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Talent teams are increasingly using AI interviews to conduct preliminary screening conversations with candidates. A GoodTime report found that 31% of recruiters are currently using AI interviews in their hiring process. LinkedIn research indicates this will expand, as 66% of recruiters are planning to increase their use of AI for pre-screening interviews in 2026.
This emerging technology has many benefits, but also some potential drawbacks to keep in mind. Let’s explore what you should know about using AI interviews — and how to set your team up for success.
What are AI interviews?
AI interviews use artificial intelligence to conduct screening conversations with job candidates. They typically take the place of the traditional screening interview to determine whether a longer conversation is warranted.
Benefits of AI interviews
AI interviews can address real challenges in your hiring process, offering tremendous benefit.
Save time for your hiring team
Hiring teams have finite resources. The time it takes to schedule, conduct, and follow up after a screening interview really adds up across a group of candidates — especially when you’re hiring for multiple roles.
AI interviews can handle the initial screening interview, freeing up your team’s time to focus on other tasks. Then your interviewers can meet with only the most qualified candidates later in the hiring process.
Efficiently screen large applicant pools
A third of talent teams (33%) said having too many applicants to review was a top bottleneck in their hiring process. AI interviews can help you quickly evaluate a high volume of applicants without burning out your hiring team.
This is particularly useful with high-volume hiring. Companies can use AI interviews to conduct screening interviews that qualify dozens or hundreds of candidates in a much shorter time span than their team ever could.
Identify qualified candidates who don’t shine on paper
Resumes and applications don’t always tell the whole story. Someone might have an unconventional background, a career gap that needs context, or relevant skills that aren’t obvious from their application.
AI interviews give these candidates an opportunity to explain their qualifications in their own words, potentially surfacing talent you would have overlooked based on resume screening alone.
Provide consistency
AI interviewers ask every candidate the same questions in the same way. They don’t have a bad day, get tired during the tenth interview, or make snap judgments based on a candidate’s appearance.
This consistency helps ensure that candidates are evaluated based on your outlined criteria and the candidate’s expected job performance.
Offer scheduling flexibility for candidates
Coordinating schedules can be time consuming: It takes nearly 6 days from the time the scheduling process begins to when the interview takes place. Interviewers and candidates both have other commitments that can make it challenging to find a mutually agreeable time to meet.
AI interviews allow candidates to complete this step at their convenience, whether it’s during their lunch break, after their kids go to bed, or on the weekend.
Drawbacks of AI interviews
AI interviews aren’t perfect, and the drawbacks can be significant enough that companies may choose not to use them.
Weak candidate experience
AI interviewers can’t engage thoughtfully, build rapport, or answer candidate’s questions. This matters because 44% of candidates say a strong interview process is the most influential driver of job acceptance.
Your screening interview is often your first real interaction with candidates and your chance to make a good impression. AI interviews may take that opportunity away.
You’ll lose qualified candidates who refuse to participate
Some candidates simply won’t complete an AI interview because they see it as impersonal, scammy, or disrespectful of their time. You may be able to adjust your messaging to increase your AI interview completion rate, but you’ll likely still lose some candidates — and it may be the skilled job seekers who have other opportunities to pursue.
Risk of wrongly screening out qualified candidates
AI systems can misinterpret responses or fail to understand industry-specific terminology, context, or unconventional backgrounds that a seasoned recruiter would understand. They may also misinterpret a pause as a cue to move on to the next question, even if the candidate isn’t finished with their response. This may cause perfectly qualified candidates to be screened out before you’ve had the opportunity to meet them.
Bias and fairness issues
About half of job seekers (46%) believe AI would treat applicants more fairly than humans, but that’s not necessarily the case. AI interviewers may replicate biases from their training data, possibly penalizing candidates who have an accent or speech disabilities.
Candidates can use AI to answer questions
Half of candidates (49%) are using AI to prepare for interviews. Some take this a step further by using AI tools during the interview process and responding in ways that are misrepresentative of their qualifications. An AI interviewer may not pick up on this the way a human interviewer would.
