'Most AI in hiring today is making a bad system worse': Candidates are hitting back at employers using AI interviews - with many prepared to walk out

• Candidates are increasingly pushing back on AI interviews
• Greenhouse study finds workers happy to walk away if they see AI being used
• Employers need to be more open and honest about the tools they are using

New research has exposed how many businesses are now using AI in job interviews, but often not declaring the fact the technology is used - leading to candidates increasingly choosing to walk away.

A study from Greenhouse surveying nearly 3,000 candidates in the UK found half (47%) of UK job seekers have now been interviewed by an AI as part of the recruitment process.

However the vast majority of candidates (82%) say they were never clearly told upfront that AI would be evaluating them, and one in four (24%) said they only found this out once the interview had started.

AI interviews are not for us

All this dishonesty has led to candidates increasingly rejecting companies using AI in their interviews - with Greenhouse finding 30% of UK candidates saying they have already walked away from a hiring process because it included an AI interview, and another 19% say they would.

The biggest triggers for UK candidates walking away from the process include: pre-recorded video interviews scored by AI with no human present (25%), companies failing to disclose how AI would be used (24%), and AI monitoring during the process (24%).

More than one in four (27%) also reported they felt some form of age bias from AI evaluations, with 17% flagged race or ethnicity bias.

“Most AI in hiring today is making a bad system worse: more applications, less signal, and less transparency,” says Daniel Chait, CEO and Co-Founder of Greenhouse.

Overall, the survey found just one in 10 candidates said employers had clear AI policies - despite nearly two-thirds (59%) believing such a disclosure should be a legal requirement.

However this isn't always leading to blanket opposition when it comes to using AI in the hiring process - in fact, only 19% of those surveyed said they want less AI in hiring.

Many called for greater guardrails, such as companies being upfront about their usage (40%), providing a clear explanation of what AI is measuring (36%), and the option to request a human interview instead (45%).

“...The process AI is being built on top of was already broken," Chait added. "Nobody likes writing CVs and filling out clunky job applications. Candidates want a better way to get seen, and companies want a better way to find the right people. A 15-minute conversation with an AI where a candidate can show who they are is a better front door than a keyword-stuffed CV. That’s not going to come from layering AI on top of a broken process. It’s going to come from building a better one.”

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