So, you're all prepared for that big job interview. You've done all the homework, have all the notes ready, done your due-diligence on the company and the people involved. You could not be more prepared for whatever this interview throws at you.
Boy, are you about to get a rude awakening.
Where once there was a meaningful nature to the job interview, it has now become part of the desire to find not the best candidate, but the cheapest and most easily replaced individual.
There was a time when job interviews were an art—a real exchange of ideas, hopes, and potential. A time when a job seeker could sit across from a hiring manager, and have a meaningful conversation about their skills and the role they hoped to fill. Those days are as distant as typewriters and rotary phones. Today’s hiring process is a labyrinth of impersonal algorithms, automated responses, clown show questions, meaningless and time-wasting conversations, and layers of gatekeepers that reduce the act of seeking employment to a dehumanizing game of chance.
The AI Takeover of Hiring
In the modern hiring process, artificial intelligence has become the star player. AI now scans résumés, evaluates applications, and even conducts preliminary interviews via chatbots or pre-recorded video sessions. On paper, this might sound efficient, but in reality, it’s a recipe for frustration and rarely finding the truly qualified individual. Applicants find themselves submitting résumés into a digital void, unsure if a human will ever read them.
Here’s the reality, as I’m told by five HR managers from disparate companies. Up to 90% of applicants will never even sniff the possibility of being reviewed by or talking to a human being with the real power to make a decision. One HR miss told me she has interns read the incoming applications and then get back to her with their “impressions” of the candidate.
The rise of AI has transformed job interviews into cold, impersonal encounters—or, worse, eliminated them entirely. Gone are the days of sitting down with a hiring manager to discuss the nuances of a role or showcase one’s personality. Instead, candidates are reduced to keywords and data points, with their fate decided by an algorithm incapable of understanding the complexities of human potential.
Because it’s easy, and cheap.
The Problem with “Help Wanted” Posts
Adding to the frustration are the job postings themselves, which are increasingly filled with jargon and exaggerated descriptions. A job for an entry-level assistant might include requirements like “proficiency in multi-platform project management tools” or “experience in strategic operational frameworks”—phrases that do nothing but intimidate and confuse job seekers.
Go ahead, you explain to us what was just said. We’ll wait.
This trend toward techno-babble and inflated job descriptions not only alienates potential candidates but also underscores the detachment of employers from the roles they’re trying to fill. Instead of offering clear, concise descriptions, companies seem more focused on making positions sound unnecessarily complex, as though a simple job title like “Administrative Assistant” is no longer sufficient without ten buzzwords tacked on.
The Gatekeeper Problem
Let’s say you’ve deciphered the jargon-filled job posting and submitted your application. Now, you’re met with another modern obstacle: the gatekeepers. These aren’t just human assistants screening applications; they include automated systems, endless online forms, and pre-recorded assessments designed to filter out all but a few candidates.
The problem with gatekeepers is that they often block qualified candidates from ever reaching the person making the hiring decision. Human resources departments, often overwhelmed with applications, rely on AI and low-level screeners to weed people out, meaning many talented individuals are overlooked simply because they don’t fit a rigid set of parameters.
Hello, interns.
Even when candidates do make it through these barriers, they’re often greeted with silence. Weeks go by with no word, leaving job seekers in a state of limbo. The few who do receive responses often get automated rejections—generic emails offering no feedback, no closure, and certainly no sense of humanity.
Employers: Lazy or Overwhelmed?
It’s tempting to chalk this up to laziness on the part of employers. After all, relying on AI and automated systems saves time and effort. But there’s also a larger issue at play: the sheer volume of applications many companies receive. In an age where applying for jobs is as easy as clicking “submit,” hiring managers are inundated with résumés.
From a personal standpoint, a nonsense excuse. As the hiring manager, your job is to take whatever time is necessary to sift thru the numerous applications and find the best person for the job. You want to play lumberjack, learn to handle your end of the log.
This reliance on automation comes at a cost. By removing human interaction from the hiring process, companies miss out on the chance to truly understand their candidates. Résumés and cover letters can’t capture a person’s character, work ethic, or ability to think on their feet, qualities that often emerge during a face-to-face interview.
The Emotional Toll on Job Seekers
For job seekers, the current hiring process is more than just frustrating—it’s emotionally draining. The lack of personal contact leaves many feeling powerless, as though their qualifications and experience don’t matter. Without the chance to speak directly to a decision-maker, applicants are denied the opportunity to showcase their strengths or explain any gaps in their résumés.
This impersonal approach to hiring can lead to feelings of depression, anger, and hopelessness. Job seekers invest time and energy into crafting applications, only to be met with silence or rejection. The result is a hiring process that erodes confidence and leaves individuals questioning their worth.
Will We Ever Go Back?
The unfortunate reality is that the hiring process is unlikely to return to the human-centered approach of the past. Automation is here to stay, and companies will continue to prioritize efficiency over empathy. However, this doesn’t mean the process can’t be improved. Employers need to recognize the value of human interaction in hiring and find ways to integrate it into their workflows.
Even small changes—like providing personalized feedback or offering preliminary phone interviews—could make a significant difference. By reintroducing a human touch, companies could not only improve the candidate experience but also ensure they’re hiring the best people for the job.
There’s that phrase, “best people for the job”. The sad truth is that many a hiring agency is only seeking someone who will work for a short time, burn themselves out for low wages, and then replace them with another of the same down the road. Loyalty is gone.
Understand as a job seeker, most places you apply to have no intention of you being there to ever receive a tin paper clip, mush less a gold watch. In their eyes, you are expendable, and plenty of companies don’t give a damn how you feel about it.
Conclusion: Learn to work with what you're being handed
The lost art of the job interview reflects a broader shift in our society—a move toward automation and efficiency at the expense of connection and humanity. While technology has its place in the hiring process, it shouldn’t come at the cost of treating job seekers with dignity and respect. To many companies hiring, those are just passwords and never meant to mean anything of substance.
Employers must remember that behind every application is a person with hopes, skills, and a desire to contribute. Until the hiring process reflects this truth, the frustration and disillusionment of job seekers will only grow.
For now, the job interview remains a relic of a bygone era—one we’d do well to rediscover.
Don’t hold your breath.
Ed Berliner has been part of the management and hiring teams for 6 broadcast networks and 4 "ground floor" successful businesses. He prides himself on actually speaking with every single candidate that merits personal consideration for positions. As part of his speaking repertoire, he offers this detail as part of an educational series for companies, conferences, events and meetings. Read more of his business take at the email newsletter "The Business Beagle", and then contact him to learn more about having him impart years of experience to your efforts.
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