A young Australian has criticized Woolworths’ hiring process, calling it ‘dystopian’ after being turned down for a job following two interviews conducted by AI.
Jamie, a resident of New South Wales, sought a part-time, entry-level role at his nearby Woolworths store in September.
At 24, Jamie submitted his application online, noting that the job advertisement indicated the potential use of AI during recruitment.
In a TikTok video, Jamie shared his experience of undergoing two AI-led interviews without any direct human engagement.
After a lengthy six-week wait, Jamie was informed that his application had been unsuccessful.
‘Woolies, this sucks,’ Jamie captioned the video.
He described the initial stage of the application as ‘fairly normal,’ involving the completion of recruitment forms on Woolworths’ website.
The next step involved an AI interview where a chatbot asked him questions, which Jamie said were not ‘too terrible’.
Jamie, 24, said he was left ‘demoralised’ after he was subjected to two AI interviews for a role at his local Woolworths only for his application to be rejected six weeks later
Jamie was given a time limit in which he had to provide written answers to questions from a text-based AI chatbot.
However, it was the second stage of the interview process that Jamie labelled as completely ‘demoralising’.
Jamie received an email invitation to another AI interview with a text-based chatbot; however, this time he had to provide voice and video responses.
‘It was another AI interview where I had to record answers and send them into a chatbot,’ he said.
‘Which was a demoralising experience and really made me feel worse than any normal interview could have.
‘After a long period of waiting, I finally found out I did not get the job to be a team member at a local Woolworths having spoken to zero people.
‘This is really dystopian. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s just bulls***.’
Daily Mail understands that AI is part of Woolworths’ recruitment process for its store roles. Daily Mail has contacted Woolworths for comment.
Social media users shared Jamie’s frustration, with many claiming they have had similar experiences when applying for a job.
The 24-year-old labelled Woolworths’ AI hiring process as ‘dystopian’. However, experts have warned the technology is just something Aussie jobseekers will have to get used to
‘AI is a absolute joke. I’m sorry you’re experiencing this. I experienced all the same things. Keep your head up,’ one person commented.
‘My kids are finding this, they have tried Woolies, Big W, Kmart and Coles. They’re teenagers, where else are they supposed to start,’ a second person wrote.
Others said they just ‘give up’ when they realise a company uses AI during the interview process.
‘As soon as I apply for a job and i get to the ai video section i just give up,’ one person wrote.
Despite Aussies expressing a dislike towards AI in the interviewing process, experts have warned the technology is something job seekers have to get used to.
Associate Professor of workplace and business law at the University of Technology, Sydney Giuseppe Carabetta said AI technology was here to stay.
Mr Carabetta explained large organisations were using CV scanners, video interview analysis and personality assessments or tests to screen applications.
‘There is no direct legal right for jobseekers to request a human interview instead of an AI one,’ Mr Carabetta told 9News.
He added Aussies with a disability could ask for an interview with a human if they made a request for ‘reasonable adjustment’ under the Disability Discrimination laws.
However, he claimed AI was almost unavoidable for candidates without a disability.
‘For other candidates – for example, those uncomfortable with AI – there is no formal right to opt out of AI interviews,’ Mr Carabetta said.
‘Jobseekers can try to take steps to secure a human interview, like asking early on if interviews will be conducted using AI and voicing a preference for human interaction.’
