By: Erica Woods | Updated: 2024-09-20 | Comments | Related: More > Professional Development Interviewing
Problem
A growing trend in the staffing/recruiting and talent acquisition world is the introduction of AI/virtual recruiters into the recruitment process. A lot of job seekers we have talked to who have interacted with or experienced this technology are confused or unclear about how to best engage with a virtual recruiter. Others are simply frustrated with the limitations that come with speaking to an AI/robot versus a human. Many have questions on how to best communicate with this new recruitment tool/technology. And some flat out do not see any value or benefits and opt out or don't engage completely.
Solution
One of my core initiatives over the last six-plus months has involved the new virtual recruiter we've implemented that engages with every applicant who applies for a job via our website. This is now our first pre-screening measure, typically prior to getting contacted by one of our recruiters. Outside of understanding how the tool works, one of my core goals is to help identify and make improvements based on candidate feedback. After countless conversations with candidates who've "interviewed" with the virtual recruiter, I've captured the most common questions and concerns and compiled answers. I hope these points are helpful concerning:
- Why companies are implementing this technology.
- What it means for candidates/job seekers.
- Insights into the process.
- How it can benefit you.
- How to best engage and speak with virtual recruiters.
Why are Companies Implementing this Technology?
There are several major reasons, all of which are important for candidates to understand.
- A growing applicant pool for any position posted—this is for every company. I was chatting with one of our clients a few weeks ago, who mentioned he received over 500 applicants within two hours for a data scientist job he had his company post. We are experiencing that same challenge. It is becoming almost impossible for one recruiter to review all the applicants for a job posting.
- Increase in fake candidates. Contributing to the first issue, companies are seeing an increase in "fake candidates," similar to where candidates experience issues with "fake recruiters." Company job postings are also getting more "spam," resulting from issues like bots applying for jobs or associate vendor firms applying with all of their consultants who are on the bench, whether they are qualified/eligible or not.
- On-site candidate required, but not local. Also contributing to the first issue, many companies and clients continue to return to onsite work, where individuals need to work onsite at a company's location at least a few days a week. Yet, candidates who aren't local and aren't interested in relocating continue to apply.
These reasons, plus some other challenges, are contributing to a growing need for virtual recruiting technology to help pre-vet applicants!
How Does It Work?
After applying, a virtual recruiter will almost instantaneously reach out to you through a text, an email, a phone call, or a mixture of the three. Some will ask you for a preferred time and actually schedule the interview, while others will simply call you. If you prefer a scheduled time, request it and provide your availability. After your interview with the virtual recruiter, it will log a summary of your interview and answers into your candidate profile of the company's applicant tracking system (ATS). If you score above a specific threshold for the job, your information will be passed along to the recruiter.
Does the Recruiter Receive a Recording of My Interview?
I am unsure if this is true for all recruiting technology, but at least for our company, the answer is no. The recruiter can simply see a summary of bullet points in your profile with a note showing if you are a match.
Are Virtual Recruiters Replacing Human Recruiters?
No. For our company, that is a solid no. We are using our virtual recruiter to ensure we are engaging with candidates applying to our jobs immediately, pre-screening those candidates, and then providing a prioritized list of interested and pre-screened candidates to our recruiting team in an effort to support them and make the process more manageable.
Does Speaking with a Virtual Recruiter Increase the Likelihood of Getting Contacted by a Human Recruiter?
While speaking with a virtual recruiter doesn't guarantee you'll get contacted, studies and even our company data demonstrate that speaking to a virtual recruiter can increase the likelihood of getting contacted. (Remember: it's a challenge for recruiters to reach out to every qualified applicant, especially considering that many jobs "close or halt" for additional submissions within a few days.) If you research "what percentage of applicants get contacted?" most studies show that anywhere from 4-10% of applicants get contacted by a recruiter. My company was within that window, and when we implemented a virtual recruiter, that number increased drastically—at least quadrupling! Not only does going through the virtual recruiter process help communicate your qualifications, but the mindset of our recruiters is also that candidates who interview with the virtual recruiter are very serious and interested in the role!
What Happens After I Interview with a Virtual Recruiter?
