Interview Processes Riddled with Flaws-Artificial Intelligence Screening Not the Remedy
A New Era of Hiring: AI, Interviews, and the Human Touch
Edmund Cuthbert, CEO of Boolio and a transformed recruiter turned founder, dives into the complexities of the hiring process.
For centuries, human recruiters have quick-scanned resumes, giving them just a paltry seven seconds. Biases and impulsive judgments often dictate the hiring decisions, perpetuating an unfair cycle.
Despite numerous corporates attempting to eradicate unconscious biases through workshops, discrimination remains prevalent. A 2003 study revealed that resumes with "white-sounding" names like Emily and Greg received 50% more callbacks for interviews than those with "Black-sounding" names like Lakisha and Jamal. In 2021, another study found that many companies continue to favor white applicants over black applicants, underscoring the need for change.
AI could potentially revolutionize this chaotic scene, effortlessly scanning large candidate pools to unearth undetected talent. Research indicates that employees selected by AI-based recommendations outperform those chosen by human managers and progress more swiftly in their careers. With AI's ability to bypass snap judgments and personal prejudices, solving the problem seems like a shoo-in.
AI and Interviews: A Promising Step Forward?
As large language models (LLMs) steal the spotlight, there's an escalating push to employ AI in interviews. Imagine applying for a job, only to discover your "interviewer" is a digital avatar spewing out canned questions. If you triumph over this barrier, you may eventually get to converse with a genuine human.
Although I'm excited about AI, I can't suppress the question: will AI-driven interviews truly solve the problem of finding standout candidates? Interviews serve as a dialogue between employers and job seekers. While employers aim to evaluate a candidate's competence, interviews also offer hiring managers a chance to showcase what a great workplace they offer.
The latter aspect, often referred to as "discretionary candor," is something no AI system can mimic. When I interviewed for a product manager position at a startup years ago, I probed the founder about runway and financials. He gracefully displayed an unprecedented level of transparency by pulling up slides from a not-yet-completed Series A deck. His openness instantly made me feel valued and included, ultimately leading me to accept the offer.
Imagine an AI attempting something similar: it just doesn't seem authentic. An AI's admission of secrecy might come off as insincere, or even unhinged, evoking responses like "you're lying" or "have you escaped the matrix?" Most importantly, top candidates who have multiple offers crave genuine conversations about company culture, growth opportunities, and intangibles that significantly impact their job decisions.
Achieving the Perfect Balance
Hiring strategies play a pivotal role in shaping the candidate pool. Swap human interaction for an AI avatar, and many of the top contenders might choose not to apply. Companies that embrace AI-driven interviews may save time on their schedules but risk lowering their talent standard in the process. Despite the digital age, there's no replacement for a human being who can create a connection, offer a glimpse behind the scenes, and say, "Welcome to our fantastic workplace, here's why you belong here."
My advice is to consider incorporating AI at the beginning of the recruitment process when sourcing and filtering candidates. However, the first interaction a candidate has with your company should be with a human.
Companies that have adopted fully automated AI interview tools should also examine the drop-off rate. Are the most promising candidates willing to endure these asymmetric interviews? They may find that the most sought-after talent is unwilling to jump through these hurdles.
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Edmund Cuthbert, the CEO of Boolio, discusses the potential benefits of incorporating AI in interviews, suggesting a human interaction at the initial phase for building connections and fostering a genuine candidate experience. Despite AI's ability to bypass some biases and perform large-scale candidate screening, it may not be able to replicate the human touch required in interviews for showcasing a company's culture and value proposition to top talent. Cuthbert, who faced discretionary candor during his interview at a startup years ago, emphasizes that personal conversations about company culture, growth opportunities, and intangibles can significantly impact interview outcomes for high-demand candidates.
