Civil service to increase face-to-face interviews due to AI applications

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 13 Nov, 19:38 · Archive

The UK civil service will increase face-to-face job interviews to combat a surge in AI-generated applications, including some suspected of being entirely bot-created.

The UK civil service plans to hold more in-person job interviews and reduce reliance on written personal statements in response to a surge in applications created by AI. Recruiting managers have reported a sharp rise in applications for each role without any corresponding increase in viable candidates, according to a government official.

Cabinet Secretary Antonia Romeo believes some applicants are using AI to generate bland personal statements, enabling them to apply for more roles whilst failing to demonstrate genuine personal skills. In the most extreme cases, civil servants suspect entire applications—including video interviews conducted over platforms such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams—have been generated by bots rather than human applicants. There is at least one case in which civil servants became so suspicious during a virtual interview that they terminated it early.

In response, the civil service is moving away from personal statements and reintroducing compulsory face-to-face interviews for flagship recruitment schemes. Romeo said in her annual lecture that she planned to 'strip back and simplify' Whitehall recruitment to attract talented people from all backgrounds, adding she wanted to end 'formulaic job ads, generic interviews and slow processes'. A new selection framework is due to launch from April 2027.

How it is being reported

• Civil service forced to go back to face-to-face job assessments after mandarins discovered they interviewed AI bots instead of humansWhitehall bosses are also planning to move away from the traditional personal statement after a surge in applications created by AI platforms such as ChatGPT reduced their value.Daily Mail · 13 Nov, 19:16
• Whitehall to increase face-to-face job interviews after surge in AI applicationsIn the most extreme cases, civil service leaders suspect that entire applications — including interviewees on a video calls — were generated by AI.Politico Europe · 13 Nov, 15:00

In this story: Antonia Romeo · UK civil service · Whitehall

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log