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by Jan Hendrik von Ahlen

Aug 19, 2024

Are AI interviewers really taking over the hiring process?

Rumor has it that human recruiters are losing their jobs, and AI is taking their place.

If you spend any time on job search forums, this is one of the biggest fears doing the rounds these days.

It’s no wonder. Because AI seems to be everywhere.

In resume screening.

In interviewing.

In culture fit assessments.

Even in onboarding.

So it’s no surprise that job seekers are concerned that AI is preventing them from getting through to the humans.

Confession time. It’s 100% true that AI has slipped seamlessly into multiple aspects of the hiring process, particularly in the screening and interviewing stages (think resume parsing and one-way video interviews).

But whether we can say it’s taken over entirely? No, not even close.

As with any tech development, our fear often lies in the unknown. If you don’t understand precisely how and why it’s used, how can you be sure your application won’t disappear down a resume black hole?

In this blog post, we’ll shed some light on the latest in AI hiring trends. We’ll take a look at how AI actually enhances integrity and fairness for applicants, the benefits it can bring to recruiters and job seekers, and how you can best position yourself to ‘beat the bots’.

AI in Screening

These days, AI is used extensively in the initial stages of the recruitment process. But contrary to popular belief, there’s one thing it can’t (yet) do: it doesn’t make actual decisions about who should be interviewed - that remains the role of the interviewer.

But first things first. Let’s answer the question asked by many job seekers: “Why is AI used in screening? Humans should hire humans!”

Let me ask: If you had a tool that made your job faster and more efficient, wouldn’t you want to use it?

Yes, AI can make mistakes, particularly if your resume is missing common clues that help it detect that you’re a match (more on that later). And while human recruiters might be better at reading between the lines, they’re highly unlikely to when they’re overloaded with dozens of resumes. They too look for keywords to help assess if you’re a good fit. AI is just smarter at it.

Another benefit is that AI reduces human biases by evaluating candidates against consistent criteria, leading to fairer hiring practices. This ensures that all applicants are assessed based on their qualifications and fit for the role, rather than subjective factors.

Let’s take a look at the most common tool that AI may be found in: Applicant Tracking Systems.

Applicant Tracking Systems

Applicant Tracking Systems or ATS have been around for over two decades. Their role is to help recruiters track (hence the name) applications in one centralized place. Some can even be integrated into HR information systems, making them a hugely efficient way to manage employee records from application through to resignation, termination, or retirement.

The reality is that many jobs attract hundreds or even thousands of applications. Having an ATS speeds up the initial screening process, helping to ensure that only strong candidates move forward. This is really good news for qualified job seekers.

Over time, new features have been incorporated. Some companies now use more sophisticated ATS with AI elements. This takes it a step further by ranking candidates based on their fit for the position using pre-defined criteria, so that the most relevant candidates are prioritized. This slashes even more time off how long recruiters spend reviewing applications, ensuring the decision is highly data-driven and impartial. Which is also good news for you.

But again, AI is not making the hiring decisions. Instead, it enhances the integrity, speed, and impartiality of the process for you, the applicant.

However, not all companies use systems with AI enabled (this stuff isn’t cheap). If they don’t, then the recruiter will do a manual review. In any case, your resume will always be checked and, if you’re a good fit, you’ll go to the next stage. AI just makes this a lot faster for both parties.

AI in Interviewing

AI is also playing a greater role in streamlining the interview process, especially when it comes to online or pre-recorded video interviews.

Some advanced AI systems can provide real-time feedback to interviewers, suggesting follow-up questions based on the candidate’s responses.

AI algorithms can score candidates based on predefined criteria, helping to objectively rank and compare candidates.

But that’s not all. Here are some more ways that AI is being integrated into interviewing:

Pre-Screening Interviews

AI-powered chatbots can conduct initial interviews by asking candidates a series of pre-defined questions. They can assess basic qualifications, gather essential information, and answer applicant queries. AI-powered chatbots aren’t perfect, but they do a great job in the initial stages by letting people know if they’re a good fit or not, saving everyone time.

Video Interviews

Video interviews are probably the biggest recent development in AI for hiring (and arguably the most controversial from the job seeker’s perspective).

