A recent survey by hiring platform Greenhouse reveals that nearly half (47%) of UK job seekers have experienced AI interviews. The research, which polled 2,950 active job seekers including 1,132 UK-based workers, found that 30% of UK candidates abandoned a hiring process due to its inclusion of an AI interview.
Respondents described the experience as “awkward” and “humiliating”, with many expressing a desire for human interaction. Some were unsure if their interview was even reviewed.
Candidates Share Their Experiences
‘It’s like you’re looking into a mirror and speaking to yourself’
Thomas, a 21-year-old university student in northern England, found AI interviews “frustrating”. He applied for 15 jobs; about 10 involved AI components. Most companies used faceless interviews with prerecorded questions, allowing up to two minutes to plan and three minutes to answer. “It feels strange talking into a camera,” he said. “You can’t see anyone other than yourself. There’s no human interaction.” Thomas secured a job and starts in September, but wishes companies would improve the AI interview experience.
‘I found the whole process humiliating’
Susannah, a 44-year-old scientist in Cambridge, described her AI interview as “awkward and humiliating”. She had no option to decline the AI system. The interview consisted of five questions, each with a three-minute recording limit. “The questions were very general,” she said. A week later, she received generic feedback and a rejection. “I’m not even sure anybody watched the interview,” she added. Susannah now contracts and understands why companies use AI, noting that “people do the AI interviews because we are so desperate for work.”
‘I spoke in bullet points and keywords; the real me would never speak like that’
David, a 47-year-old marketing consultant in Spain, called his AI interview “completely horrible for the autistic brain”. He struggled in the 20-minute process, speaking in bullet points and keywords. “The real me would never deliver like that,” he said. Despite feeling he did poorly, he was invited to a CEO interview, who ran the AI transcripts through ChatGPT. David noted that AI interviews are one-way and “minimise the investment for the hiring party and maximise the strain on the potential supplier.”
‘When I paused, the AI agent decided I’d finished, so repeatedly interrupted and moved on’
Tom, a project manager in Scotland, applied for a side hustle job and found the AI interview “intriguing” rather than frustrating. The AI agent conducted a reasonable conversation but had glitches: it interrupted when he paused and reinforced minor points. “I don’t think the technology is ready for a full-blown interview yet,” he said. “The human touch is probably a good thing, and I hope that lasts as long as possible.”
These accounts highlight the growing prevalence of AI in hiring and the mixed reactions from job seekers. While some understand the efficiency benefits, many crave the human element that traditional interviews provide.
