All resources / Technology & Ethics
Voice AI in Firms: A Natural Field Experiment on Automated Job Interviews
The PDF holds this page's summary, my note and the link — one page you can keep or print.
What it is
A September 2026 working paper by Brian Jabarian (Carnegie Mellon) and Luca Henkel (Erasmus Rotterdam) reporting a field experiment with 70,000 real applicants randomly assigned to be interviewed by a human recruiter or an AI voice agent. Applicants interviewed by AI were 12% more likely to receive an offer, with higher job starts and retention and no drop in on-the-job productivity. Transcript analysis traces the gain to more structured, consistent interviews that still adapt to each applicant.
Why I recommend it
If you have been told AI interviews are stacked against you, this is the largest piece of real evidence so far and it points the other way: consistent, structured questions helped candidates more than a tired recruiter on their eleventh call did. Prepare for them like any structured interview, with clear, specific answers.
Created by Brian Jabarian and Luca Henkel
Topics
Added Sep 13, 2026 · 0 opens