New research from industry surveys in November 2025 shows that 78% of candidates prefer being interviewed by AI voice agents over human interviewers for initial screening rounds.

The data, which has recruiting companies rapidly rolling out AI voice interview technology, reveals why candidates feel more comfortable with AI—and what it means for human recruiters' roles going forward.

Why Candidates Prefer AI Interviewers

The research conducted across 2,000+ job seekers identified three primary reasons candidates favor AI voice interviews:

1. Less Judgment, More Honesty

Candidates report feeling less judged when answering questions from an AI voice agent compared to a human interviewer. Without worrying about facial expressions, tone of voice, or perceived reactions, candidates say they answer more honestly and feel less pressure to "perform."

"I can focus on my actual answers instead of worrying whether the interviewer likes me," one survey respondent noted. This psychological safety leads to more authentic responses and, paradoxically, better candidate-company fit.

2. Schedule Flexibility

AI voice interviews can be conducted 24/7, allowing candidates to complete screening at their convenience rather than coordinating schedules with busy recruiters. For employed candidates who can't take calls during work hours, this flexibility is a significant advantage.

The research shows that 64% of candidates complete AI voice interviews outside of traditional business hours (evenings and weekends), suggesting many candidates couldn't have easily participated in live phone screens.

3. Consistent, Structured Process

Candidates appreciate that AI asks the same questions in the same way for every candidate, creating a perception of fairness. There's no worry that one interviewer is "tough" while another is "easy," or that personal rapport might influence evaluation.

Which Companies Are Rolling Out AI Voice Interviews

Major recruiting platforms and ATS providers are rapidly adding AI voice interview capabilities:

• HireVue expanded its AI voice interview features in 2025, analyzing not just responses but speech patterns and communication style
• Modern Hire (formerly Montage) offers conversational AI interviews that adapt questions based on candidate responses
• Paradox uses its AI assistant "Olivia" to conduct voice screenings at scale
• Spark Hire integrated AI voice analysis into its video interview platform

Enterprise companies in high-volume hiring sectors—retail, customer service, logistics—are leading adoption. Amazon, Target, and UPS have all reportedly piloted or implemented AI voice screening for hourly and entry-level positions.

The Limits of AI Voice Interviews

Despite candidate preference for initial screenings, the research shows clear boundaries where human interviewers are still preferred:

• Final round interviews: 89% of candidates want human interaction before accepting an offer
• Executive and senior roles: 92% expect to speak with actual hiring managers, not AI
• Culture fit assessment: 71% believe humans are better at evaluating culture alignment
• Salary negotiation: 84% want to negotiate with a person, not an AI agent

The message: AI voice interviews work well for high-volume screening where the goal is to quickly filter out unqualified candidates, but human judgment remains critical for final decisions and relationship-building.

What This Means for Human Recruiters

The rise of AI voice interviews doesn't mean human recruiters are becoming obsolete—it means their role is evolving:

Old recruiter role: Conducting dozens of nearly-identical 15-minute phone screens to ask basic qualification questions

New recruiter role: Focusing on qualified candidates who passed AI screening, building relationships, assessing culture fit, and providing the human touch that candidates value in later stages

Recruiters who embrace AI voice screening for high-volume initial filtering can redirect their time toward higher-value activities: sourcing passive candidates, building talent pipelines, improving candidate experience, and partnering with hiring managers on strategy.

Those who resist AI screening risk being overwhelmed by volume and unable to provide quality attention to top candidates.

Addressing the Bias Concern

A common objection to AI voice interviews is the potential for bias. The research acknowledges this concern but notes that human phone screens are also subject to bias—accent discrimination, name bias, and unconscious preferences based on voice characteristics.

Leading AI voice interview platforms are implementing:

• Bias audits to detect discriminatory patterns in AI evaluation
• Structured scoring based on job-relevant criteria, not subjective impressions
• Transparency showing candidates which factors influenced their score
• Human review of AI recommendations before candidates are rejected

The goal isn't to eliminate all human judgment—it's to use AI for structured, consistent initial screening, then apply human judgment where it adds the most value.

The Bottom Line

Candidate preference for AI voice interviews challenges the narrative that AI dehumanizes recruiting. When implemented thoughtfully for appropriate use cases (high-volume screening), AI voice interviews can actually improve candidate experience by reducing judgment anxiety, providing schedule flexibility, and ensuring consistency.

The key is knowing where AI adds value (initial screening, administrative tasks) and where humans are irreplaceable (final decisions, relationship-building, culture assessment). Companies that get this balance right will win on both candidate experience and recruiter efficiency.

Those that use AI to replace all human interaction—or refuse to use AI at all—will struggle to compete in 2026 and beyond.