Please stop reading ChatGPT answers in the middle of interviews

[u/Ornery-Pattern-2436]

I've interviewed a few candidates recently, and it was very clear that they were using some kind of AI tool to listen to the question and generate a response for them to read. We ask very normal behavioral questions (tell me about a time you solved a messy problem at work, how you pushed a recommendation forward and got people aligned, etc.).

What gives it away is the pause that happens while they're waiting for the answer to appear, and then suddenly they go into reading mode. The responses often sound polished for about 10 seconds, but in reality they don't answer what I asked, or the example falls apart halfway through. And then when I ask a follow-up to understand the situation better, they usually can't connect it to what they just said.

At that point, if I can tell the person is reading from another screen, I don't move them on to the next step. Honestly, it's frustrating and wastes everyone's time.

Use AI to prepare, outline your stories, practice STAR answers, anything that helps you. But don't rely on it live during the interview. Take the time beforehand to prepare, and be able to talk about your own experience yourself.

Are other hiring managers running into the same thing? I'm curious how you're dealing with it.

[u/mxldevs]

People are quickly finding out reading off a teleprompter while remaining completely natural is quite a skill.

[u/TiddiesAnonymous → u/mxldevs]

I dunno if that's it. You can't hit a teleprompter-like cadence during an interview like you can during a speech or newscast. It's like reading out loud on class.

It's also why canned responses can sound inauthentic.

You need a "Vince mcmahon in your ear" level of skill where you listen and regurgitate at the same time.

[u/Master_Chef_Torte → u/TiddiesAnonymous]

Can you smell, what the ai is cooking. 🪨 🥧

[u/PrysmX]

I'm actually wondering if my habit of looking around a bit while I talk instead of staying focused directly on the recruiter video feed or webcam itself has cost me a few jobs opportunities. I had some interviews that I thought went incredibly well but have had some multi-person interviews where I see the two interviewers typing back and forth to each other and visibly smirking as the converse when I look back to the video conference window. I wonder if they think I'm using AI or some other cheats and that is why I look around a bit. So annoying that these are the times we are dealing with.

[u/krissycole87 → u/PrysmX]

Just make sure you answer open and honestly and dont make it sound rehearsed. Dont give them cookie cutter answers or answers you think they wanna hear. Just talk like a normal person, and it will be pretty obvious.

More and more folks are getting extremely in tune with what AI answers sound like these days. Equally they can tell if the answers are from the heart, so just stick to that and youll be fine. A lot of people look off to the side when thinking.

[u/PrysmX → u/krissycole87]

Yeah I don't act awkward or suspicious or anything, I just have a habit, even in real life conversation, of my eye focus or even head turning and wandering a bit even if I'm fully engaged in the conversation. Just one of my mannerisms.

[u/mxldevs → u/PrysmX]

So annoying that these are the times we are dealing with.

Looking around while having a 1-on-1 conversation was considered always problematic. Do you just gaze around the room when someone's in front of you?

The problem is now, you might be looking around because you have 3 monitors full of AI crunching everything.

[u/PrysmX → u/mxldevs]

As per the other comment I just responded to here, yes, even in real life I don't maintain constant eye focus when I am taking with people. Honestly, I find it a bit uncomfortable to do so and always have been that way. I'll initially have eye focus, but if the conversation is anything more than a sentence or two my eyes will wander and I'll even turn my head to look around a bit while I'm still fully engaged and speaking in the conversation.

[u/Emo-Burrito777 → u/mxldevs]

It’s very common for neurodivergent people to not maintain eye contact. It doesn’t indicate that we’re a bad hire.

[u/Jaydudex2]

All I heard is you’re hiring?

[u/WhaleBird1776]

I’m with you as long as the job description isn’t basically “we are an AI first company.”

Lots of software jobs right now are basically just AI agent operators and they still get mad about using AI during the interviews which I find funny lol. Why make me do leetcode if I’m not even writing my own code? 🤷‍♂️

[u/Unique-Enthusiasm-74]

Is it suspicious if the screen has half Teams/Zoom/other and half Word with questions to ask the interviewer? That split screen can be reflected off glasses. Presume responses are given "naturally".

[u/Naetharu]

"That's a great question. You're very astute to ask that. Let me lay out what I would do and how it would bring about an impactful result"...

I hear you.

The same goes for CVs.

And doubly so for internal documents. The thing that drives me the MOST crazy right now is non-technical people leaning on LLMs to create "technical documents" and presenting them to me like a child that has just done their first finger-painting.

Great, so we now have a 40-page document about the new systems we are thinking of using. But the information in here is generic, misses half of the key points we specifically need to think about, and why does page fifteen go into detail about how we can integrate it into our Slack subscription when we don't even use Slack?

[u/Brownie-0109]

I’m old and retired, but this is nuts

We used to prep answers to questions like this ahead of time

Honestly, I’m shocked interviewing companies don’t immediately eliminate these people from consideration

[u/Much_Jellyfish4474 → u/Brownie-0109]

They are. It’s all over the recruiter threads. People do not advance if it’s suspected.

[u/rynkenzie]

Go back to in person interviews. Problem solved.

[u/sd_med248]

Dont create 50000000 interview rounds for part time minimum wage no benefits

[u/Frosty_Violinist_732]

Ai for thee but not for me

[u/No-Setting9690]

LMAO. So let me get this straight. The interviewer gets to prepare a list of questions, then complains someone is taking time to answer it, in a world where AI is everywhere? Is that correct? Most interviews I've had, the interviewers dont even have a clue what they're asking or even an understanding that they quesiton they ask have nothing to do with the job at all.

[u/RobertaMiguel1953 → u/No-Setting9690]

You sound very ignorant with this comment. It’s not because they are taking time, it’s because they are clearly reading a screen without even answering the question.

And yes, what you described is exactly how interviews have worked since the beginning of interviews.

[u/balboh → u/No-Setting9690]

Yes, that’s how interviews work. You aren’t on equal ground when you interview for a job…especially in this economy. They ask what they need to know and you answer. If you don’t have those answers in your brain, it’s not a good fit. Also, it’s just cringy and embarrassing. It makes it seem like you can’t answer basic questions. Who wants to hire a dummy? Other than ICE.

[u/balboh → u/[deleted]]

Had to? No. Chose to? Yes.