If you’re applying for an intern or graduate finance & banking role this year then you’ll likely face the first round interview talking to a machine rather than a human.

You probably know that one of the most famous examples of this is HireVue. 

HireVue’s been making some HUGE changes to their platform and here’s why.

In recent years their algorithm has been under the spotlight for how it may be assessing candidates through  facial analysis.  This provoked a public outcry that facial analysis would lead to bias and hence discriminatory hiring. 

One of the complaints was that HireVue is using secret algorithms and facial recognition to screen your application.  HireVue initially defended their position, but it seems they’ve bowed to pressure because they have recently removed facial analysis. 

At this time they’re still using speech analysis, which listens to nuances in your voice but they’re under pressure to remove this element as well.

HireVue is heavily relying on its TRANSCRIBING ability as you speak.

It turns out that the content in your answers is a much better predictor of performance than what you look like when you say it. 

So this means you have to get REALLY good at answering HireVue questions by PRACTICING.

HirevUE is assessing you on HOW you answer a question.

This means that you're going to perform better if you're giving detailed answers with relevant information presented in a correct format.

HireVue asks many  competency-type questions.  They  compare your answer to a HUGE list of competencies. Some examples are: negotiation, persuasion, leadership, and resilience and they use combinations that depend upon the job that you’re applying for.

They then cross-references your answer with a ton of answers they’ve heard before to compare if your answer contains the essential elements. 

When I say a TON…. At this time HireVue have completed their 20 millionth interview. That's a lot of data collected!

Hirevue are still assessing you for signs of confidence so be very careful about your choice of words. 

By using “I think” or “maybe” or “possibly” you're not showing confidence and you’ll receive a lower rating.

Instead you need to use words that confirm you are confident and believe in what you say. These include “I know” or “This is why”.

Here's a tip from HireVue's CEO, Kevin Parker. He still recommends the STAR technique for answering HireVue competency questions. 

So if you haven’t practiced the STAR lately, Its a good time to start. 

You will stand out with an excellent STAR answer.

You try do this in our simulator, which I’ve linked to in the description below.

And the answer is YES. 
You should still dress appropriately, sit up straight, look directly into your camera lens, use good lighting, use a good background, don’t umm or errrrm through it, speak at a conversational pace and look happy. (even if you're not!).

Well it turns out that only 20% of HireVue’s customers use their predictive analytics.

That means 80% of organisations using HireVues are still using humans to view your video. 

Apparently humans simply don’t trust AI that much. 

So my advice to you is to prepare and present exactly as if you are in front of a human. Don’t leave anything to chance.

Practice is the KEY to passing the AI interview. Our interview simulator will get you ready for your big day and beat the competition.

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