Late night AI job interviews are becoming more common

In short: More people are doing first round job interviews with AI, and many are scheduling them late at night, even around 1 am.

What's going on

A growing number of companies now use automated interview systems for early hiring rounds. Instead of speaking with a person, applicants answer questions on a screen, sometimes to an AI voice or a recorded prompt.

Because no human needs to be present, these interviews can be booked at almost any time. WIRED reports that some candidates are choosing very late slots, including 1 am, to fit interviews around work, childcare, or other daytime commitments.

Two recruiting vendors, Ribbon and Greenhouse, told WIRED that a noticeable share of candidates book these sessions overnight. They estimated that about 15 to 25 percent schedule interviews between 10 pm and 2 am.

The tradeoff is how these interviews are judged. In some setups, AI also reviews the responses and scores them. That can include things like an “enthusiasm” score, which is basically a rating of how energetic you seem on camera (like being graded on your tone, not just your answers).

What to watch

As more hiring moves to automated screening, job seekers may feel pressure to play to the system, not the person. It also raises a fairness question, since an AI score can decide who moves forward, even if a human never watches the interview. Tools that help candidates practice could become more popular too, including interview prep apps like PrepGo and Interview VIP.

Source: Wired