Big Tech Reverts to In-Person Interviews Amidst AI Cheating Concerns

Big Tech Brings Back In-Person Interviews For Technical Rounds | AIM

What was once the norm during the pandemic, remote hiring is now facing new challenges as candidates increasingly turn to AI for support in interviews. The concern has become widespread enough that big global firms are responding. Companies like Google, Cisco, and McKinsey are reinstating in-person rounds to evaluate applicants based on their own merit without reliance on AI tools. However, to strike a balance, some organisations are experimenting with hybrid approaches. Microsoft, for instance, allows candidates to use AI tools during specific stages of the recruitment process, such as take-home projects, while reserving in-person sessions to evaluate unassisted skills. According to Puneet Chandok, president of Microsoft India and South Asia, the company is integrating AI across its

Major Companies Including Google and McKinsey Are Bringing Back In-Person Job Interviews to Combat AI Cheating

Google also requires at least one round of in-person interviews for potential hires. In-person job interviews are on the rise as recruiters adapt to candidates using AI during the process -- even on video. Recruiters told The Wall Street Journal last week that, though virtual interviews are still popular, the format has a downside: candidates turning to AI for answers during the interview, and reading them out verbatim. This is particularly an issue for technical interviews, experts told CNBC, when potential hires are faced with the pressure of thinking of technical solutions on the spot. Instead of relying on their own mental aptitude, candidates are overwhelmingly using AI responses to cheat. Now, major companies, including Google and McKinsey, are cracking down on AI use by bringing back in-person interviews. Related: McKinsey Is Using AI to Create PowerPoints and Take Over Junior Employee Tasks: 'Technology Could Do That' McKinsey, for example, started asking hiring managers to schedule at least one in-person meeting with potential recruits before extending an offer. The consulting firm began this practice about a year and a half ago, per WSJ. Meanwhile, Google is also reintroducing "at least one round of in-person interviews for people," CEO Sundar Pichai told "The Lex Fridman Podcast" in June. Pichai said on the podcast that Google wanted to "make sure" candidates mastered "the fundamentals" through in-person interviews. The push for AI-proof hiring arrives as data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that employment has slowed to a near-decade low. The economic climate has sparked a new workplace trend called "job hugging," where employees cling to their jobs and stay at the same company. It has also led to "quiet firing," when employers try to encourage staff to leave without outright firing them. Hiring as a whole is also turning back to old practices to work around AI. For example, Business Insider reported on Monday that candidates are submitting paper resumes in person to different companies to stand out in a crowded market. At the same time, the outlet noted that some employers are flying out potential hires to in-person sites as part of the interview process, to see how candidates handle questions without AI help. Related: Is Gen Z Really Taking Their Parents to Job Interviews? A New Report Suggests 3 in 4 Have Already Done It. In-person interviews could be what potential hires are looking for to stand out -- data suggests that candidates would rather give an in-person interview than a virtual one. A May 2023 report from the American Staffing Association showed that 70% of the over 2,000 U.S. adults surveyed would prefer to give an in-person interview over a phone or video call.

Google brings back in-person interviews to skirt AI cheating - The Economic Times

Google is bringing back in-person interviews after candidates were found abusing artificial intelligence (AI) tools during virtual technical assessments. Appearing on the Lex Fridman podcast, CEO Sundar Pichai announced that the tech giant will "introduce at least one round of in-person interviews for people, just to make sure the fundamentals are there". This comes as recruiters report that over 50% of candidates are now using AI tools to solve coding challenges during virtual interviews, making it tough for companies to assess their technical competency. Google employees aired this problem during an internal town hall in February, as per a report by CNBC, with one asking on the message board, "Can we get onsite job interviews back? There are many email threads about this topic". Google is the latest in a series of major corporations rejecting remote hiring. As per media reports, McKinsey, Cisco, and Deloitte have also reintroduced in-person interviews. This is not just about cheating during interviews. Companies are seeing increasingly sophisticated AI-enabled scams during recruiting practices, including deepfake personas and AI-written CVs tailored to job descriptions. There is also national security involved with the FBI warning companies in the US that thousands of North Korean nationals are using fake profiles and identities to secure remote positions at US technology companies. Brian Ong, Google's vice president of recruiting, acknowledged the issue and said the company has "more work to do to integrate how AI is now more prevalent in the interview process". Virtual interviews are faster to schedule but integrity concerns have forced the company to change the process. Pichai has proposed a hybrid approach, suggesting "some fraction of the interviews being in person" to help Google screen the candidates better. Anthropic now prohibits AI assistance completely during hiring, requiring candidates to show "non-AI-assisted communication skills". Amazon has a mandatory acknowledgment from candidates that unauthorised tools won't be used during interviews.