In the modern age of remote hiring, the virtual job interview has devolved into a Wild West of unprofessionalism and artificial intelligence shortcuts. According to Sara Nibler, a recruiter at Redballoon who places candidates in roles ranging from manufacturing to media, job seekers are increasingly confusing the convenience of Zoom with an excuse to abandon basic professional etiquette. From candidates wearing bathrobes to those outsourcing their critical thinking to AI, the virtual hiring process is facing a crisis of casualness.
Nibler, who has worked with more than 80 organizations, including small businesses, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, and larger companies, across various industries, personally conducts over 600 interviews per year. She laughed as she recounted some of the things she’s seen, telling Fortune in a recent conversation.
“I spoke to one gentleman who, I think he wanted to be very prepared for the call,” Nibler said, “but he was, you know, fresh from the shower, with his hair still dripping wet, his shirt was open.” Nibler said she would classify this as similar to an interviewee wearing a bathrobe, although technically, a colleague of hers conducted an interview with a berobed candidate.
Another candidate, this one for a high-level position, was doing a lot of stretching, Nibler said. “She had her computer set up on her kitchen counter, and she was doing yoga, essentially, throughout the interview.” Nibler said maybe this was done for the purpose of seeming casual, she’s not sure, but it was “just not really in tune with what an employer would like to see.”
“Because of the informality of a Zoom call, people don’t really know how to encounter that as an interview,” she explained. The casual approach to virtual interviews isn’t just about wardrobe choices; it extends to bizarre multitasking. For instance, there was the instance where a job seeker vying for an entry-level role took his interviewer on a trip to Walmart, walking through the aisles, checking out at the self-serve register, and eventually getting into his car to drive—all while continuing the interview Nibler said she believed he was busy and trying to fit the interview into his life and she actually did recommend him for the role, but in general, she doesn’t recommend candidates who are “so casual.” Many interviews feature people who rest their phones in their laps, she said, leaving recruiters staring at the bottoms of their chins or at other awkward angles.
Initially, these breaches of etiquette seemed confined to entry-level applicants, but over several years of working at Redballoon, Nibler said she sees the trend has now expanded to include experienced job seekers. “We are seeing more of people just not understanding what’s required of them when they come to a call,” she observed. It’s a similar vibe when it comes to the influence of AI on the job application process.
The AI element
However, bathrobes and downward dogs are only half the problem. The rise of artificial intelligence has introduced a new layer of complication to the hiring process. Driven by “AI anxiety,” many candidates are attempting to use the technology to gain an edge, only to sabotage their own chances. “I think the AI anxiety can bring out some insecurity and I think that’s not going to serve them at all, to be honest, in the interview,” Nibler said. During live virtual interviews, she said, recruiters are increasingly catching candidates reading directly from screens, relying entirely on AI to generate their answers.
“I think people should take the time to communicate their resume in a way that just doesn’t look like AI,” Nibler said. And when it comes to the cover letter, she urged a human touch. “Job seekers think people don’t read the cover letter, but I think that’s another way to set yourself apart in a world of AI and not use AI for your cover letter.” She said it’s “pretty obvious” when a cover letter has been AI-written, especially when applicants forget to change the name of the company in the template they’ve been using. In general, though, it’s “almost the exact same number of paragraphs, short first paragraph, three paragraphs, one paragraph at the end. And there are just maybe different, you know, flavors, different tone, but almost identical.”
Nibler cited worrying erosion of hard skills, too. The recruiter noted that senior software developers recently struggled to pass a timed skills test that previous cohorts had easily completed, entirely because the new applicants had grown too accustomed to relying on AI assistants and copilots to do their coding.
Despite these challenges, the recruiter warned employers against fighting fire with fire. She strongly advised companies not to use AI to screen resumes, noting that algorithms often miss unconventional, high-potential talent. She related a recent conversation with a small business owner about taking a chance on someone without a college degree, but this candidate was a “chess master” who had spent several years building his career studying chess and competing. “He’s been a fantastic hire. Now, AI would have screened [out] that resume,” and it would have been the company’s loss.
As the tug-of-war between candidates who want remote flexibility and companies pushing for a return to the office continues, the recruiter believes the younger generation is losing out on critical mentorship. Without shoulder-to-shoulder experience with older colleagues, she worries about the degradation of critical thinking skills, especially when AI offers so many early shortcuts. Ultimately, her advice to job seekers navigating this broken landscape is refreshingly simple: “Be honest,” dress cleanly and presentably, and put your best foot forward.
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