Tag: AI bot interviews

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Humanized AI Interviewers Are Reshaping the Job Interview Experience

Artificial intelligence has become a key part in hiring decisions. The question job seekers are asking: Are AI interviewers fair, useful, or ethical?

A 2025 study published in The International Journal of Human Resource Management has shed light on this new automated recruitment trend: the rise of humanized AI interviewers.

AI interviewers, designed with social and emotional intelligence, are not only changing how interviews are conducted but also how candidates perceive and respond to them.

Empathy in Algorithms: The Rise of Socially Intelligent AI

The study focused on AI interviewers programmed to exhibit “intimacy behaviours”—subtle yet powerful social cues such as empathetic facial expressions, responsive gestures, and conversational warmth.

These behaviours, often associated with human interaction, are embedded into AI systems to simulate a more natural and engaging interview environment.

Participants who interacted with these humanized AI agents reported significantly more positive experiences. They described the interviews as fairer, more comfortable, and less intimidating compared to traditional AI or even some human-led interviews.

This suggests that when AI mimics human social behaviour effectively, it can foster trust and openness in candidates.

Interestingly, previous research has highlighted negative human reactions to AI interviewers due to a lack of the AI’s emotional human interactions.

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Improved Impression Management and Candidate Confidence

One of the most compelling findings was the improvement in candidates’ impression management.

When interviewees felt that the AI was empathetic and responsive, they were more likely to present themselves confidently and authentically. This dynamic not only benefits the candidate as they are more likely to give detailed interview answers, but also enhances the quality of information available to employers, potentially leading to better hiring decisions.

Moreover, the perception of fairness, often a concern in automated hiring, was notably higher in interviews conducted by socially intelligent AI. Candidates felt they were being evaluated on a level playing field, free from the biases that can sometimes influence human interviewers.

Ethical and Managerial Implications

While the benefits are clear, the study also raises important ethical and managerial questions.

For instance, how transparent should companies be about the use of AI in interviews?

Could the emotional cues of AI be manipulated to influence candidate behaviour unfairly?

And what happens when candidates form emotional connections with non-human agents?

These concerns highlight the need for thoughtful implementation and regulation. Organizations must balance technological innovation with ethical responsibility, ensuring that AI tools enhance rather than undermine the integrity of the hiring process.

The Future of Recruitment

This research marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of recruitment. As AI continues to evolve, its role in human resource management will likely expand, from screening resumes to conducting emotionally intelligent interviews. We are already aware of the high number of organisations using some type of AI/automation during recruitment projects, as the cost saving behind a fully automated hiring service is a big incentive for employers.

Source: APA PsycNet

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Should AI Hiring Robots Be Banned from the Recruitment Process?

A study, by the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Gender Studies, published in the journal Philosophy and Technology, found that AI robot interviewers discriminate while making hiring decisions.

Initially, AI entered the recruitment arena to create a fairer, and faster way, to hire new staff members. This tech came out fighting with successes across sectors. Global companies such Amazon, Google, Starbucks, Hilton, Ikea, and many more are known for their use of AI in their recruitment processes. In fact, some research shows that 99% of Fortune 500 companies have adopted AI tools for recruitment purposes.

The benefits of AI recruitment software along with the boost in their use during the pandemic where in April 2020 46.6% of employees worked from home, led to an overall acceptance for being invited for an AI bot interview.

Even though many job seekers had an increase in job interview anxiety when being interviewed by a bot instead of a human, applicants also liked the benefits of the AI recruitment process: being able to choose your own date and time of the interview, short and snappy interview questions and the ease of being interviewed from their own home.

Do AI Robots Make Wring Decisions?

A large number of AI-powered software companies claim that the robot hiring managers will lead to a more diverse workforce and the hiring of staff that fit the culture of the company. Importantly, the sales pitches explain that AI won’t bring unconscious bias into the recruitment process, something humans cannot achieve.

The study by the University of Cambridge disagrees. The data found that minor details such as the interviewee’s clothes, lighting, and background influenced the interview outcome. The study also found that the AI bots favoured backgrounds with art or bookshelves, applicants who wore headscarves and judged applicants wearing glasses as less conscientious.

It seems apparent that interview technology hasn’t been effectively tested which will result in many changes over the next few years. In March 2020, HireVue discontinued the facial expression reading element of its recruitment algorithms after controversial concerns about AI robot assessment process and a complaint to the federal trade commission.

At the same time is clear that virtual job interviews are here to stay, with many believing that the evolution of recruitment will find job hunters involved in an interactive hiring process in the metaverse.

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Chris Delaney

Chris Delaney is one of the leading job interview coaches in the country, helping career professionals to successfully pass job interviews. Delaney is the author of several job interview reference books including ‘what is your interview identity’