The use of artificial intelligence in recruitment has tripled in the UK over the past year, with three in 10 employers now implementing AI in their hiring processes. Nearly half (43 per cent) of large companies are using AI to interview candidates, according to TestGorilla, the HR-tech firm behind one such tool.
TestGorilla’s conversational AI interview tool uses an avatar designed to look and sound human. The company says close to 800 organisations have signed up for plans that include this feature. One journalist who trialled the software described feeling 'bizarrely nervous' despite knowing it was not a real interview.
The journalist, who had no experience in the role they were applying for, found it difficult to answer questions such as 'tell me about a time when...' when they had never performed the task. They noted that the AI avatar, which they nicknamed 'Carl', maintained an unchanging half-smile and dead expression, offering no feedback or encouragement.
The experience highlighted a reliance on 'soft skills' such as emotional intelligence and the ability to build rapport, which the journalist felt were lost on a machine. They observed that AI interviews may signal the end of the 'personality hire' – workers valued for their interpersonal abilities rather than technical qualifications alone.
