Your screening interview may be with a bot
BENGALURU: Your first job interview may no longer be with a human. As AI becomes more embedded in recruitment, companies like Fractal Analytics, UST, and Happiest Minds are increasingly deploying bots to conduct technical assessments, evaluate communication, and even assess cultural fit-without a recruiter being around.
The surge in application volumes and a widening tech talent gap are driving this shift. Nearly 50% of mid-to-large tech companies are now using AI in some part of the hiring process - mainly in screening and assessments - though many are still in early or pilot stages, says Murali Santhanam, CHRO at Ascent HR Technologies.
"Five years ago, AI was just scanning resumes. Today, it's effectively acting as an interviewer," says Savita Hortikar, HR head at FractalAI.
The company's in-house AI engine, Ikigai, generates unique, role-specific test papers in real time, minimising repetition and reducing cheating. "Every candidate now gets a fresh test. It has significantly improved the quality of hiring," she said.
One key advantage of AI-led interviews is flexibility. "Most candidates prefer late-night interviews. Finding a tech panel at that hour is hard," says Rajesh Chandran Sogasu, head of talent acquisition at Happiest Minds.
The company's AI now handles the initial round by posing scenario-based technical questions and evaluating the responses, which are later reviewed by the hiring team.
At UST, AI handles both assessments and proctoring. "It tells us if the answers are original or AI-generated. We've built mechanisms to detect tab-switching, eyeball movement, and impersonation," says Kishore Krishna, VP, talent acquisition and resource management.
"We've already seen a 20% reduction in hiring time. Once fully integrated, we expect up to 50%."
Last year, UST flagged over 500 fraudulent offers through AI-based video audits that identified mismatches between interviewees and candidates who received offers.
These AI tools go beyond code assessments. At Fractal, Ikigai also evaluates behavioural and communication traits. "The bot might ask why the candidate is looking for a new role. It analyses tone, structure, and coherence to offer insights into the candidate's mindset," Hortikar explained.
This automation is reshaping the recruiter's role. "AI is surfacing great candidates - even those with poorly written resumes. The recruiter focuses on selling the job and gauging fit," said Milind Shah, MD at Randstad Digital India.
Stay informed with the latest
business
news, updates on
bank holidays
and
public holidays
.
AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Capex push: Nirmala Sitharaman calls it ‘primary driver of sustained growth'; says ‘we have to have capital expenditure grow'
File photo: Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman (Picture credit: PTI) Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said that sustaining economic growth in the face of global uncertainties remains India's foremost priority. She also underlined that the government will continue to rely on increased public capital expenditure as a major tool to drive development. Speaking at a book launch event in New Delhi, Sitharaman said, 'To maintain the growth is the topmost priority. Growth is the topmost, and therefore, it will have an overlap with how you create jobs…', as per news agency PTI. Her comments come at a time when India's economy is projected to grow at 6.5 per cent in FY25, the slowest pace in four years, down from 9.2 per cent growth in FY24. As per PTI, the Reserve Bank of India has trimmed its GDP growth forecast for the current financial year to 6.5 per cent, down from an earlier estimate of 6.7 per cent. The Economic Survey has pegged growth for FY26 in the range of 6.3 per cent to 6.8 per cent. The finance minister highlighted that capital investments by the government will continue to be central to economic momentum. 'Public investments have kept pace. It has been Prime Minister Narendra Modi's clear instruction that we have to have capital expenditure grow and grow significantly,' she said, adding that such investments are a 'primary driver of sustained economic growth'. Sitharaman also said that India must remain relevant globally and aim for a leadership role, especially by reshaping the voice of the Global South. At the same time, balancing domestic economic ambitions within the limits of fiscal responsibility is also a key area of focus, she noted. She further pointed to the government's efforts to attract more foreign investments, stressing the importance of a favourable FDI regime and highlighting the healthy competition among Indian states in luring global investors. On trade, Sitharaman indicated a shift towards bilateral deals over multilateral arrangements. 'We have seen bilateral agreements being signed in the last four to five years with Australia, UAE and the UK. Negotiations are progressing well with the United States as well as the European Union,' she said, as per PTI. Speaking on India's relations with China, she said that there were initial signs of improvement following external affairs minister S Jaishankar's recent visit. 'There is something, some kind of a beginning… how far it will go is something we will have to wait and see,' she remarked, while also stressing the need for 'a sense of caution'. The remarks were made during the release of the book 'A World in Flux: India's Economic Priorities.' Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Air India pays interim compensation to families of 166 Ahmedabad crash victims
