Job seekers who make it past the initial application stage may find themselves facing an unexpected interviewer: artificial intelligence.
As employers struggle with an overwhelming number of AI-created applications from easy-apply platforms, many are deploying their own artificial intelligence solutions. These companies now rely on automated chatbots to conduct candidate screenings through telephone conversations, text exchanges, or video sessions featuring digital avatars.
While recruitment teams have utilized AI-powered evaluation systems for several years, their adoption has accelerated alongside technological developments.
The shift toward automated interviews leaves many job candidates feeling uncomfortable, though experts believe this approach will continue growing. Research from hiring platform Glasshouse indicates increasing numbers of job hunters encounter AI-based interviews. However, significant portions of applicants abandon the process entirely when faced with these digital screenings, potentially indicating discomfort or revealing candidates with questionable intentions.
Career professionals offer guidance for navigating these technological interviews successfully.
Amanda Augustine, a career coach at Careerminds, which assists companies in supporting displaced employees with resume development and job hunting services, emphasizes that core interview principles remain unchanged regardless of format.
Before any interview, candidates should thoroughly examine job requirements, investigate the company, and identify what employers seek.
“The more prepared you are, the easier it will be to tailor your responses, even when you’re interacting with AI instead of a person,” she advised.
First encounters with AI interviews can feel disturbing or uncomfortable for inexperienced candidates.
During a demonstration interview arranged by Netherlands-based TestGorilla, a company offering recruitment technology platforms, the process began with two question sets evaluating problem-solving abilities and professional background. This was followed by interaction with an AI-generated female avatar.
“My goal is to learn more about you and the experiences, skills and competencies that you might bring to this role,” it said, adding that I should plan to spend about two minutes to answer each of three questions.
Unlike human interactions, no informal conversation or relationship-building occurred. Smiling or attempting to create connection served no purpose.
Industry specialists recommend thorough preparation to overcome these challenges.
“You need to practice out loud,” said Priya Rathod, workplace trends editor at online job board Indeed. “And when I say practice out loud, I mean, say the actual answers out loud,” because the chatbot needs to record what you’re saying, she said.
Remember that you’re delivering information to technology rather than engaging in dialogue.
“You have to be particularly descriptive and a very clear communicator in your language so that they can pick up on things that a regular interviewer might pick up through your facial expressions and tone,” Rathod said.
An AI interviewer “cares less about my tone and more about what it is that I’m saying,” she added.
Online interview simulation tools provide valuable preparation opportunities, with numerous options available. These platforms record responses and deliver immediate feedback regarding content, presentation, and timing. They also familiarize users with speaking to cameras, managing time constraints, and delivering structured answers without natural conversational flow, Augustine explained.
During the demonstration interview for a communications position, the AI posed challenging questions.
One inquiry focused on how I incorporate AI into my “workflow,” requesting examples of both achievements and setbacks. When I mentioned time savings through an AI transcription service for interviews and recordings, the system summarized my response and asked if I wanted additional comments. I remained uncertain about answer adequacy.
TestGorilla’s evaluation rated my performance “below average” on this question, noting I provided “no concrete metric” such as time saved. “The improvement claim is therefore vague,” it determined.
AI interviewers focus on “behavioral questions” seeking candidate examples of handling specific workplace scenarios, complete with numerical data and measurements, Rathod explained.
“Those are the kinds of questions that AI relies heavily on. And the trap that we see a lot of people falling into is giving really vague answers,” she said.
Candidates should continue using established techniques like the STAR approach — representing situation, task, action, result.
Prepare to discuss particular workplace circumstances and assigned responsibilities, actions taken, and outcomes achieved, Rathod recommended.
“You want to use numbers as much as possible. Even if you’re not in a revenue driving role, there are ways in which you can say (how) you influenced something or impacted something within a group,” she said.
Physical workspace arrangement remains important even for AI-conducted video interviews rather than human interactions.
Check audio and visual equipment beforehand. Ensure adequate lighting illuminates your face properly. Position your laptop at eye level to avoid looking downward at the camera.
“Small adjustments, such as using a stack of books or a ring light, can make a noticeable difference in how polished and professional you present,” Augustine said.
Job candidates might consider using AI assistance for generating responses, reasoning that easy accessibility and non-human interaction make detection impossible.
“That’s a big no-no because it’s pretty obvious” to both the AI interviewing tool and anyone who might review the recording, said Rathod. Using AI for your answers “can sometimes immediately disqualify you.”
When experiencing difficulty responding, candidates can request clarification or question repetition.
Some questions deliberately test for AI assistance usage. TestGorilla’s head of marketing, Mehak Chowdhary, said it sometimes poses simple questions worded in a very convoluted way.
“We do that intentionally to understand whether you are running an AI alongside, because the AI will then try and optimize for the length of the question,” she said. “But if you know your skill set, you will understand what’s being asked.
“And we strongly recommend candidates put the AI devices aside. This is a test of your capability.”
