A reader writes:
After being laid off, I was aggressively applying to everything even remotely relevant in my industry. I got an interview at a company I recognized and for a role I was perfectly qualified for. However, in order to move forward in the process, they said I needed to “complete AI screening.”
What? I was hoping for a phone call with the hiring manager as a first step, but I guess that’s the future. So I went with it. Well, it was – perhaps predictably – absolutely terrible. Not only did the AI ask me confusing, irrelevant questions about hyper specific bullet points on my resume, but it repeatedly interrupted my responses and even lost connection three times, forcing me to repeat myself. This all happened while I was being video recorded, so I’m sure some of my answers will be a little choppy and tired.
I don’t know how I should have handled this, and I’m afraid to do it again for another company. Do you have any advice?
Yes, this is a terrible exercise for exactly the reasons you encountered: redundant questions, technical issues, and the expectation that you will invest your time in the call answering questions in return for not getting any of your questions answered to determine if you are interested in moving forward.
Until now, the social interaction between employers and job seekers has been that once your resume passes the initial screening, the next step (be it a phone screen or a more in-depth interview) will give you a chance. to talk Ask your own questions to the employer so you can find out if you want to invest some more of your time later, as there’s no point doing it if it doesn’t suit the role you’re looking for. That’s why employer demands like “write several essays before we’ll interview you” or “do a long job simulation before applying” always seem out of date.
It was bad enough when some employers started requiring one-way video interviews before they could talk to you (where you have to record yourself answering specific questions, without being given the opportunity to ask them yourself in return). This is one taken to new heights, and with even less respect for you and your time.
But AI interviews are probably on hold for at least a little while, if not longer, so job seekers will have to figure out whether they’re willing to play along. If you have other options, you can always decline. But like most terrible hiring practices, it will hit those with the fewest options the most. If you’re at a certain level in your field and have in-demand skills, you might say, “I would be happy to speak to a human being who could answer my questions in return; if that’s not possible, I’ll have to withdraw from the idea.” If you’re not in that situation and you just need a job, you probably need to roll your eyes and do it.
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