These are generally in the form of one-way interviews where candidates are given a number of questions to record themselves responding to on camera. The idea is to narrow down the face-to-face interview shortlist, get there faster, and with fewer implicit screening biases.

How these work is that after receiving the video submission, AI analyzes various aspects of the candidate’s responses. These include speech analysis to evaluate clarity, tone, and pace, facial expression analysis to gauge emotions and engagement levels, and even body language analysis to assess non-verbal cues like posture and gestures to infer confidence and honesty.

While many job seekers feel this in-depth analysis is a step too far at this stage of the process (and they could be right), the overall aim is to make faster, more consistent, and fairer hiring decisions.

Tips for Job Seekers

It seems that AI is very much here to stay, and will only become more ubiquitous as the technology improves.

Navigating an AI-driven screening and interviewing process can seem daunting if you don’t understand how and why it works. The truth is, whether you’re engaging with a human recruiter or AI, there are a handful of commonsense strategies that apply equally to both.

Here are our 3 top tips to ‘beat the AI bots’ more effectively:

#1 Optimize Your Resume for ATS

Use clear, concise language and industry-specific keywords that match the job description. This ensures that your resume passes the initial screening by AI systems or manual reviews by recruiters. If it’s not immediately obvious why you’re a great fit, both may pass you over.

Another thing: Avoid complex formatting that might confuse AI parsers or the human eye. Both prefer easy-to-navigate layouts and styles. Stick to standard fonts and bullet points to ensure your resume is easily readable by both.

#2 Leverage Keywords

Keywords, keywords, keywords. Relevant keywords that reflect the job requirements are the first clues that humans and AI look for to determine if you’re a fit. For example, if you’re applying for a Project Manager role and there’s no mention of the word “project” in your resume, how would either know you’re suitable?

Research relevant keywords and phrases for your target job and incorporate these naturally into your resume if relevant (hint: leverage AI against AI by putting the job description into ChatGPT and asking it to “Please identify the major hard skills in this job description, so I can incorporate them in my resume”). This increases the chances of your application being identified as a good match by AI algorithms and human readers.

#3 Prepare for AI-Assisted Interviews

These types of interviews are becoming very common. The idea is that you have the opportunity to record several pre-set standard questions on camera at a time convenient to you (so, no need to take time off work to schedule an interview to begin with). Then, if you come across well, a face-to-face interview will then be arranged.

But talking to a camera doesn’t come easily to everyone. Before a one-way interview, practice speaking clearly and confidently in front of the camera. This helps you become comfortable with the format in advance (or at least a little less self-conscious!) so you present yourself well.

Be aware of non-verbal cues such as facial expressions and body language, which AI might analyze. Make sure you maintain eye contact, sit up straight, and avoid fidgeting.

While it might seem unnatural to speak to a camera at first, the advantage is that you have time to think about what you want to say, and often the opportunity to record the answer again if you weren’t happy with it (unlike with a face-to-face interview).

Once you hit submit, the AI tool or recruiter will analyze your recording and make recommendations about the next steps.

Conclusion

As we’ve seen, AI isn’t taking over the interviewing process. It’s absolutely being harnessed to make the selection and screening of suitable applicants faster, less biased, and more efficient. But humans still have the final say in who goes forward. Which is the way it should be.

We’ve also learned that AI is not particularly complicated or scary. By understanding how it is utilized in screening and interviewing, and adapting your approach accordingly, job seekers can enhance their chances of success in an AI-driven hiring landscape.

Key takeaways

• These days, AI is used extensively in resume screening, interviewing, and onboarding to enhance hiring efficiency and fairness

• AI aids in initial resume screening, but human recruiters make the final decisions

• AI can streamline pre-screening and one-way video interviews by analyzing speech, expressions, and body language

• To ‘beat the AI bots’, optimize your resume with job- and industry-specific keywords, and practice for AI-assisted interviews to come across as well as possible

• Without a doubt, AI will become even more integrated in hiring. Job seekers need to understand how it works, but not be nervous about it

For more insights, tips and strategies related to this topic, be sure to read our other articles: How to Use ChatGPT to Write The Perfect Cover Letter & Applicant Tracking Systems – Your Best Friend or Worst Enemy? & 5 Bad Interviews | Lessons Learned and Tips for Success & How to Prepare for Job Interviews with AI - Questions & Prompts