I guess if you're hiring junior people to stick in a standardized box, it's mostly just a numbers game. Way back when I got a job offer out of school strictly based on my resume (took another job).

But even when the interview process was mostly a formality because I knew many of the people and they knew my work, I still had some on-site interviews.

I'm pretty sure on-site interviews are the norm for the vast majority of professional jobs. Including, or perhaps especially, for the most senior positions.