The Indicator from Planet Money

When AI is your job interviewer

November 3, 2025

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  • A study involving 70,000 interviewees revealed that 78% of job candidates, when given a choice, preferred being interviewed by the AI recruiter named Anna over a human, suggesting a desire for less judgmental interactions. 
  • Candidates interviewed by the AI recruiter Anna were 12% more likely to receive a job offer and 18% more likely to stay in the job for at least a month compared to those interviewed by humans. 
  • The AI interview process favored candidates who displayed high interactivity and rich vocabulary while penalizing the use of common filler cues (like "uh" or "mm-hmm"), leading to better outcomes for those interacting with Anna. 

Segments

AI Interview Introduction
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(00:00:31)
  • Key Takeaway: Companies are increasingly using AI for job interviews, and initial study results suggest this trend may benefit workers.
  • Summary: The episode opens by noting the growing trend of companies using AI to conduct job interviews. A new study suggests that this shift might not be entirely negative for job applicants. The segment sets up the exploration of the study’s findings and an actual AI interview demonstration.
Recruiting Funnel Challenges
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(00:02:01)
  • Key Takeaway: Human recruiters face significant drop-off rates when trying to connect with applicants immediately after they apply.
  • Summary: PSG Global Solutions uses a recruiting funnel where immediate contact is crucial; the chance of connecting with an applicant drops from 85% within one minute to 35% after just 15 minutes. Recruiters spend excessive time just trying to establish initial contact rather than engaging in substantive conversation. This inefficiency motivated the company to implement AI solutions.
AI Interview Simulation
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(00:03:53)
  • Key Takeaway: The AI recruiter, named Anna, conducted a simulated interview using standard behavioral questions for a customer service role.
  • Summary: Adrian was interviewed by Anna, the AI recruiter from PSG, for a customer service position. Anna asked typical interview questions, such as managing competing demands during a customer call. Adrian offered advice emphasizing empathy for the customer during the simulation.
Study Design and Candidate Choice
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(00:05:35)
  • Key Takeaway: When given the option, 78% of job candidates chose to be interviewed by the AI voice agent over a human.
  • Summary: Economist Brian Jabarian partnered with PSG to study Anna’s effectiveness, splitting 70,000 interviewees into three groups: human interview, AI interview, or choice. Human recruiters still made the final hiring decision based on interview transcripts. The most surprising finding was the overwhelming preference for the AI interview when candidates had the option.
Bias Reduction and Hiring Success
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(00:07:36)
  • Key Takeaway: AI interviews resulted in applicants reporting half the discrimination and significantly higher rates of job offers and retention.
  • Summary: Applicants interviewed by Anna were half as likely to report gender-based discrimination compared to those interviewed by humans. Furthermore, candidates using the AI process were 12% more likely to receive a job offer. These candidates were also about 18% more likely to start and remain in the job for at least one month.
Linguistic Factors in AI Scoring
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(00:08:16)
  • Key Takeaway: AI scoring favored candidates exhibiting high interactivity and rich vocabulary while penalizing the use of verbal fillers like “uh” or “mm-hmm.”
  • Summary: Analysis showed that candidates who received offers displayed specific linguistic features, such as high interactivity and vocabulary richness. Conversely, using back channel cues like “uh” or “mm-hmm” decreased the chance of receiving an offer. Candidates interviewed by Anna performed better on these positive linguistic measures than those interviewed by humans.
Future of Recruiting at PSG
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(00:09:06)
  • Key Takeaway: PSG plans to scale Anna globally, shifting remaining human recruiter roles toward analytical tasks rather than high-volume dialing.
  • Summary: PSG intends to roll out Anna in 80 countries to handle high-volume recruiting for various roles. While this means fewer human recruiters will be needed, the remaining roles will become more analytical and meaningful. Competitor companies are also developing similar AI recruiting technologies.