Candidate Cheat Codes – Can AI be used to Deceive Interviewers?

And What you can do to guarantee this doesn’t happen

I wrote a fun article a few weeks ago providing tips on how job seekers can use generative AI to enhance their job search.  Well, actually AI wrote the article – you can find it HERE:

Can AI be an Effective Job Search Tool?

October 16, 2024

Gold colored chair in the middle of blue chairs

At a recent conference where they were demonstrating using generative AI (isn’t’ that every conference nowadays?) in a corporate recruiting environment, the article above came to me and I wondered, “Can candidates use these tools to sneak their way into a job?”

Here are some of the tools the article recommended for job seekers:

1)      Resume Builders

2)      Cover Letter Assistants

3)      Networking and LinkedIn Profile Optimization tools

4)      Job Application Automation

5)      Skills Assessment and Matchmaker tools

6)      Interview Simulators

There is a lot of job seeker firepower in that list and it’s nowhere near comprehensive.  It’s not hard to imagine a savvy job seeker getting seen more often and being super prepared for interviews.  This should be a concern for companies that are hiring.

Many Studies have put the cost of a bad hire at 30% of the annual salary for the role

It appears there are problems on both sides.  The use of automation to apply for jobs has created a flood of applications.  Greenhouse (Applicant Tracking Systems Vendor) reported that January 2024 applications were up 71% from the previous year (WSJ You’re fighting AI with AI”: Bots are Breaking the hiring process”). And the increase in companies using automation tools to screen out candidates is a concern to applicants, as the reliability of those tools to find the best candidates is in question.

This “Bot versus Bot” dynamic will play itself out over time but the underlying issue will still exist.  And, while it’s best for company and candidate alike to know at the earliest point possible when there is not a good match, the real problem lies in unqualified candidates actually getting hired into roles.

There is one surefire way to prevent this from happening. It’s called A Reliable Assessment Process.  That’s right – a comprehensive and consistent plan to interview candidates in a way that clearly shows their technical abilities and cultural fit.

Maybe this will change in the future but today, at some point in the interview process, a human interviewer will ask a candidate questions to determine if they are the best fit for a job.  It turns out that, when this is done properly, candidates can’t really “sneak” into a job.  Let’s take a look at components of a great assessment process and the benefits of implementing this across the entire organization.

Person on a laptop exploring an applications capabilities

A 2024 Mercer report found that 30% of companies are leveraging AI in their talent acquisition processes

Proven Assessment Tools

Structured Interviews
o   Using predetermined questions consistently presented to all candidates helps to fairly compare candidates.
o   Having multiple interviewers ask similarly themed questions also helps for better comparisons and reduces interview bias.

Behavioral Interviewing
o   I’m a big fan of the STAR method (Using STAR Method) and the focus on past behavior as a predictor for future success and there may not be a better way to get past hypothetical interview answers.

Skills-based Assessments
o   Real work example, simulations, role-playing scenarios are great to observe technical skills and offer a glimpse of how the candidate can perform job-related tasks.

There are many other techniques worth considering such as panel interviews, hypothetical work scenarios, and cultural fit assessments.  One of the biggest hurdles to implementation is the size of the population needing to get on the same page.  How do you develop consistency from every hiring manager in the organization, with many hiring so infrequently that they are not motivated to adopt new interview techniques?  I’ll leave tips for implementation to a future post.  In the meantime, even adoption by one department or one location will be an improvement, leading to these benefits:

Confidence in the process
o   Using interview guides and/or ratings systems increases reliability in the system.  You can observe lack of confidence in the process when you see hiring managers use “gut feeling” or reach out to contacts from years ago for assessment of candidates.

Candidate equity and experience
o   When candidates get treated fairly and see an organized assessment process, it creates a positive image of company culture which, in turn, leads to increased odds in hiring the candidate of choice.

Hiring efficiency
o   Standardized hiring practices reduce time-to-fill, which reduces the cost of having positions remain open as well as increases the odds of the best candidates still being available to offer employment.

Improving a company’s assessment capabilities is arguably the number one improvement a company can invest in. While this investment can be expensive in both time and resources, the return is so much higher, with the added benefit of overall confidence in the recruiting process and savings in the reduction of time positions are open.

For more information on this topic, read @AgamUzialko’s “How Much is That Bad Hire Really Costing Your Business?” or Management Consulted’s “Top 5 Case Study Interview Questions and Answers” and, as always, don’t be shy leaving comments or reaching out if you have questions or would like further discussion.

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Eddie Stewart has over 20 years of recruiting experience, working in both large and small corporate environments. He currently owns and operates ES Talent Solutions, a consulting firm focused on strategic recruiting consulting. Need help identifying what needs to be fixed or want an outside view of the health of your recruiting function? Contact Eddie (estewart@ESTalentSolutions.com) at ES Talent Solutions to learn more about corporate recruiting assessments and how they may improve your organization.

Eddie Stewart has over 20 years of recruiting experience, working in both large and small corporate environments. He currently owns and operates ES Talent Solutions, a consulting firm focused on strategic recruiting consulting. Need help identifying what needs to be fixed or want an outside view of the health of your recruiting function? Contact Eddie (estewart@ESTalentSolutions.com) at ES Talent Solutions to learn more about corporate recruiting assessments and how they may improve your organization.

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