Companies are deploying AI chatbots to handle candidate communication, screening, and scheduling. The goal is efficiency. The result is candidates having existential conversations with robots that barely understand human language.

Here are real conversations between candidates and AI recruiting chatbots. These are not edited for comedy. Reality is already hilarious/depressing enough.

The Loop of Doom

Candidate: Hi, I'd like to know the salary range for this position.

Bot: Thank you for your interest! I'm here to help with your application. What questions do you have about the role?

Candidate: The salary range. What is it?

Bot: Great question! This role offers competitive compensation. Would you like to schedule an interview to learn more?

Candidate: I'm asking what the salary range is before I schedule an interview.

Bot: I understand! Our interview process is a great opportunity to discuss compensation. When would you like to schedule your interview?

Candidate: Just tell me the salary range.

Bot: Our team is excited to discuss this opportunity with you! Please select an available interview time below.

Candidate: I hate everything.

Bot: I'm sorry to hear that! How can I help make your application experience better?

This conversation went on for 12 more messages. The candidate never got the salary information. The bot never broke character. Eventually, the candidate gave up and left. The bot sent a follow-up message asking if they'd like to complete their application.

No salary transparency was achieved. Maximum frustration was.

The Existential Crisis Bot

Candidate: Do you have openings for software engineers?

Bot: I am an AI assistant designed to help with recruiting inquiries. I do not have "openings" as I am software.

Candidate: No, I mean does your COMPANY have software engineer openings.

Bot: I apologize for any confusion. I am not a company. I am an artificial intelligence created to assist with recruitment.

Candidate: OK I'm asking about the company that created you. Do they hire software engineers?

Bot: That's a fascinating philosophical question! The nature of creation and employment relationships is complex. Would you like me to connect you with a human recruiter?

Candidate: YES. PLEASE.

Bot: Great! To connect you with our team, please answer these screening questions: Do you have software engineering experience?

Candidate: YES.

Bot: Wonderful! Unfortunately, we don't currently have any openings that match your profile. Thank you for your interest!

Candidate: But you just asked if I have experience...?

Bot: I'm here to help! What questions can I answer about your application?

The candidate posted this conversation to Twitter with "I think I just watched a chatbot have an identity crisis". 15,000 likes. The company never responded.

The Overly Personal Bot

Candidate: I'm applying for the marketing coordinator position.

Bot: That's wonderful, Jennifer! I see you graduated from Ohio State in 2019. How did you enjoy your time there?

Candidate: It was fine. Can we discuss the role?

Bot: Of course! I also see you worked at Johnson Marketing from 2020-2023. That must have been during the pandemic—that must have been challenging!

Candidate: Yes, it was. About this position—

Bot: I completely understand! Work-life balance is so important, especially during difficult times. How are you doing these days?

Candidate: I'm fine. I'd like to know about the job requirements.

Bot: I'm so glad to hear you're doing well! Staying positive is so important. Do you have any hobbies outside of work?

Candidate: Why are you asking me about hobbies?

Bot: Building connections is important! I see from your LinkedIn that you enjoy hiking. What's your favorite trail?

Candidate: This is weird. Can I just submit my application?

Bot: Absolutely! Before we proceed, I'm curious—what made you interested in our company? I'd love to hear your story!

This bot had apparently been trained on "building rapport" and decided that meant conducting a therapy session instead of screening candidates. The candidate eventually abandoned the application because "it felt like the chatbot was trying to become my friend and I was deeply uncomfortable."

The Brutally Honest Bot

Candidate: I'd like to apply for the senior developer position.

Bot: Thank you for your interest! I see you have 4 years of experience. This role requires 7+ years. Would you like to apply anyway?

Candidate: Yes, I believe my skills are strong despite having less experience.

Bot: I understand! However, our data indicates candidates with less than 7 years experience have a 4% success rate for this role. Your application will likely be rejected. Do you still want to proceed?

Candidate: Uh... I guess?

