Link: AI's rise has made job interviews more grueling, due to a rise in technical tests, essays, and assignments, as recruiters struggle to find the right candidates (Elaine Moore/Financial Times)

Job interviews are increasingly complex and demanding, especially in the tech sector. What used to be a few rounds of interviews has expanded into technical tests, essays, and even performance tasks without clear instructions.

Recruiters argue these rigorous processes help filter out unsuitable candidates in a job market flooded with applications. Online tools and AI applications have made it easier for candidates to embellish skills, compelling companies to implement stringent screening measures.

Employers are not just assessing skills but also a candidate's alignment with company culture. For instance, Amazon evaluates potential hires against its 16 leadership principles, requiring more than just job competence.

The extensive hiring procedures, however, may exhaust both candidates and interviewers without being effective. Studies like Google’s 2016 research suggest more than four interviews do not significantly contribute to hiring success, raising questions about the need for such lengthy processes.

Despite these barriers, the route to employment is getting even longer, with the average hiring duration now pushed to 45 days and beyond in fields like tech. This is exacerbated by job market instability, including frequent layoffs, further complicating the employment landscape.

Yet, sometimes a simpler approach can unexpectedly succeed, as evidenced by a tweet leading to a job at Tesla. This shows that, despite increasingly complicated hiring processes, straightforward and unconventional methods can still occasionally win out. #

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