The Dos and Don'ts of AI Interviewing

Employers frequently use AI interviews to quickly evaluate a large pool of applicants. Rather than meeting in person with the hiring manager, applicants record their answers to interview prompts in a video and submit it for analysis from an AI. This type of interview may seem intimidating, but you must be prepared because they are here to stay! 

Why do companies use AI interviews?

Historically, companies used the ATS to analyze applicants' resumes. The ATS discarded roughly 95% of the applications based on its analysis. Some hiring managers noticed that strict ATS analysis caused them to miss qualified candidates. 

AI interviews help companies increase the amount of applicant data they obtain and decrease the percentage of qualified applicants that they miss. Today, roughly 70-80% of applicants receive rejections based on their resumes alone. 

How do AI interviews work?

Hiring managers compile a set of interview questions to ask during the AI interview. They look at successful internal candidates and identify skills that would make an applicant successful in the open position and build those into the questions. 

When applicants take the interview with the AI, they answer that same set of questions and record each question individually within an allotted time. Once they answer all of the questions, the AI analyzes the interview and sends the data to the hiring manager. They will then review the candidates who performed best and make a final selection. 

How are AI video interviews evaluated? 

AI interviews consist of three pieces: audio, content, and video.

Quinncia is here to help ensure that you are prepared! We've created this cheat sheet to explain how you are evaluated and share some common dos and don'ts of AI interviewing. 

How are you evaluated? 

Audio

• Rate of speech - how fast, slow, etc. 
• Clarity - pronunciation and diction 
• Filler words - how many hesitations
• Style of speech - analytical, confident, tentative, hesitant, etc.
• Tone analysis, pitch analysis, etc.  

Video

• Eye contact - looking at the screen
• Dressing and background - cultural fit
• Micro-expressions - breaking down each microsecond of the video to analyze expressions
• Body movements, other video analyses, etc.

Content

• Keywords - looking for examples of skills and keywords
• Essential skills - a combination of micro-expressions and keywords
• Resume match - how much do your skills match your resume
• Sentiment analysis by using high impact words or simple words

Delivering the best possible outcomes

Setup

• Lighting plays an important role because computers need proper light to read expressions. 
• Ensure your camera angle is correct and you have a clear background. 
• Research the hiring manager, co-workers, company application, etc.

Answering Questions

• STAR method 
  • Set the scene - relevant situation
  • Task - technical skills 
  • Action - essential skills 
  • Results - quantification of outcomes
• PPF method (Past-Present-Future)
  • Basic storytelling
  • Start with your past, how it led you to your present, and what you want in the future.
• Thought process of the response
  • Use this method for creative questions when the outcome doesn't matter as much as your process to get there. 
    
    Example: How many golf balls would fit into a Boeing 747? The interviewer isn’t looking for the correct answer, but they are looking for how you got to your answer.

What not to worry about

• The AI cannot pick up cell phones, playing with notes, or hair. 
• Looking at the screen counts as eye contact during an AI interview, so you don’t have to stare directly into the camera.
• You do not need to worry about a firm handshake, so focus on your body language throughout the interview.