evaluate qualities that can't be captured through digital screening, such as attitude, motivation, reliability and how well a candidate will integrate into an established team.
 

"You can't tell whether someone has the right culture fit or long-term potential from a Zoom call," Mikus said.
 

"In-person interviews reveal things that no algorithm ever could. We want to know the person behind the CV and that only happens when you sit down with them."
 

Lessons from COVID-era hiring
 

According to Mikus, the shift to remote recruitment during COVID led to poor hiring outcomes across many industries. Without face-to-face interaction, both businesses and candidates often made bad choices that resulted in high turnover, poor engagement and cultural misalignment.
 

"COVID recruitment meant businesses were hiring people they'd never really met and candidates were accepting jobs in organisations they didn't truly understand," Rolph said.
 

"It created a wave of mismatches. The result was unhappy employers, unhappy employees and a lot of wasted time and money."

Building stronger teams from the ground up
 

By returning to a back-to-basics approach, MR Roads is aiming to avoid those pitfalls and build teams that are aligned, reliable and committed. The company believes that for industries like civil construction, where safety, collaboration and trust are paramount, this approach isn't just traditional - it's essential.
 

"At the end of the day, great roads are built by great teams," Mikus said.
 

"You only build great teams when you take recruitment seriously, face-to-face and from the ground up.
 

"We are great tech adopters and adapters, but when it comes to our team, we need to ensure that we have the right people and as far as we are concerned, this can only happen when achieve the right in person connection.
 

"We have experimented with tech for recruitment, but you can't bypass dealing with people in person. This is where culture is inculcated and where buy in and team work really thrives."
 

About MR Roads
 

MR Roads is one of Australia's fastest growing civil infrastructure companies, specialising in road construction, asphalt works, pavement maintenance and large-scale infrastructure solutions. Founded by Daniel Mikus and James Rolph, MR Roads has quickly established itself as a trusted leader in the sector, delivering high quality outcomes for government, commercial and private clients across the country.

www.mr-roads.com.au