This likely varies by company. However, for our organization, a few things happen after your interview with the virtual recruiter:
- Match Rank/Recommendation: The virtual recruiter gives you a "match rank" based on the job you applied for, and then either "recommends for job" if you are above a 50% match or "not recommended for job" if you're under a 50% match. (This ranking/matching also will vary by company).
- Summary: A synopsis of your interview is recorded in your profile as well. If you are "recommended," your profile/name is included in a recommended applicant list that goes to the recruiter assigned the role.
- Contact: If the role is still accepting applicants (many jobs "close for additional applicants" after they have between 2-5 submitted applicants), recruiters then reach out to the virtual recruiter-approved applicants, typically starting with the highest ranked applicants first.
Candidates Should Learn and Use Recommended Prompts
Interviewing with a virtual recruiter is very different in several ways. One of the biggest differences is that it's more difficult when you are unsure how to answer a question, when you need additional time, etc. However, virtual recruiters have been trained to listen for specific prompts such as "more time" and "repeat the question." Even these prompts are continuing to be developed and strengthened. So, do your due diligence and research prompts for engaging with virtual recruiters before your interview.
Seek Out Any Helpful Resources or FAQ Guides
Our team has been working on a number of helpful resources for candidates around our virtual recruiter, including:
- A website article with a more high-level overview of the technology and its benefits
- A more specific FAQ guide.
We're linking these resources in the communications the virtual recruiter sends. So be sure to review any communications/emails you're getting and any links/materials. If you don't see anything, search the company's website for a resource, reply to one of the communications asking for recommended resources, or ask anyone you know at the company if they have information that might be helpful!
Identify and Practice Possible Interview Questions Based on the Job Description
As part of any interview prep, you should ideally identify common interview questions and practice a few a day/week. This is no different when engaging with a virtual recruiter! Our virtual recruiter asks questions based on the published job description. To effectively prepare for interviews for that role, turn each line and requirement into an interview question, put some thought into it, and practice.
What If I Have Questions the Virtual Recruiter Can't Answer?
You should fully expect that the virtual recruiter will not tell you everything about an opportunity, the company you're interviewing with, the process, etc. Note those questions for when you hopefully speak to a human recruiter!
You Likely Did Better Than You Think!
I have spoken with at least 20 candidates who engaged with the virtual recruiter, and one of my biggest takeaways is that the majority of people think they failed or "bombed" the interview. Most of those individuals scored a 70-80% or higher. So, cut yourself some slack, like with any interview, and remember that you probably performed much better than you think you did! If you are really stressed about it, ask the human recruiter how you did, as they likely have insight into it.
I Haven't Heard Anything Since I Interviewed with the Virtual Recruiter. What Can I Do?
Just as you should do with human recruiters, you can follow up with an email or text asking for the status, which we recommend doing on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. If you don't hear anything back, and you may not, try another avenue of outreach to the company, such as doing an advanced search for local recruiters of that company on LinkedIn. You can include the job ID numbers or links to the jobs you're interested in and/or interviewed for and see if they can follow up on your behalf!
What If I Had a Less Than Stellar Experience or an Issue with a Virtual Recruiter?
If you see an avenue to share any concerns, feedback, or ideas, please do just that! We recognize this is new technology, and there are many opportunities to improve the process, enhance educational materials, and more. Again, one of my key goals this year is to improve our virtual recruiter for both our recruiters on the receiving end and candidates engaging with it. To date, we've tried to do this by providing a survey to candidates who engage with the virtual recruiter and adding an ‘issue tracker' (submit an issue) as a form at the bottom of the website article we created. Simply read the materials and links you were provided to share your feedback. If you know somebody at the company, or when you speak to a human recruiter, share any feedback or suggestions with them!
Next Steps
As with all AI technology, this is new, and you can expect to see new products, enhancements to current products, and increased adoption by companies using this technology going forward. Therefore, take the above with a grain of salt and not as black-and-white! With this in mind, I highly suggest taking at least 30 minutes as part of your standard "interview preparation" before any interviews to research interviewing best practices with virtual recruiting technologies/tools, including identifying any specific prompts you should be familiar with!
Please comment on this article if you have additional advice or questions about engaging with a virtual recruiter!
About the author
Erica Woods has nearly a decade in the IT staffing world, an MBA, and is a member of the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches.This author pledges the content of this article is based on professional experience and not AI generated.
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Article Last Updated: 2024-09-20
