Bringing the Human Element into an Automated Interview Process

Online job postings have made the application process significantly more accessible, but they have also led to an increase in the volume of applicants for any single job. Many recruiters are responding to the volume of applicants by turning to automated interview software. Recruiters have expressed  concerns  that an automated process will seem cold and off-putting to candidates.

“Technology is an enabler, in a good sense,” says Clemens Aichholzer, senior vice president at HireVue. “AI recruiting software isn’t designed to replace human recruiters; it’s a partnership. There are certain things that AI is better at doing, and certain things that only humans can accomplish. AI interviewing software is designed to augment the human touch.”

Technological advances in job searching have led to the comparison that it’s just like online shopping, but this comparison doesn’t hold up, says Adam Godson, senior vice president of global technology solutions at Cielo Talent. “There’s an emotional side to applying to jobs that employers can’t ignore,” he says. “If you want to maintain the human element in the interview process then you have to understand that job searching is so much more emotional than people give it credit for.”

Here are some ways that AI can increase human effectiveness during the interview process while still maintaining the human element.

Create a Fair and Transparent Process

A major benefit of AI interviewing software is its democratizing effect. Selecting which candidates move to the next phase can be difficult to carry out without bias. AI relieves a huge portion of that difficulty by crunching the numbers on the best candidates, regardless of what their name is or which school they attended.

“The goal of AI interviewing software is really to give everyone a chance in terms of applications, and also make the process more efficient and more fair overall,” Aichholzer says. 

Provide Timely Feedback

In a world where many interviewees never get a call to let them know they’re no longer being considered for a position, providing timely feedback helps to humanize the process. 

AI interview software ensures timely feedback for every applicant. Not only does a candidate find out the result of their application, but AI can also provide feedback in terms of the strengths and weaknesses of their application and interview. “AI’s goal is to help candidates develop perspectives to see where they can improve themselves for future applications,” Aichholzer says.

Add Human Touchpoints to Automated Processes

Recruiters should be cautious when completely automating the interview process. “For all of its benefits, recruiters need to understand how AI may be perceived by candidates,” says Godson. “A completely automated process can sometimes result in an increased rate of interview no-shows. We’ve found that not having a person reach out to schedule interviews does away with the social contract, the applicant’s promise to a living, breathing individual.”

Godson says you can overcome this problem by adding human touches back into the process — for example, having a recruiter follow up with a candidate can re-establish the social contract. Recruiters can also add videos of themselves to the application, giving candidates the assurance that their applications will be examined by a person, not just a machine. Godson also suggests giving applicants the choice of an automated or a human-led interview.