A new study by Luca Henkel, Assistant Professor at Erasmus School of Economics, reveals compelling causal evidence that voice agents powered by generative artificial intelligence (AI) are capable of conducting job interviews at a similar level as human recruiters, potentially reshaping the future of hiring processes.
Luca Henkel, together with co-author Brian Jabarian (University of Chicago Booth Business School), conducted a large-scale natural field experiment involving 70,000 job candidates. In the hiring process of a major recruitment company – a collaboration established by Jabarian – candidates were randomly assigned to be interviewed either by human recruiters, AI voice agents, or given the choice between the two. The results, recently published as a working paper, show that AI-conducted interviews contain more hiring-relevant information, leading to higher job offer rates and stronger early employment outcomes for candidates interviewed by the AI.
AI interviews yield better outcomes without backlash from applicants
Applicants interviewed by the AI are 12% more likely to receive a job offer and are more likely to remain employed after one month compared to those interviewed by human recruiters. At the same time, applicants’ satisfaction remains consistent across groups, with most rating the quality of both interviews and recruiters similarly. Further, there are no large differences across groups in the likelihood with which applicants accept job offers.
Interestingly, the study also uncovers a significant behavioural insight: when given the choice, 78% of applicants prefer to be interviewed by the AI instead of a human recruiter.
The study’s results also highlight the challenges that come with employing AI voice agents. Technical difficulties occurred in about 7% of AI-led interviews, and while human recruiters rate applicant performance higher in AI-led interviews, they adjust their hiring decisions by placing greater weight on standardized test results.
‘This research offers a rare look at how AI performs in a complex and socially nuanced human task,’ says Henkel. ‘The findings suggest that, when thoughtfully designed, AI can be a powerful tool in the hiring process without compromising the applicant experience.’
About Luca Henkel
Luca Henkel is an assistant professor in the Department of Business Economics (Finance section) at Erasmus School of Economics, where he specialises in behavioural economics and household finance. He holds a PhD from the University of Bonn and his research aims to understand individual decision-making using experiments.
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For more information, please contact Ronald de Groot, Media & Public Relations Officer at Erasmus School of Economics: rdegroot@ese.eur.nl, mobile: +31 6 53 641 846.
