Use of AI in job interviews on the rise – but UK recruiters say they can spot the cheats
Body representing some of Britain’s biggest graduate employers reveals misconduct is at a record high It is obvious when someone is using AI to drum up answers in a job interview,
By The Guardian
AI use in job interviews is becoming more common, but recruiters say candidates who rely on real-time assistance can often be identified.
Chris Morrow, who runs the Digitalent recruitment agency in Manchester and recruits for the artificial intelligence sector, said some applicants use apps that listen to interview questions and suggest answers during virtual interviews.
“It’s like they are reading off an Autocue,” Morrow said.
He said candidates can give themselves away by pausing while waiting for an AI-generated response or by using unusually stilted language. Applicants identified as using the technology do not progress to the next stage, according to the report.
The findings come from the Institute of Student Employers’ annual survey of graduate recruitment. The organisation represents some of the UK’s leading graduate employers.
The survey found that 92% of employers had suspected or confirmed misconduct during assessment and selection processes. That compares with 85% the previous year and 78% the year before.
Unauthorised use of AI during interviews and online assessments was the most commonly reported form of misconduct. Two-thirds of employers surveyed said they had encountered at least one case of a graduate misusing AI during an interview.
Other reported uses included completing online assessments, answering application questions and writing CVs or covering letters.
Stephen Isherwood, chief executive of the Institute of Student Employers, said cheating during interviews could lead to candidates securing jobs for which they were not suited.
The survey also found that employers are becoming more open to appropriate uses of AI during parts of the recruitment process. However, real-time help during an interview remains viewed as misconduct when it is not allowed.
Recruiters are responding by placing greater emphasis on live interviews, in-person assessments and technical tests that are harder to complete with concealed assistance.
The Institute of Student Employers said the immediate effect of AI on the graduate jobs market remained limited, despite the rise in suspected misuse.