Air India has released interim compensation to the families of 166 victims who lost their lives in the Ahmedabad plane crash on June 12. The Tata Group has also set up the 'AI-171 Memorial and Welfare Trust' for the victims of the crash(REUTERS) In a press statement released on Saturday, the airline stated that it had started releasing the interim compensation amount of ₹25 lakh to the affected families. The airline had announced the interim payment to help families 'meet their immediate financial needs', which will be adjusted against the final compensation of ₹75 lakh. 'Air India has, so far, released the interim compensation to the families of 147 of the 229 deceased passengers and also the 19 who lost their lives at the accident site,' the airline said. Meanwhile, Air India has also verified requisite documents of 52 other passengers, saying that the interim compensation to their families will be 'released progressively'. Apart from this, the Tata Group also set up the 'AI-171 Memorial and Welfare Trust' for the victims of the crash, pledging an ex-gratia payment of ₹1 crore for the affected families of each of the deceased. The trust will support the rebuilding of the infrastructure of the B J Medical College, where the plane crashed. It will also provide aid and assistance to help alleviate trauma or distress suffered by first responders, relief personnel, social workers and government staff who provided support in the aftermath of the incident. Govt holds meetings with Air India amid safety concerns The government has started holding direct talks with the management of Air India amid rising safety concerns, with the first such meeting happening on July 23. The government has directed the carrier to maintain the highest safety standards, and has set up a month-long timeline to reassess its operations. Earlier this week, an Air India flight arriving from Hong Kong caught fire at the Delhi airport after landing. Apart from this incident, a Kolkata-bound flight aborted takeoff owing to technical issues, and a Kochi-Mumbai flight swerved off from the runway during landing in heavy rain.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Your ChatGPT Therapy Sessions Are Not Confidential, Warns OpenAI CEO Sam Altman
Last Updated: Sam Altman raised concerns about user data confidentiality with AI chatbots like ChatGPT, especially for therapy, citing a lack of legal frameworks to protect sensitive info. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has raised concerns about maintaining user data confidentiality when it comes to sensitive conversations, as millions of people, including children, have turned to AI chatbots like ChatGPT for therapy and emotional support. In a recent podcast, This Past Weekend, hosted by Theo Von on YouTube, CEO Altman replied to a question about how AI works with the current legal system, cautioning that users shouldn't expect confidentiality in their conversations with ChatGPT, citing the lack of a legal or policy framework to protect sensitive information shared with the AI chatbot. 'People talk about the most personal sh*t in their lives to ChatGPT. People use it – young people, especially, use it – as a therapist, a life coach; having these relationship problems and [asking] what should I do? And right now, if you talk to a therapist or a lawyer or a doctor about those problems, there's legal privilege for it. There's doctor-patient confidentiality, there's legal confidentiality, whatever. And we haven't figured that out yet for when you talk to ChatGPT." Altman continued to say that the concept of confidentiality and privacy for conversations with AI should be addressed urgently. 'So if you go talk to ChatGPT about your most sensitive stuff and then there's like a lawsuit or whatever, we could be required to produce that, and I think that's very screwed up," the Indian Express quoted Altman as saying. This means that none of your conversations with ChatGPT about mental health, emotional advice, or companionship are private and can be produced in court or shared with others in case of a lawsuit. Unlike end-to-end encrypted apps like WhatsApp or Signal, which prevent third parties from reading or accessing your chats, OpenAI can access your chats with ChatGPT, using them to improve the AI model and detect misuse. While OpenAI claims to delete free-tier ChatGPT conversations within 30 days, but may retain them for legal or security reasons. Adding to privacy concerns, OpenAI is currently in the middle of a lawsuit with The New York Times, which requires the company to save user conversations with millions of ChatGPT users, excluding enterprise customers. view comments First Published: July 26, 2025, 22:27 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
