What my AI interviews taught me about candidate experience

By Cara Sosnoski, Business Development Director, Carrot Recruitment

Before I joined Carrot Recruitment, I spent several months on the other side of the hiring process as a candidate. During that time, I came face to face with something I think a lot more job seekers are starting to experience, being interviewed by AI.

Some of these interviews involved recording my answers to a set of pre-written questions, with no one on the other end at all. Others were much more advanced, with an AI agent that responded to what I said, asked follow-up questions, and almost seemed genuinely interested in my experience.

One interview really stuck with me. It was set up as a live video interview, so naturally I expected to be speaking with a person. Instead, I was greeted by an AI agent. It was friendly, engaging, and honestly did a great job of holding a conversation. But it still felt different. Knowing there wasn’t a real person on the other side of the screen made it harder to relax, build rapport, or have those natural conversations that often help you show your personality.

I’m sure I’m not the only one having this experience. AI is becoming part of the hiring process, and life sciences is no exception.

The use of AI interviews in life sciences are accelerating

This shift isn’t happening in isolation. NVIDIA’s 2026 State of AI in Healthcare and Life Sciences report found that 70% of healthcare and life sciences organizations are now actively using AI. Given how much of our work at Carrot involves pharma, biotech, and medtech businesses, it’s no surprise that this same appetite for AI is making its way into recruitment too, including how candidates are screened and interviewed.

Given how much of our work at Carrot involves pharma, biotech, and medtech businesses, it’s no surprise that this same appetite for AI is making its way into recruitment too, including how candidates are screened and interviewed.

But is adoption outpacing trust?

Greenhouse’s 2026 Candidate AI Interview Report paints an interesting picture of how candidates are feeling about it.

Some of the standout findings include:

• 38% of US candidates have already withdrawn from a hiring process because it included an AI interview, while another 12% said they would do the same.
• Of candidates who completed an AI interview, 51% never received an outcome, 38% never heard back at all, and another 13% were still waiting.
• 70% of candidates said they weren’t clearly told AI would be part of the interview process.
• While 38% said a positive AI interview improved their perception of the employer, 34% said a poor experience had the opposite effect.

That really resonated with me. Waiting to hear back after any interview can be stressful, but after an interview that already feels less personal, the silence feels even louder. Candidates remember that experience, and it shapes how they view the company.

At Carrot, we’ve made a deliberate choice not to replace that human judgement with AI. Every candidate we work with is assessed by a person, someone who takes the time to understand your experience, your motivations and what you’re actually looking for in your next role, not just what fits a set of keywords or a scoring algorithm. In a specialist field like life sciences, where nuance matters, whether that’s understanding a niche technical background or reading between the lines of a career move, we believe that kind of human insight simply can’t be automated. It’s a big part of why our candidates keep coming back to us, and why we’re able to represent them properly to employers.

This is exactly why candidate experience sits at the heart of how we work at Carrot. We know what it’s like to be left waiting, and we don’t do that to the people we work with. We’re proud to hold a 4.9 rating on Google, built on feedback from candidates who tell us they felt informed, supported and genuinely listened to throughout their job search. Whether you hear back with good news or not, you’ll hear back, because clear, honest communication shouldn’t be the exception in recruitment. It should be the standard

Where AI helps, and where people still matter

None of this means AI doesn’t have a place in recruitment. Used well, it can speed up scheduling, create more consistency during early screening, and free up hiring managers to spend more time on meaningful conversations.

What candidates seem to want is transparency. They want to know when AI is being used, what it’s evaluating, and that a real person is still involved in the hiring decision.

Based on the Greenhouse research, the biggest improvements employers can make are:

• Clearly letting candidates know AI is part of the process before the interview begins.
• Explaining what the AI is actually assessing.
• Confirming that a person reviews AI-generated results before decisions are made.
• Offering the option of a human interview where appropriate.
• Following up promptly with an outcome, whatever the result.

Looking back, what stood out most wasn’t that I was interviewed by AI, it was how much I missed the opportunity to build a genuine connection with another person.

Why this matters to us at Carrot

As specialists in life sciences recruitment, we’re watching this shift closely because candidate experience has never mattered more.

We absolutely see the benefits AI can bring to the hiring process. But in an industry built on relationships, collaboration, and trust, we also believe human connection still matters. Technology can help make hiring more efficient, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of the candidate’s experience.

Whether you’re looking for your next opportunity or you’re an employer thinking about where AI fits into your hiring process, finding the right balance is key. At Carrot Recruitment, we’re passionate about helping life sciences companies and consultancies build exceptional teams while making sure every candidate has the best possible experience along the way.

Looking for your next role? 

Cara Sosnoski

Associate Director, Client Partnerships