More Companies Are Relying on Automated Video Interviews

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology continues to advance, a growing number of companies are using it to conduct interviews and assess the qualifications and fit of candidates. AI is the leading innovation in technology today and its primary goal is to eliminate tedious tasks and assist in immediately accessing extremely detailed and hyper-focused information and data. Artificial intelligence is capable of completing tasks that humans already perform or require human intelligence to complete and AI recruitment is an efficient way for companies to go through the hiring process that is becoming more popular. Zippia (www.zippia.com) reported in May that 65% of recruiters currently use AI in the recruitment process and 96% of senior HR professionals believe AI will greatly enhance talent acquisition and retention.

With hundreds of resumes and applications to sift through, more companies are using Automated Video Interviews or AVI (also called on-demand or asynchronous interviews). The most popular platforms include SparkHire, myInterview, and HireVue. In an AVI candidates record themselves on a video platform and answer questions within an allotted amount of time. The video is then analyzed by an AI developer platform and algorithms analyze the video responses, looking for things like facial expressions, use of key words, and tone of voice which it will use to either accept or reject the candidate.

Recruiters like interview intelligence platforms as they offer real-time analytics, candidate scoring, and personalized insights based on the company’s past hiring data. This aids them in quickly identifying top candidates, predicting job performance, and making data-driven decisions. They tout the value of candidate scoring based on the job requirements and company culture rather than a company representative’s feelings about the candidate. The pitch is that it helps recruiters quickly identify top candidates, saving time and resources by eliminating those who may not be a good fit for the role.

Proponents also claim conducting initial screenings with AVIs provides a consistent and standardized experience for all candidates, ensuring that everyone is evaluated in the same way, with the same questions and criteria. But the primary reason companies are adopting AI technology in the hiring process is that it allows for an easier, less expensive way to interview candidates. For companies that receive thousands of resumes, this can be very useful as AI interviews allow screening of a large number of candidates quickly and cost-effectively. In addition, this technology is being promoted as helping to streamline and improve the recruitment process by allowing recruiters to save time by automating mundane tasks such as scheduling interviews and sending follow-up emails which frees up time for recruiters to focus on building relationships with potential candidates and making better decisions.

While there are undeniable benefits associated with an AI interview, there are some drawbacks. Relying on AI interviews can present some ethical concerns around the use of personal data, privacy, and fairness in the hiring process. In fact, some feel that AI’s biggest challenge is overcoming bias. For example when a first impression of a candidate can quickly change perceptions, emotions can cloud the judgment of the HR specialist or hiring manager. Since human programmers are the ones who write the code for these AI programs, their biases whether intended or not, can be embedded in the algorithms. A prime example (no pun intended) of this was Amazon’s use of such technology in 2018. Their machine-learning specialists uncovered a big problem: Their new recruiting engine did not like women! In this instance, AI showed a total bias against women and failed to rate candidates for software developer jobs and other technical posts in a gender-neutral way. Proponents of this technology say it has come a long way since then.

Furthermore, the technologies used for these videos also present issues in reliably capturing a candidate’s characteristics. There is also strong evidence that these technologies can contain bias that can exclude some categories of jobseekers. The Berkeley Haas Center for Equity, Gender, and Leadership reports that 44% of AI systems are embedded with gender bias, with about 26% displaying both gender and race bias. For example, facial recognition algorithms have a 35% higher detection error for recognizing the gender of women of color, compared to men with lighter skin. Algorithms are shaped by the data they are trained on, which can reflect societal biases. Studies have shown that AI can inadvertently discriminate against certain racial and ethnic groups in hiring, promotions, and resource allocation, hindering progress toward diversity and inclusion goals.

Limitations — HR specialists warn that while AI interviews offer some clear benefits such as consistency, efficiency, and objectivity, they may not be suitable for all types of roles or for all candidates and it is important for hiring managers to carefully consider the pros and cons before adopting AI interview technology and to ensure that they are used in an ethical and fair manner. Some HR managers are warning that it’s essential to remember that while interview intelligence is powerful, it shouldn’t be relied upon as the sole decision-maker. At the end of the day, humans are still responsible for making hiring decisions and should use interview intelligence as a “force multiplier” and not the sole determinant of a candidate’s suitability for the role.

The use of artificial intelligence in HR processes is a growing and likely unstoppable trend. Whether you appreciate the efficiencies AI brings to the recruiting process or lament the loss of human interaction, one thing is certain. AVIs are here to stay.

In my next article I will provide tips on acing an automated virtual interview.

Frank Manfre Breakthrough Career Coaching www.frankmanfre.com/career-coaching