Are AI Interviews Costing You Great Candidates?

AI interviews can help employers manage application volumes and speed up screening. But how they are introduced matters. A process that saves recruiters time may also discourage qualified candidates from continuing.

A Harris Poll survey, conducted last year on behalf of Express Employment Professionals, found that 63% of Canadian job seekers would consider not applying to companies that overuse AI in hiring. Meanwhile, 87% preferred a person to conduct an initial interview rather than AI. These preferences raise an important question for employers: where can AI improve the hiring process, and where could it create a barrier? Using it effectively means balancing recruitment efficiency with the experience of the people you want to hire.

What counts as an AI interview?

The term ‘AI interview’ covers several different experiences. Candidates might answer questions from a conversational AI agent, record responses for software to evaluate, or speak with a recruiter who uses AI to transcribe and summarize the discussion.

These formats should not be treated as interchangeable. AI does not necessarily assess a recorded interview, and an interview supported by AI can still involve a meaningful conversation with a person. Candidates should know what format to expect before they agree to participate. An invitation should explain whether they will speak with a person, interact with an AI interviewer or record answers without anyone present. It should also clarify whether AI will capture their responses or help evaluate them, and how a recruiter will review the results.

Why strong candidates may disengage

Candidates assess employers throughout the hiring process. Each step helps them decide whether they can picture themselves working there. An automated interview can create friction when it asks for a significant commitment before the candidate has enough information to decide.

They are unsure how they will be assessed

Candidates may wonder whether the system will understand an unconventional career path, recognize relevant experience, or let them clarify an answer. That concern is reflected in Gartner’s 2025 survey of job candidates: only 26% trusted AI to evaluate them fairly. Employers should explain the assessment criteria and who reviews the results. An unexplained score offers little reassurance.

The time commitment feels disproportionate

Completing an interview takes preparation and effort, whether a recruiter is present. A lengthy automated assessment followed by another interview covering the same ground asks candidates to repeat themselves. If the role’s basic details remain unclear, they may decide to spend their time elsewhere.

Don’t automatically interpret withdrawal as a lack of motivation or ability. It may reflect a candidate’s assessment of the process itself.

Where AI can add value

Start with a specific hiring challenge, then consider whether AI can help address it. Practical uses of AI and automation include:

• Reducing scheduling delays: Automate interview booking and reminders to keep the process moving.
• Supporting better conversations: Use approved transcription or summarization tools so interviewers can focus on listening, with appropriate consent and accuracy checks.
• Preparing interview questions: Generate draft questions based on the role, then have recruiters review them for relevance and clarity.
• Organizing interview evidence: Help recruiters compare responses against agreed job criteria, while checking for missing context.

Put it into practice: Identify the problem you want to solve before selecting a tool. Set a clear measure of success, such as shorter scheduling times, better interview notes or fewer repeated questions.

How to use AI without losing candidate trust

A thoughtful rollout can help candidates feel informed and supported throughout the process.

• Explain what to expect. Tell candidates whether AI will conduct, record, summarize or assess the interview. Include the expected duration, how their information will be used and what happens next.
• Share the essentials early. Provide the role’s responsibilities, compensation range and work arrangement before asking candidates to complete an assessment. Include a named contact for questions.
• Make every step count. Keep assessments focused and avoid asking candidates to repeat information. If you use both an automated interview and a screening call, give each a distinct purpose.
• Offer an accessible alternative. Explain how candidates can request another format or get technical and accessibility support. Keep those requests separate from assessments of their qualifications.
• Keep people accountable for decisions. Have reviewers examine the evidence behind AI recommendations and give them authority to challenge the results. Periodically review screened-out applications for experience the tool may have missed.
• Track who stays and who leaves. Monitor completion rates, withdrawals, candidate feedback and progression to later stages. Where possible, ask candidates why they opted out.

Put it into practice: Walk through the process as a candidate before launching it. Check whether instructions are clear, the time commitment is reasonable, and help is easy to reach.

Make the interview worth their time

Hiring involves a decision on both sides. Employers need evidence that someone can do the job, and candidates need reasons to join. Before adding an AI interview, consider what candidates will gain from that step. Will they have a useful opportunity to demonstrate their skills? Will it move them closer to a decision? Will the time saved allow your team to have better conversations with them? An effective process should make it easier to recognize qualified people and keep them interested.

Looking to strengthen your hiring process? Aplin connects employers with qualified talent and helps guide the conversations that lead to informed hiring decisions.