AI in HR: Who gets hired?

What happens when AI dumps your resume (and your job opportunities)?

“Barring something incredible, I think you have yourself a new job, Raphe,” the executive in a slick suit beamed at him.

“Thanks so much for the opportunity!” Raphe had a big smile on his face. The sweat under his armpits started to dry as the adrenaline and coffee wore off. He felt intense relief. His degree from UCLA had finally paid off, and now I can pay off my loans, he thought.

“Okay, well we will give you a call by tomorrow after you pass the background check. Then we will send you the new hire paperwork and you could start by Monday! How does that sound?”

“I am so thankful. I never thought I’d start out at such a great company. Your benefits… wow.” Raphe followed out through the office doors with the manager. They paused in the foyer for a handshake, and he strolled out to his bike, walking on clouds.

Raphe recently graduated, now sharing a small apartment with five roommates. And they were all as broke as he was. Some were still in school, and most had minimum-wage jobs, landing them in the dirty flat.

When he walked into the small space, there was a strong musty odor. A broken lock, strewn socks and dishes completed the run-down ambiance. The furniture was mostly from the curb, and the TV was so old it had rabbit ears. Shades were drawn, which gave the apartment a dusty look. There was only a singular, yellowish overhead light to illuminate the mess.

“Hey Mark, what’s up?” Raphe shouted to his friend in the other room, playing videogames on his flatscreen TV.

“Hey Raphe!” Mark continued talking indiscernibly to his digital teammates. He pushed his door shut to yell at his game.

Sitting down on an old swivel chair at his desk, Raphe spun around towards his laptop. His only window barely let light in. He faced an inner courtyard, which was a receptacle for garbage launched from windows. A trash bag from a deli floated down across his view. Then his phone rang –Bzzzt Bzzzt Bzzt.

“Hello, is this Raphe?” He didn’t recognize the number.

“Hi, you interviewed with us this afternoon. It looks like we won’t be able to take you on for this position, in light ofyour background check. I hope you understand.”

“No, I don’t understand…”

“It was a pleasure talking to you today, I wish you the very best of luck.” The manager spoke flatly, then hung up on him.

What the hell was that? Looking around the room confused, Raphe put his head on his desk, swearing a few times into the wood grain.

Raphe had been sending out resumes for six months and rejected over a hundred times. He was running out of options. Flipping through job sites for new leads, he fell asleep at dawn, waking up with his phone on his chest.

After a stretch, he stomped to the fridge to search for milk in a huff. He pushed aside empty boxes in the cupboards to find the last vestiges in his box of cereal. He sat down on an oversized old couch in scratchy tweed. Raphe put his bowl down on the coffee table, turning on the TV to the local news — he liked the background noise. As he scrolled his phone, the TV blared:

*…so it’s going to be a rainy weekend! Better button up those raincoats! Back to you Marv.*

*Thanks Eileen, too funny. You can bet I’ll have my galoshes on tight…*

*Our next story is about something you may or may not have heard of. These days, employers across the country are employing AI to help with the hiring process. Thanks to new apps like Jobs4Hire, small businesses can now find a great match at the click of a button. AI analyzes applications, sorting them according to your business requirements. It even calculate fit based on your company values!*

*Now I can get behind that, Marv. We need a few more checks around here, ha ha. (the newscaster pointed around the studio, smiling sarcastically)*

*These AI apps access information across a variety of databases. Employers have looked social media for over a decade to judge their candidates. But now background checks are even more detailed. They study consumer habits now as well — down to your Uber rating!*

*Marv, I sure hope they don’t check my Amazon orders — my son loves to hijack my account, ha ha.*

*Becky, you had better watch out, you might need a new job!*

*These apps can be downloaded to your phone, and you simply scan an applicant’s name. AI has been used in corporations for years, but now the same capabilities are right on your smart phone. So, to those out there looking for a new hire, check out Jobs4Hire to find your perfect candidate! No more folks like these guys in the studio, ha ha.*

*You know Marv, we might have to run a check on you…**

Raphe looked up. My Uber rating?

