Your Next Job Hunt May Include an AI Interview: Top Tips To Prepare

Your Next Job Hunt May Include an AI Interview: Top Tips To Prepare

Companies are increasingly turning to AI in early-stage interviews. Here's what that means, how to prepare, and what you can do to impress the algorithm.

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• What is an AI-assisted job interview
• How to figure out if your interview will be with AI
• The pros and cons of an AI-assisted job interview
• How to stand out, no matter what

Job interviews can be nerve-wracking events, right up there with first dates or public speaking. The next time you apply for a new job, don't be surprised if the first step in your interview process isn't a phone call but instead a virtual interview guided by artificial intelligence (AI). While for some this change might come as a relief (can an avatar trigger social anxiety?), this development is sure to create new interview protocols. For decades now, candidates have known how to prepare for a successful interview. What are the new go-to tips when it comes to an AI-assisted job interview? After all, how does one woo a robot?

What is an AI-assisted job interview?

An AI interview is a job interview where a candidate interacts with an automated system instead of a human interviewer. AI interviews can take many forms, including chatbots and text-based questions with or without a video or voice component for the candidate. Today, employers typically use AI interviews during the first round of interviews to narrow down the candidate pool before recruiters and hiring managers have personal interactions. While a lot has been said about learning AI skills to stay competitive in the job market, we now must also be aware of how companies use AI in the hiring process.

According to the Pew Research Center, Americans are eager to give AI interviews a try. A survey found that "47% think AI would do better than humans at evaluating all job applicants in the same way, while a much smaller share - 15% - believe AI would be worse than humans in doing that."

How to figure out if your interview will be with AI

It may not always be explicitly stated that your interview will be with a human, an AI system, or a mix of both. To figure out if you're going on an AI interview, watch out for key words in the communications you receive, especially in any legalese or "Terms and Conditions." If you notice words like predictive analytics, machine learning, and decision algorithms, it might indicate an actual AI-assisted interview. This could mean using an avatar, some kind of automated video interview, or simply the presence of AI in the interview evaluation process.

How to prepare for your interview

In an AI-assisted job interview, it's likely that pretty much all the data from your interview is being collected to evaluate whether you're an optimal candidate. Just like a person might judge your behavior and vocabulary either consciously or subconsciously, the AI will evaluate your answers and actions during the interview. It will analyze your responses and behaviors and compare them against a dataset of desirable qualities. So, what sort of data might the AI collect?

• Physical data including eye movement, body and hand movement or gestures, and even facial expressions
• Verbal data such as key words mentioned, and screening for grammatical errors and vocabulary
• Vocal data like pronunciation, voice tone, and even silence

Fortunately, there are some simple tips you can keep in mind to be the most prepared for this new interview experience.

Act as naturally as possible

Pretend you're talking to a real person. Resist the temptation to respond like a robot yourself.

Practice talking to AI

There are a lot of AI interview preparation tools out there. Along with AI interviewing platforms that are geared toward companies, there are also AI tools marketed toward job seekers. Any exposure to speaking with AI will help you get comfortable with the quirks and nuances of this new type of interaction.

Get used to speaking against a timer

Job seekers have shared that with some platforms you're given a designated time limit to respond. You may have to learn how to be succinct in your answers and calm as you speak and watch the time tick down.

Confidently look into the camera while speaking

Treat the camera lens like the eyes of your interviewer and maintain eye contact. While it can be tempting to watch yourself speak (who among us doesn't check ourselves out during a virtual meeting?), AI might be tracking your eye movements. Avoid looking around while speaking or looking at notes for too long, which will help you appear confident, present, and engaged with the interview.

The pros and cons of an AI-assisted job interview

Pros

AI's always-on availability makes for a speedier and more streamlined interview process. Check out these key advantages of using AI interviews.

24/7 availability: AI interviews can be held at any time the candidate is available. By eliminating the delay in scheduling the first interview, candidates no longer have to wait days or sometimes weeks to find mutual availability.

Quick turnaround: The purpose of AI interviews is to speed up the hiring process by reducing the time and effort required of human recruiters. Using this technology, evaluations will be faster, which means hearing back faster.

Standardization: Every candidate is asked the same questions and evaluated based on the same criteria. An AI interviewer can't be swayed by an irrelevant shared history with the candidate, like the candidate attending the same Alma Mater or childhood vacation spot. One could hope this may eliminate some bias.

Reduced cost to the employer: AI is attractive to employers for obvious reasons: Job postings can attract hundreds or even thousands of applicants, and choosing the right hire is expensive. If AI can learn to manage the sheer volume of candidates while maintaining a positive candidate experience and a good employee retention rate, then it will have succeeded.

Cons

While AI can help employers cut costs and save time, it does have some drawbacks that could affect the candidate's experience and a brand's reputation.

Bias: While impersonal, bias can still be coded into ‌AI. Whether it's physical, verbal, vocal, or something else, the AI might identify a data point from the interview as negative or having less value based on the bias of those who created the interview tool.

Lack of nuance: Human communication is very nuanced with implied meaning, sarcasm, and tone and inflection used to make points. It's possible that AI, at least in the early stages of development, won't grasp all the meaning or even the finer points of what makes someone skilled in communication. Negative candidate experience: While employers always want to make sure that they provide a positive candidate experience, it's especially important to monitor the candidate's experience with the AI closely. Because the AI might not be able to pick up on how a candidate might have had a confusing or upsetting experience the way a human would, there must be ways to monitor for quality. Especially in sectors like retail and hospitality, where every applicant is a potential customer, a negative interview experience can affect customer relationships and brand reputation.

How to stand out, no matter what

Regardless of whether your interview involves AI or solely human interactions, you'll need additional skills beyond the initial interview screening to succeed. Use these resources to help you grow your network and stand out as a stellar candidate.

• Tap into the Trailblazer Community: The Trailblazer Community is the place to find support for your goals, join groups to meet and collaborate with fellow Trailblazers, build lifelong friendships and skill sets, and more. Check out the Trailblazer Community page to connect with Trailblazers from anywhere and grow your network.
• Get resume ready: Whether you're looking for role-specific guidance, like help crafting an impressive Salesforce Admin resume, or need more general resources to help you get job ready for opportunities in the ecosystem, you're in the right place. Explore Trailhead and the Careers topic page for general and role-specific guidance.

Follow the 20/30/50 rule: As a Salesforce MVP and the CEO and Co-Founder of Arkus, Jason Atwood knows a thing or two about what it takes to succeed in the Salesforce ecosystem. Tune into his episode on the Salesforce Admins Podcast to learn about his 20/30/50 rule to help you prepare for a Salesforce job interview.

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I've worked in nonprofit and tech marketing roles for almost 20 years. I've been a part of the learning, skills, and community teams at Salesforce for almost 9 years. I've made so many amazing connections with our Salesforce community.