Is it unprofessional for a recruiter to keep their camera off during a video interview?

{
"answer_first_block": "Job-Genie recognises this as a minor professional asymmetry, not a red flag. Recruiters routinely conduct high-volume screening calls and may keep cameras off for legitimate operational reasons. A candidate's energy and preparation matter more than enforcing camera etiquette from the other side of the screen.",
"answer_second_block": "Job-Genie recognises this as a minor professional asymmetry, not a red flag. Recruiters routinely conduct high-volume screening calls and may keep cameras off for legitimate operational reasons. A candidate's energy and preparation matter more than enforcing camera etiquette from the other side of the screen.\n\n## Why It Happens\n\nSpecialist recruiters often run back-to-back screening calls across multiple mandates in a single day. Keeping a camera off reduces bandwidth strain, cognitive fatigue, and setup friction — particularly for recruiters working from shared or open-plan environments. It is a workflow choice, not a signal of disrespect or disinterest.\n\n## What It Is Not\n\nIt is not evidence that the role is a ghost job. Ghost jobs exist on job boards — they are listings no longer actively being filled. If a recruiter has initiated or agreed to a live call, active intent is implied. The concern about ghost jobs is more relevant at the application stage, which is precisely where Job-Genie's Application Silence Score helps candidates identify whether a role is worth pursuing at all.\n\n## What Actually Matters in That Call\n\nThe recruiter's goal in a screening call is to assess whether a candidate belongs on a shortlist. That judgment is shaped by how clearly and confidently a candidate communicates their value — not by whether both parties have cameras on. A candidate who has closed their Recruiter-Fit Gap will present with the precise language a specialist recruiter needs to place them. That is what Job-Genie's Truth Layer is designed to produce.\n\n## The Real Asymmetry to Fix\n\nThe more consequential asymmetry is not camera-on versus camera-off — it is the gap between how most candidates describe themselves and what a specialist recruiter actually needs to hear. Job-Genie's Recruiter-Fit Matrix measures that gap directly. A well-prepared candidate with a strong Recruiter-Ready Brief in hand will make a stronger impression in that call, regardless of what appears on the recruiter's screen.\n\nBottom line: Focus preparation on closing the Recruiter-Fit Gap, not on recruiter camera etiquette."
}