“Yo, Raphe, that milk is bad, bro. Throw that out. You got chunky frosted flakes!”

“Hilarious Rachel,” Raphe inspected his cereal and dropped his spoon in the old milk. Ah! I’m late for work! He took off without picking up his bowl.

________

After a morning shift, Raphe returned to the couch and checked his email. Another two rejections. He shook his head — then remembered the morning news report from that morning.

Is this about my Uber score? He opened the app and started flicking through his rides. Some were at odd times of day, many of them destinations he had never been. The shipping docks? Long Beach? Inglewood? My account must be hacked!

He found the customer help line, clicking furiously.

*For English, Click 1… Para Esp…*

*Thank you. Now, how may I help you today? Please give me a brief description of your problem.*

“Um. My account got hacked.”

*Thank you. You said “Account Security,” is that correct?*

“Yes.”

*Thank you. For account security, please contact an online representative. Or, email our account service address…*

Raphe hung up on the call, frustrated. He franticly flipped through the app for the customer service chat. An email address. Anything he could find. After troubleshooting for hours, Raphe had no leads. The wait time between calls was in the hours, and he was denied by several departments. One said “could not prove the rides were fraudulent.” Another claimed he “waited too long to make a claim.” The next said he “tried to open too many tickets.” Uber was deaf to his concerns. Customer service emails gave reports of negligence during rides. Driver harassment. Cleaning fees. Along with several temporary suspensions. He finally reached a representative, finding a number buried in the app’s submenus. They told him it was technically his fault, per their user agreement. Since he couldn’t clear his record, he cancelled his account. He was hoping it would save his Jobs4Hire reputation.

That news report kept going through his head:

“…They study consumer habits now as well — down to your Uber rating!”

He pictured the newscasters laughing stupidly, unaware of that the Jobs4Hire app was ruining his life.

________

For months, Raphe’s job search continued. Still, no offers, still, no interviews. Billboards popped up for the Jobs4Hire app, along with its new competitors. Employers across San Francisco were screening resumes. Scanning them through the app to remove “bad seeds.” The Jobs4Hire app boasted exclusive information for its rating metrics. They used a network of data to create a digital profile to measure a candidate’s score. Social media pages compiled. Consumer history, health data, dating history, food delivery accounts. They used any digital information they could access for the AI’s equation. It succinctly transformed your applicants into numerals. At the most competitive price on the market!

After a long day washing dishes, Raphe’s boss at the bakery approached him, wiping sweat from his brow. He put his arm around Raphe, “Look kid, I gotta let you go. I hate to say it, but I am getting a robot for the dishes and automation for the front counter. This neighborhood… you know what I am saying. It’s tight margins. You gotta fly the coop, use that degree kid! UCLA, for god’s sake! You’re gonna be a winner.” Raphe knew his boss was an idiot and he slunk back home, feeling dreadful.

When he got back to the apartment, he dialed home:

“Mom, I just lost my job. The search is impossible. I can’t even land an interview. This is going to sound paranoid… but there is these apps, they rates applicants, right?”

“Yeah, Jobs4Hire. I saw the commercials.”

“It’s crazy, but. Um. I think the app is eliminating me from the hire pool because of that thing with my Uber rating…”

“Raf, come on. Don’t be silly. That Uber story is all in your head! It’s just hard facing rejection — it’s hard putting yourself out there. But get out there! Make me proud! Okay, I have to go, my job calls. Go submit an application tonight!” And she hung up.

Raphe’s rent was due in ten days and he was running out of options.

________

His last day at bakery was that Friday. Raphe applied to any job he could find, even searching for fliers on telephone poles. He was rejected mid-call for a security job. Also for a bell boy position, a dog walker, paper boy, and photocopy assistant. He finally landed an in-person interview. It was on the edge of town at an adult novelty shop, about an hour and a half commute. He was fine with all that. It would be a relief to know he could afford his next rent payment.

