Let’s talk about hiring. Not the buzzy, AI-driven, “future-of-work” kind. I mean the actual, messy, inconsistent interview process that most teams are still running behind the scenes, where managers go rogue, bias creeps in, and interview “best practices” are more of a rumour than a reality.
On this week’s episode of What the FTE?, a podcast by Certn where we explore the tough questions surrounding the future of work, risk management, and employee experience, Certn CEO Andrew McLeod sat down with Zack Cormier, a senior sales and strategy leader at VidCruiter, a company specializing in structured video interviewing and recruitment automation software.
Zack has been with VidCruiter for over eight years, starting as one of the company’s earliest employees (employee #15) and has grown with the organization as it scaled to over 130+ team members. Zack is known for his deep expertise in:
- Structured interviewing
- AI in recruitment
- Interview process optimization
- High-volume and enterprise hiring workflows
He’s personally spoken to over 5,000 customers across industries, giving him rare insight into what’s really working (and what’s not) in today’s hiring practices. He’s also a vocal advocate for using AI responsibly, especially as a tool to coach interviewers, rather than as a replacement for human decision making.
His take? Most orgs are asking how to add AI into interviews… when they haven’t even built a structured process.
As Zack puts it:
“Most companies are asking how to layer on AI when they haven’t even mastered interview basics. It’s like trying to run before you can walk.”
In short, Zack’s not just selling software, he’s helping companies operationalize best practices in hiring, with the data and perspective to back it up. Whether you’re an HR leader, a TA newbie, or simply curious about the changing nature of work, this episode on AI in recruitment will provide you with practical insights to help you secure your seat at the table.
Tune into the full podcast: https://certn.co/podcast/
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What Should HR Actually Do With All This AI Buzz? Key Takeaways for HR & TA
1. Structured Interviews Are 3x More Predictive
Two meta-analyses have concluded that structured interviews are more valid than unstructured interviews. In fact, according to the to industrial-organizational psychology research, structured interviews are 65% predictive of job success, compared to just 22% for unstructured ones.
✅ Action: Implement structured interview guides with consistent, competency-based questions across candidates.
2. AI Interview Scoring Isn’t Ready … Yet
A late-2023 IBM survey of more than 8,500 global IT professionals showed 42% of companies were using AI screening “to improve recruiting and human resources.
A lot of folks want AI to tell them: “Should I hire this person or not?”
The truth is the tech isn’t reliable enough.
Transcription errors and lack of performance-linked data mean the outputs are often misleading. The EEOC even issued guidance in 2023 warning employers about AI tools that may unintentionally discriminate without proper validation.
✅ Action: Don’t rely on AI for candidate scoring (yet). Instead, use it for:
- Generating interview questions based on job descriptions
- Live coaching for interviewers (e.g., “you’re off-script” or “stop interrupting” prompts)
3. Interview Coaching is the Real Game-Changer
Imagine an AI assistant helping interviewers stay on script, reduce bias, and avoid derailments (like bonding over shared hobbies instead of assessing skills). That’s coming soon, and some of it is already here.
✅ Action: Pilot interview coaching tools with frontline managers to improve consistency and reduce bias in high-volume hiring.
4. Retail and Entry-Level Roles Are Seeing the Biggest AI Gains
In high-volume hiring, AI chatbots and automation are delivering four-day time-to-hire metrics by letting candidates choose their own path—in-person, video, or on-demand.
✅ Action: Start experimenting with applicant empowerment models to boost engagement and reduce ghosting.
5. Work Samples Still Reign Supreme
Whether or not a candidate uses AI to complete a task is irrelevant, the quality bar they set for themselves is what matters.
✅ Action: Use work samples and case studies to assess real-world performance, especially when interviewing for tech, ops, and knowledge roles.
Next Steps for People Leaders
- Audit Your Interviews – Start recording interviews. You’ll be surprised by how inconsistent they are, especially among first-time hiring managers
- Train the Interviewers, Not Just Recruiters – Most bias and inconsistency happens with managers. Focus your enablement here.
- Build (or Buy) Interview Guides – Don’t wait for perfection. Use tools like ChatGPT to build a starting point, then iterate.
- Get Comfortable with AI as a Coach, Not a Decider – Use AI to guide, prompt, and support interviewers, not to make hiring decisions.
- Use Data to Drive Decisions – Eliminate post-interview “gut feel” debriefs. Rely on structured scoring and consistency.
Bottom Line on AI in the Interview Process
Structure is your superpower.
AI isn’t a silver bullet for hiring, but it’s an incredibly powerful force multiplier if your fundamentals are strong.
According to Zack: Start with structure.Layer in coaching. When you’re ready, bring in automation to scale it all. This isn’t just about faster hiring, it’s about better hiring. In the age of AI, the companies that win will be the ones who stop cutting corners and start building smarter systems.
What are you seeing AI do to genuinely improve the quality of hiring beyond screening and scheduling? Where are you seeing it?
Tune into the full podcast: https://certn.co/podcast/
P.S. If you found this article helpful, share it with your team. Let’s make hiring better, together.
