Automated Interviews - Is this the future?

Jim2007

Let me start by saying the event I'm about to relate happened here is Switzerland, but it relates to an international company so I expect the idea is gaining traction else where as well.

My neighbours son graduated college this year with a first class honours degree. He and few mates are currently looking for jobs of course. Anyway all three applied to this company and were invited for online interviews. But when they logged in, there was no one there, just a computer program running. It read out questions and told them how many minutes they had to answer the question and displayed an analog clock to indicate the timing. If you failed to answer on time it just cut you off.

All three were invited for onsite interviews, but they all rejected the requests.

How anyone would think was a good way to attract the top graduates to your company is beyond me.

Pablo_Flox

Well done to them on rejecting the offer of an onsite interview. This is a huge red flag and a good indication that the company isn't going to value them or their time.

zg3409

I had to do 4 interviews for the one sane job. I also had to do an online iq test.

It seemed to me the company was not on the ball with the timelines needed to recruit people and expecting candidates to drive to in person meetings with different managers, same manager, one interview then followed straight away by a different interview.

The civil service is even worse, panels and waiting years for job offer. I would prefer a robot over meaningless multiple interviews, with an offer at the end of being on a panel with a job offer in 1 to 3 years

UpTheSlashers

This kind of rubbish worked when jobs were at a premium and companies deluded themselves into thinking that this kind of process meant they only hired the cream of the crop.

The balance of power has shifted towards the applicant so these companies need to cop on if the want to attract any sort of talent.

Mrs OBumble

Yes it's the future.

Im pretty sure that some Irish government job interviews included a video interview.

At least it removes some of the discrimination.

StupidLikeAFox

It's a load of bollox but not sure I would have turned down the proper interviews. In most companies I've worked in the HR function has been scrap and not reflective of the rest of the organisation. Hope they didn't miss out on interesting jobs based on this minor piece of bolloxology

Rabaen

The recent Internal HEO competition for the Civil Service used this method. One of the stages was for you to record yourself answering set questions on competencies. There was no one else present, only yourself and the software being used on the website.

I think this might become more common, especially for the Civil Service, who typically get thousands of applicants for each competition.

In that competition there were 5 questions, of which they said up front they would only watch one video (Team Leadership) and if you didn't pass that question they wouldn't bother with the rest.

It is really geared towards perfecting one answer to one question and performing like a pro TV presenter on the day. Didn't like it at all.