AI Job Interviews

Jeremy Ryan
2 days ago
3 min read

Introduction

What happens when you put today’s top chatbots through a real job interview? In this episode of AI Made Easy for Business, Jeremy and Jim test whether Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini could actually land a mid-management role—and what that means for small and mid-sized business (SMB) hiring. Based on a Tom’s Guide experiment, the hosts unpack how each AI performed, why Claude “got hired,” and how business owners can use these insights to modernize HR without losing the human touch.

🔑 Key Takeaways

Claude outperformed ChatGPT and Gemini with stronger emotional intelligence and clarity.
AI tools can now simulate management-level interviews and candidate assessments.
SMBs can use ChatGPT or Claude to create mock interview simulators or pre-screen candidates.
Over-reliance on AI in hiring risks bias, depersonalization, and ethical pitfalls.
The best approach? Use AI to augment your process, not replace it.

The AI Job Interview Experiment

Tom’s Guide journalist Amanda Caswell ran a real job interview for a Program Manager role—inviting ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude to apply. Each chatbot had to submit a cover letter and respond to seven interview questions.

Gemini impressed with structure.
ChatGPT stood out for creative, narrative flair.
Claude blended strategy with empathy—and “got the job.”

As Jeremy puts it (at 10:01):

“Clarity in this case was a hiring principle for a manager. Claude nailed it with transparency and emotional tone.”

For SMBs, this shows that AI can handle complex communication and managerial reasoning—not just entry-level automation.

Big Tech’s Hidden Moves

Behind the scenes, Amazon and Google quietly own major stakes in Anthropic, the company behind Claude. That means AI ecosystems are consolidating fast. As Jim jokes (at 03:48):

“Amazon and Google—known for being the good guys, right? Yeah, always.”

The takeaway for business owners: AI tools are evolving at Big Tech speed. Choose based on task fit, not brand name.

From Experiment to Action: Using AI in Hiring

AI isn’t just for headline experiments. SMBs can start small—by using chatbots to simulate interviews, refine hiring questions, or train staff.

Tool Tip: Build Your Own Interview Simulator

Copy 5–7 real interview questions from your job listings.
Paste into ChatGPT or Claude with this prompt:
“Act as a professional interviewer for a [Job Title]. Ask me one question at a time, score my answers, and give feedback.”
After the session, ask AI to summarize strengths, weaknesses, and cultural fit.
Track results in a Google Sheet or Notion page to spot hiring patterns.

👉 This gives you a data-informed, bias-reduced, and repeatable pre-screening process.

Ethical Watchouts

AI can streamline hiring, but it also raises risks:

Bias & fairness – Algorithms reflect training data; always review outputs manually.
Privacy – Don’t upload confidential resumes or HR data to public tools.
Perception – Candidates should know if AI is involved in their evaluation.

Jim summarizes the balance perfectly (at 16:33):

“Keep the human element. Don’t let the tool take that away.”

Transcript Highlights

“Claude has been my flavor of the moment.” — Jeremy (at 05:49)“Should business owners use these tools to hire? Maybe—but keep the human touch.” — Jim (at 15:16)“If I knew my blind spots, they wouldn’t be blind spots.” — Jeremy (at 15:58)

FAQ

Q1: Should small businesses use AI to hire employees?

Yes—with limits. Use AI to pre-screen or simulate interviews, but make final hiring calls human-led.

Q2: Is Claude better than ChatGPT for business?

For structured, emotionally aware communication—yes. But ChatGPT still leads in creative tasks.

Q3: Can AI remove bias from hiring?

It can help by focusing on skills and data—but human oversight is still critical.

Q4: How can SMBs start using AI for HR?

Start with simple automations: resume summaries, candidate comparison, or mock interviews.

Q5: What’s next for AI in hiring?

Expect more integration with Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and CRM systems—turning AI into a built-in business assistant.