When AI interviews make sense (and when they don’t)
AI interviews aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution. You need to honestly assess whether they fit your organization’s hiring volume, role requirements, and resources.
You may want to use AI interviews for:
You might steer clear of AI interviews for:
Best practices for conducting AI interviews
If you decide AI interviews fit your needs, these guidelines can help you implement them responsibly:
1
Test the system on your team members first
Ask your recruiting team and other team members to go through the experience before launching AI interviews externally. Does the AI give you enough time to think before repeating the question? Does it allow enough time to complete your response before moving on? Does it ask follow-up questions if your answer isn’t complete?
This firsthand experience helps you understand what candidates will face and spot problems before they affect real applicants.
2
Use AI interviews to replace another stage, not as an addition to your process
Many candidates already think the interview process takes too long (44%) and that organizations make candidates go through too many interviews (40%). A third of candidates (32%) say that 2-3 interview rounds is too many, while 52% said 4-5 is too many.
Don’t add AI interviews on top of your existing process. Use them in place of your initial phone screen or as part of the application stage.
3
Be transparent about AI use
Tell candidates upfront that they’ll be completing an AI interview. Explain which tool you’re using, how it will be used in hiring decisions, how their data will be stored, and how they can request data removal.
Also share why you conduct AI interviews and how it benefits candidates. For example, “We receive hundreds of applications for each position but want to give every qualified candidate a fair opportunity to showcase their skills. The AI interview allows us to have meaningful conversations with more candidates than we could reach through traditional phone screens.”
4
Set clear expectations about your process
Let candidates know what to expect by sharing your hiring process and timeline in your job description or application confirmation email. Tell them they’ll receive an AI interview invitation, approximately when to expect it, and how much time they’ll have to complete it.
5
Let candidates schedule the interview like a real conversation
Don’t ambush candidates with surprise AI phone calls.
Interviews should be scheduled whether they’re conducted by humans or AI. Candidates deserve the opportunity to prepare and show up as their best selves.
6
Help candidates prepare
Many candidates have never done an AI interview before. Provide coaching on what to expect and how to interview well. Let them know whether they’ll be answering via video, voice, or text, and give tips for success (find a quiet space, test your technology, take time to think before answering).
7
Always combine AI results with human review
AI should inform decisions, not make them. Have recruiters or hiring managers review AI interview recordings or transcripts before rejecting candidates. Look for patterns that suggest bias or systematic errors in evaluation. The AI might have missed context, misinterpreted an answer, or overlooked a qualification that a human would catch.
8
Track metrics to understand impact
Adopting AI interviews can impact your key performance indicators — for better or for worse. Track some key metrics before and after implementation to measure the impact of AI interviews on your hiring outcomes.
Key metrics to measure include:
If the metrics don’t show improvement, the technology isn’t working for you.
9
Collect feedback from candidates and hiring teams
Ask candidates directly about their AI interview experience. Was it user-friendly? Did it feel fair? Would they recommend your company to others based on the process?
Similarly, get feedback from hiring managers. Are the candidates passing through AI screening actually qualified? Are you missing people you would have advanced through traditional screening?
10
Offer accommodations
People with hearing disabilities, speech disabilities, or other needs may require different formats and additional time. Make sure your AI interview system can accommodate these requests or that you have an alternative — and communicate clearly about how to request accommodations.
Final thoughts on AI interviews
AI interviews are a tool, not a magic solution. They can help you screen more candidates efficiently, but they may come with real tradeoffs in candidate experience, relationship building, and potential bias.
Start small with a pilot program for one or two roles. Track completion rates, candidate feedback, and quality of hire carefully. Be prepared to adjust your approach or abandon the technology if it’s not delivering real value without harming your candidate experience.
Whatever tools you use, make sure your hiring process treats candidates with respect, gives them a fair opportunity to showcase their qualifications, and leaves them excited about the possibility of joining your team.
