Recruitment edition
AI is moving from helper to interviewer: the US government lets an AI agent run the first interview, while Dutch employers are actually losing time to AI-written applications.
An AI agent runs the first job interview, even at a cautious employer
The US federal government is letting candidates talk to an AI this week, then sending you only the transcript.
The US federal government is starting AI-led job interviews on the platform CodeSignal. This begins with the 'Tech Force' round, which recruits tech people from the private sector. Candidates talk to a virtual agent by phone, audio, or text. The hiring manager then gets a written version of the conversation. The Office of Personnel Management, the government's HR department, encourages agencies to use AI in hiring. But it still requires human oversight for important staffing decisions.
Background for subscribersThe US government now lets an AI agent conduct the first job interview, even though this is a heavily regulated environment. That's a signal: if even such a cautious employer dares to do this, the question will land on your organisation's table too. At the same time, research shows AI doesn't automatically save time. Dutch employers are actually spending more time, because they have to check AI-generated applications, while demand for permanent staff is growing. Agencies that use AI well are clearly growing faster. So the difference isn't whether you use AI, but how thoughtfully you do it.
Seven in ten employers: AI job applications make hiring take longer
Research by Robert Half among 250 hiring managers and 500 employees shows that 70 percent of Dutch employers spend more time on hiring. That's because they have to check AI-generated application materials. Two thirds of employees use AI themselves when applying. At the same time, more than a third of employers want to hire more permanent staff by the end of 2026.
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