Late-night job interviews rise as AI screening becomes common

In short: More job candidates are doing first-round interviews late at night because automated and AI-run interviews can be completed anytime.

What's going on

Some companies now ask applicants to interview with a computer system instead of a person in the first round. That can mean recording video answers or speaking to a voice bot, which is a software “caller” that asks questions and records responses.

WIRED describes one example from Tim Millard, a communications and marketing worker in Atlanta. He received an email inviting him to interview, then learned he had to record himself answering timed questions on camera. He did it around 9:30 pm, got an automated rejection later, and said the experience felt strange and impersonal.

Data from recruiting software makers suggests this is becoming normal. Ribbon, a company that sells voice AI interviewing tools, said 24 percent of its AI interviews happen between 10 pm and 2 am local time, based on usage across more than 500 companies. Ribbon said the share rises to 35 percent for manufacturing clients. Greenhouse, another hiring platform, said roughly 15 to 20 percent of candidates interviewed by its voice agent schedule their interview at night.

What to watch

Late-night interviewing can help people who cannot step away during the day, like parents or hourly workers. But many applicants do not like AI interviews, especially when it is unclear how recordings are judged or whether a human will ever watch them. Greenhouse reported that 38 percent of US candidates have withdrawn from a hiring process rather than be interviewed by an AI, so employers may face pushback unless they explain the process more clearly.

Source: Wired