# Job seekers reject AI interviews when they have options

> Nearly a third of employed workers withdraw from hiring processes using AI interviews, while unemployed candidates are far more likely to persist.
- Title: Job seekers reject AI interviews when they have options
- Summary: Nearly a third of employed workers withdraw from hiring processes using AI interviews, while unemployed candidates are far more likely to persist.
- Keywords: ai interviews, job seeking, recruitment, use.ai, hiring process, TechRadar
- Source: TechRadar — https://techradar.com/pro/employed-job-seekers-are-shunning-companies-which-use-ai-interviews-and-i-dont-blame-them
- Published: 2026-11-08T07:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: ai interviews, job seeking, recruitment, use.ai, hiring process, technology
## Employed workers flee AI interviews
A survey by Use.AI found 29% of employed job seekers in the UK, US, Canada, European Union and Latin America withdrew from hiring processes involving AI interviews.
## Unemployed candidates stay the course
Just 14% of jobseekers without work withdrew from AI interview processes, showing how financial security shapes willingness to participate.
## Desperation drives participation
The survey of 6731 subjects across all regions showed the same pattern: employed candidates have options, unemployed ones do not.
## Half would refuse with alternatives
58% of people who attended an AI interview despite reservations said they would refuse if other jobs were lined up.
## Matthew Freire on screening fairness
Use.AI's Managing Director said employers should examine whether the AI format itself influences who stays in the hiring process.

> Employers spend considerable effort checking whether their screening systems evaluate candidates fairly. They should be equally interested in who decides to enter those systems in the first place.
## AI cannot build working relationships
Automated interviews lack the human rapport needed for successful hiring. An AI cannot demonstrate a person's ability to establish instant rapport and translate that into working relationships.
## Short-term savings, long-term losses
Replacing human interviewers saved time and money initially. But if talented candidates avoid companies using AI interviews, productivity and profit suffer.
## Key takeaway

Employed job seekers are abandoning companies that use AI interviews, signalling that automated hiring may cost firms talent they need.