Artificial intelligence (AI) powered interviews are fast becoming the trend in the recruitment process, with many companies using artificial intelligence for recruitment search and the interview process. And, there’s are some good claims for using an artificial intelligence-powered bot for an interview: the AI-based recruitment process is efficient and fast. AI removes human-based sentiments to match the best-suited candidates to the job.

According to Woo CEO and founder Liran Kotzer, “If you think about an interview, it’s an outcome of a lack of information on both sides. They [candidate and employer] must talk with each other to understand what you know and what you don’t know. But if there’s a machine that knows everything – like a god – knows about your past experiences, about your projects, your culture – the machine is going to tell you that there’s a perfect fit and both parties won’t question it.”

Your AI-powered interview can take the place of in-person or video interviews. During an in-person bot interview, you’re in the room or a video interview room with the AI-bot. Anders Ornhed was the first man to be interviewed physically and hired by, and with the help of, social AI-robot, Tengai.

Historically, previous to the AI-bot, “Interviews, where interviewers can make quick judgments of candidates, tend to favor extroverts, who often are very charismatic, are skilled at thinking on their feet, and make a solid first impression.”

AI-bot interviews could flip the script and put introverts in the favored category. According to Anders, “with Tengai you don’t have to spend unnecessary energy on being social. You don’t have to be nice or act in any special way, and instead, you can focus on the actual interview.”

Using AI in a video interview may pose challenges to those who have difficulty uncovering or managing their non-verbal cues. Video interviews prompt you to send a prerecorded message along with your application. Using machine learning, the AI tool analyses your video based on linguistic content, facial expressions, and vocal tone. Then, the AI-bot then determines if you are a suitable candidate.

Not sure how to prepare for such an AI-powered interview? Here are 5 practical tips to help you prepare for and ace your next AI interview.

Research the Use of AI in Interviews

First things first: turn to Google. Anders shares that Googling to obtain information about the robot was helpful to him. “If you only hear the word ‘robot’ you might associate it to robots you’ve seen in the movies, but that isn’t accurate.”

Furthermore, some AI tools violate privacy laws by allowing companies to collect and store your biometric data. Investigate key legislation in your state to learn more about state-based privacy laws.

Stage Your Environment

These days, most interviews are conducted online, so managing (an even staging) your environment is a good idea. (Heck, this is critical for any old Zoom interview too!) Find a good spot with enough lighting that is a distraction-free zone. Since AI tools are designed to check for certain criteria, distraction, and background noises might harm your chances of doing well in the interview.

Follow basic video interview protocols as well. Wear interview-appropriate clothing with minimal jewelry. Remember to research the company in question as well.

Use Sound-Bites in Your Answers

AI tools are programmed to check for keywords, tonality, and grammar. One way to ace a job interview with a bot is by incorporating keywords or phrases in your explanation of what you can do. You should try to echo the exact keywords, or sound-bites, of the job posting when doing this.

To perfect this, practice in advance of your interview, in front of a friend or mirror, or you can record yourself recording to look for pauses or mistakes.

Yajin Wang, an assistant professor of marketing at the Robert H. Smith School of Business has a few tips. “Practice by recording yourself. Play the video back to see where you can improve. You may notice that you repeat a phrase a lot, or that the horizontal movement of your eyes gives away that you’re reading notes off-screen – that could be detrimental if your interview makes it past the AI to a human reviewer.”

Smile and Use Gestures During Your Interview

Don’t forget to smile, nod, and use other gestures during your interview. This might feel strange when interacting with an AI or when nobody is responding at the other end in a video interview. However, because most AI tools are programmed to check and analyze your facial expressions and tonality, gesturing can only help you improve your chances of success.

Furthermore, look directly into your webcam in a video interview. (This can feel very strange so practice beforehand to get the hang of it.) Direct eye contact will convey some of the visual cues lost via digital communication.

Share Real-World Experiences and Provide Proof

When responding to questions during an AI-powered interview, make sure you use real-world experiences to illustrate your skills. Talk about soft skills like communication, the ability to take initiative, and more.

AI tools are trained to look for such skills to ensure the candidates’ suitability. For the foreseeable future, especially while COVID-19 continues to spread, the workforce is looking to replace employees with remote workers, and employers are looking for candidates that can work with little to no supervision.

During your interview, use keywords that speak to these traits and practical examples to illustrate these skills. When sharing an accomplishment, share the challenge you faced, the actions you employed, and the results you experienced (otherwise affectionately known in interviewing as CAR) to provide proof that you did what you were asked to do.

The use of AI in recruitment is growing. From sourcing candidates to shortlisting prospects to conducting background checks to interviews at all stages, companies are using bots to make the recruitment process easier and more efficient.

If you’re considering changing jobs or re-entering the job market in 2020, put a reminder in your tickler file to research AI. Chances are, you’ll encounter it in your job search.