After the trek out, a sweaty wait, he began the interview. There were several handshakes, head nods, and schmoozing. Finally he made his way through the interview and he could feel he was closing the deal.

“Well, look, this shop practically runs itself. I don’t need to sell anything — people want to take care of their own business for the most part. I respect people’s privacy, that’s about it. Look — no offense to you — but quite frankly, anyone can run this place. Just don’t let people run off with the rubber is what I say. I need time at the home with the kids, you know, I’m tired of being here all day. And, hell, you seem like a good enough guy, so, yeah, I think you’re hired.”

“Really?” Raphe cracked a faint smile and the pressure in his head slowed.

“Yeah, sure kid. Okay, let me see your resume. I’ll just pull up my phone and scan your 4hire and let’s both go home. I’ll see you… Thursday?” The manager fiddled with his phone, still talking. “I have a shipment on Thursday, then I can show you stocking and pricing… Hold on.” His phone beeped a warning.

“Wait — Raphe, this hire app. It says you’re a bad seed, gives me the alert. What did you do kid?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, anyone who gets that rating on this app, they got something on their record. Most poof, pass. It’s the ranking that matters usually, but you don’t even make the list kiddo. So, what did you do? If you’re up front with me, we can work it out. Look at where we are man, I’m not asking you to guard Fort Knox.”

“Honestly, sir, I didn’t do anything. It’s a weird story. See, my Uber app got hacked, and they dropped my score taking a bunch of crazy rides. I tried to call Uber, but they wouldn’t help me out, so I cancelled my account, but…”

“Brother, I just wanted you to come clean. Any story that takes that many words, it’s not working for me. I have to be out of here by 5:00, sharp, and it’s 4:58. I am trying to wrap this up. I want to hire you, just tell me what’s wrong with your 4Hire.” The manager looked at him, growing fatigued.

“My Uber rating. Someone wrecked my score. Now the AI, the 4Hire, they won’t qualify me for a job because they use this system where they combine all the data from…”

“Alright. Honestly, I can find someone else. Plenty people are fine working something simple like this. I don’t need a guy talking in circles around the shop. Exit is this way, follow me out, I gotta lock up.” He walked around the counter and grabbed his jacket. The he glided through the tinted glass double door.

Raphe stood, shocked. When he got home, he waved weakly to Mike through his cracked door and fell onto his bed, staring at the ceiling.

The week ended and Raphe couldn’t make rent. His roommates were furious and told him to leave — they needed to find someone to fill in for his check. He packed a box and a backpack, filled with everything he had, and walked out the door. Unsure of where to turn.

________

The woman sniffled several times.

“He was such a good kid. I remember him running across the yard, firing squirt guns with his friends. But his life was cut short. When he went off to college in LA, I knew it was going to be a challenge. I was the only family he had. When he got out of school — maybe he thought he would have it easy after UCLA. But he became paranoid when he didn’t get a job right away. I think he was afraid to put himself out there, and eventually life got desperate. He went through homelessness, addiction, illegal activity. Yes, that was a part of his life, but we should not define Raphe by those things. Despite his story, we stand here today to celebrate his kindness and great potential. If only he was able to believe in himself, maybe we wouldn’t be here today,” his mother started to cry.

The small crowd shifted awkwardly as she continued to stand at the podium. A pastor rocked back and forth slightly, holding a bible, looking at the ground. There were three or four people there to mourn Raphe. A man in a leather jacket and a cigarette behind his ear. A woman with a pink blouse and cheap blush. And Mike, texting on his phone.

After the service, the guests left without a word. His mother walked out in a big black hat, drooping lace across her face. She clicked her phone and opened the Uber app for a ride back to her hotel. As her driver pulled onto the freeway, she stared at a large billboard for Jobs4Hire:

“Millions have found their perfect match through our app! Satisfaction guaranteed!”