Job Hunting: Why Are Robots Taking Over the Hiring Process?
After years of navigating the tumultuous waters of freelance writing and editing, I found myself standing at a crossroads. The freelance hustle, once a source of freedom and creativity, was morphing into a relentless grind. As gigs dwindled and the pressure to keep hustling intensified, frustration reached an all-time high. When an interview subject declined my request simply because it “did not spark joy,” I had my lightbulb moment: freelancing full-time wasn’t sparking much joy for me, either.
The allure of a steady paycheck, health benefits, and the dream of sipping a Monte Carlo (or two) at lunch had me scouring job boards for the elusive “perfect gig.” But reality set in—I had to recalibrate my expectations. And no, swapping my dreams of Monte Carlos for Malt-o-Milk wasn’t going to cut it.
Searching for a job day and night is one thing. Being answerable to a robot is another thing entirely.Credit: Getty Images
Fast forward to the present—so much has changed since my last job search six years ago. The economy was sluggish, and the communications landscape was being transformed by AI. It was a jungle out there, and the competition was fierce. After months of radio silence on my applications and my self-esteem hitting new lows, I stumbled upon analytics that revealed my grim reality: some roles I’d applied for had received over 600 applications. Talk about eye-opening!
I kept pushing forward, applying for jobs I was overqualified for, underqualified for, and everything in between. I’d fall asleep with job alerts buzzing in my pocket and greet each morning by refreshing my email in anticipation. I meticulously crafted cover letters, tailored my CV, and addressed every key selection criterion. Yet, what I hadn’t expected were the absurd hoops recruiters were making candidates jump through.
Among the most maddening were the personality tests. Imagine my excitement when I swiftly received an email from a recruitment team after submitting my application! But that excitement quickly turned into dread when I realized I had progressed to a virtual interview with an AI. Picture this: I was quizzed on behavioral questions while I typed away, dutifully hitting the 50-character mark, all while a robot analyzed my every word.
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After the interview, I was greeted with a summary of my personality from the chatbot, which hilariously mischaracterized me. Apparently, I “love change” (not true), “have high expectations” (far from it), and “thrive in fast-paced environments” (definitely not). To add insult to injury, the AI even offered me self-improvement tips! It was a scene straight out of a sci-fi nightmare, making me sympathize with Sarah Connor’s vendetta against AI in Terminator 2.
Then came the digital skills assessment, where I had to demonstrate my basic computer skills before even getting a chance to interview. One moment, I was proudly declaring “20 years in communications” on my CV, and the next, I found myself staring at a mouse, a phone, and a joystick, asked to identify which one moved the cursor. Spoiler alert: I clicked the mouse. The frustration was palpable.
And let’s not forget the fake job ads. Whoever thought it was acceptable to post job listings just to play with candidates’ hopes deserves a special place in purgatory. A 2024 study revealed that a staggering 81 percent of recruiters admit to posting fake job ads for various reasons—some to create the illusion of company growth, others to keep employees on their toes, and even to collect data. It’s a wild world out there, and job seekers deserve better!
