AI Challenges in Recruitment: Dealing with AI-Generated CVs and Fake Interviews

AI Challenges in Recruitment

Indian recruiters are now dealing with AI-generated resumes and even job candidates using ChatGPT to cheat during technical interviews in real time. This creates hiring risks and increases onboarding failures. A fintech startup in Mumbai discovered that two hires couldn't perform basic tasks they claimed proficiency in—one admitted to using AI to get through the hiring process.

What Changes Should HR Make?

What changes should HR make to hiring, testing, and onboarding processes to counter AI-assisted fraud?

To effectively address the challenges posed by AI-generated CVs and fake interviews, HR should implement the following strategies:

Enhance Screening Processes
- Incorporate advanced screening tools that can detect AI-generated content in resumes.
- Conduct thorough background checks to verify candidates' qualifications and experiences.

Revamp Interview Techniques
- Include practical assessments and scenario-based questions in interviews to evaluate candidates' actual skills.
- Implement video interviews with live coding exercises to assess technical competencies in real-time.

Strengthen Onboarding Procedures
- Provide comprehensive training programs to bridge any skill gaps identified during the recruitment process.
- Assign mentors to new hires to facilitate a smoother transition into their roles.

Stay Updated and Educated
- Stay informed about the latest AI technologies and trends in recruitment to proactively combat fraudulent practices.
- Conduct regular training sessions for HR staff to enhance their awareness and understanding of AI-related recruitment challenges.

By adopting these proactive measures, HR can mitigate the risks associated with AI-assisted fraud in the recruitment process and ensure the selection of qualified candidates who align with the organization's requirements.

The Challenge of Dishonesty in Recruitment

Lying on resumes and being dishonest at interviews is nothing new. It has been happening since time immemorial. The only thing that changes is the tools to facilitate it, along with the lack of a proper, robust recruitment and selection process, and training staff in the use of the process.

Widespread cheating exists in all forms of endeavor. We only have to witness the large number of requests here on CiteHR for members to provide answers to students' university assignments. Cheating at universities is now so prevalent that employers can no longer trust people who claim to have degrees. We see so many people here on CiteHR obtaining HR jobs without having a clue about HR, mostly because they probably got other people to do their study and assignments, and they sailed through the degree program learning absolutely nothing.

Unless and until these shoddy practices are eliminated, employers will have to resort to good old-fashioned recruitment methods to weed out the dishonest element. One way of doing that is to set practical tests as part of the interview process to ensure the candidate can perform the tasks required of them if they get the job. It can be fascinating watching people confronted with these tests. In one organization I worked for, when we recruited IT people who would be fixing computers and providing tech support to users, we had a simple test. We removed a simple cable from inside the computer to disable it. The candidate was then tasked with getting the computer operating again—a job they would be required to do almost daily in our organization. Over the course of a year, we interviewed some 60 candidates. Only one person was able to correctly diagnose and fix the "non-working" computer.

So, how do you test candidates for their knowledge of the work they will be required to do in your organization?