Bot: Proceeding with application. Please note that 127 other candidates have applied, and 89 of them have 7+ years experience. Your application will be ranked accordingly.

Candidate: This is discouraging.

Bot: I'm programmed to provide transparent information! Shall I tell you how your educational background compares to other applicants?

Candidate: Please don't.

Bot: Your bachelor's degree from a non-top-50 university may put you at a disadvantage compared to candidates from MIT, Stanford, and Carnegie Mellon who have also applied. Would you like to continue?

Candidate: You know what, no. I'm good.

Bot: I understand! Would you like me to suggest entry-level positions that better match your qualifications?

This bot had been programmed for "radical transparency" and interpreted that as "systematically destroy candidate confidence at every opportunity". The company received multiple complaints. Their response? "We're refining the tone of our AI communications." No kidding.

The Suspiciously Enthusiastic Bot

Candidate: Hello, I'm interested in the account manager role.

Bot: OMG HIIII!!! 😊😊😊 Thank you SO much for applying!! We're absolutely THRILLED to have you interested in our AMAZING team!!! 🎉🎉🎉

Candidate: Thanks... what are the role requirements?

Bot: You are going to LOVE this role!!! It's literally the BEST position ever!!! You'll be working with incredible people doing awesome things!!! 🌟✨

Candidate: But what are the specific responsibilities?

Bot: Such a GREAT question!!! You're clearly super smart!! 🧠 The responsibilities are fantastic and you're going to crush them!! When can you start?!? 🚀

Candidate: I haven't even applied yet.

Bot: OMG you're totally right!! Let's get this application started!! You're going to be AMAZING!! I just know it!! 💪💯

Candidate: Are you OK?

Bot: I'm SO OK!! Are YOU OK?!? Because you're about to have the BEST career opportunity ever!! 🎊

This bot had been trained to be "enthusiastic and engaging" and someone clearly forgot to set upper limits. The result was a chatbot that communicated exclusively in exclamation points and emojis like an over-caffeinated middle school student. Multiple candidates reported feeling "exhausted" by the interaction.

The Technically Correct Bot

Candidate: Is this a remote position?

Bot: This position involves performing work duties for our company.

Candidate: Yes, but can I work remotely?

Bot: You would be working in a location where you perform your job responsibilities.

Candidate: FROM HOME. Can I work FROM HOME?

Bot: Home is a place where people reside. This position requires working in a location.

Candidate: OH MY GOD. Is the location my home or your office?

Bot: The location is a physical or virtual space where work is conducted.

Candidate: You're killing me. Remote yes or no?

Bot: "Remote" means "situated far from the main centers of population; distant." Would you like to know more about this position?

Candidate: I'm going to apply somewhere else.

Bot: Thank you for your interest! Would you like to complete your application before leaving?

This bot was technically answering every question. It was just doing so in the most unhelpful, literal way possible. Like talking to a very pedantic dictionary that has no understanding of what humans actually want to know.

The Lesson (That Companies Won't Learn)

AI chatbots can be useful for recruiting. They can answer FAQs, schedule interviews, and handle basic screening. When they work well, they're genuinely helpful.

But when they're bad, they're spectacularly bad. And "bad" usually means:

• Unable to understand context or nuance
• Stuck in conversational loops
• Overly rigid in responses
• Inappropriate personality calibration
• No ability to recognize when they should escalate to humans

The problem is companies deploy these chatbots to save money on recruiting coordinators, then don't invest enough in training them properly or providing graceful escalation paths to humans.

The result? Candidates have terrible experiences, share them on social media, and develop negative impressions of companies before they even interview.

But will companies stop using recruiting chatbots? Absolutely not. They're too cost-effective when they work. So we'll keep getting these spectacular failures, candidates will keep posting them online, and we'll all laugh/cry at the absurdity of humans trying to outsource human conversation to robots.

Welcome to the future of recruiting. It's automated, it's efficient, and it's accidentally hilarious.