AI interviews, in which a job candidate “talks with” an artificial intelligence interviewer, have been around for a couple of years but have yet to go fully mainstream. However, with ChatGPT, Bard, and other AI chatbots continuing to shake up the world of recruiting, it may just be a matter of time before more companies incorporate AI interviews into their hiring processes.
In June, ResumeBuilder.com surveyed more than 1,000 employees who are involved in hiring processes at their workplaces to find out about their companies’ use of AI interviews.
The results:
- 43% of companies already have or plan to adopt AI interviews by 2024
- Two-thirds of this group believe AI interviews will increase hiring efficiency
- 15% say that AI will be used to make decisions on candidates without any human input
- More than half believe AI will eventually replace human hiring managers
43% of Companies Will Use AI Interviews by Next Year
When asked about their company’s current or future use of AI interviews, 10% of respondents say their company currently uses AI interviews, 17% plan to start using them this year, and another 17% plan to start using them by 2024.
When this group of respondents was asked to elaborate on their company’s use of AI interviews, write-in responses included:
- “We are already using AI to train our new employees so we plan to move in that direction soon.”
- “It will sort out the ones who do not qualify and save the company time.”
- “To make interviews go by faster and get the best workers.”
Of the 32% of respondents who say their company does not have plans to incorporate AI interviews, write-in responses as to why included:
- “We prefer direct interface with possible applicants.”
- “Company has low turnover and AI interviews are not cost effective.”
- “There are too many unknown outcomes and risks.”
Many respondents in this category also expressed a lack of knowledge about these tools. As they grow in popularity, it’s possible that many additional companies will start to adopt AI interviews down the line.
“It’s no surprise that companies are investing in AI interviews as they continue to try to streamline the interview process,” comments Chief Career Advisor Stacie Haller. “I personally don’t believe that human interaction can ever be replaced, but if companies believe this will help them screen candidates effectively, we will see this practice continue to grow,” she says.
1 in 7 Will Allow AI to Make Final Decisions on Candidates
Of the 43% of respondents who say their company will be using AI interviews in 2024, 15% say that the AI will be used to make decisions on candidates without any human input. Eighty-five percent say the software will provide recommendations on candidates but that a human will still make the final decisions.
“I’m certainly glad to see that 85% of respondents acknowledge that human input is needed in the hiring process,” comments Haller. “If AI eliminates solid candidates, companies need a backup plan to verify the effectiveness of its screening abilities.”
When asked where AI interviews currently or will take place in the interview process, 65% of respondents say it serves as an early screening tool, 14% say it is the last step in the process, and 17% say the AI interview is the only step.
Respondents were also asked what the AI will be evaluating candidates for. Eighty-three percent said the software evaluates specific job qualifications while 40% say it also evaluates candidates to ensure culture fit.
Of the small percentage of respondents whose company currently uses both AI interviews and ATS (applicant tracking software), 60% say that ATS is still more effective than AI interviews.
2 in 3 Believe AI Interviews Increase Hiring Efficiency
When respondents were asked to rate the efficiency of AI interviews, 65% say they have or will increase hiring efficiency, 14% say they have or will decrease hiring efficiency, and 21% believe that they have had or will have no effect on hiring efficiency.
Despite the majority of respondents believing in the efficiency of AI interviews, 79% also say that it is ‘very’ (31%) or ‘somewhat likely’ (48%) that AI interviews screen out worthy candidates more frequently than human interviewers.
“We know now that ATS clearly eliminates candidates that companies may want to hire,” says Haller. “Like the onset of all new systems, it remains to be seen how efficient AI interviews really are in the long run. Some candidates may be turned off by this type of interviewing as well,” she finishes.
Additionally, 62% even believe it is ‘very’ (27%) or ‘somewhat likely’ (36%) that AI will eventually replace human hiring managers at their company altogether.
Methodology
This online poll was commissioned by ResumeBuilder.com and conducted by SurveyMonkey on June 1, 2023. Respondents consist of a national sample of 2,286 employed Americans aged 18-64.
Respondents were screened to ensure they were a hiring manager with primary responsibilities or someone involved in decisions about hiring employees but not a primary decision maker. The combined incidence rate was 47% and 1,013 respondents completed the full survey.
Respondents for this survey were selected from the nearly 3 million people who take surveys on the SurveyMonkey platform each day. Data for this survey have been weighted for location using U.S. census regional information in order to reflect the demographic composition of the United States. Learn more about SurveyMonkey’s methodology or contact [email protected] for more information.
