Colleva

Job Seeker Insights

Candidate Voices: What Diverse Job Seekers Told Us

AI in hiring often sparks one big question: will candidates actually accept it? To answer that, we invited 667 job seekers across seven roles to complete structured AI avatar interviews on our platform and tell us what they thought.

This research was something we chose to do above and beyond our independent bias audit. While the audit confirmed our platform treats candidates fairly across demographics, we wanted to ensure the experience felt just as fair and accessible to the people who matter most: job seekers themselves.

The results were clear: candidates didn’t just tolerate the format. They found it fair, valuable, and even empowering.

By the numbers

Here’s what job seekers told us after completing an AI-led interview:

91% said the interview gave them a fair chance to present their qualifications.
84% said it was a valuable part of the application process.
83% felt a recruiter would understand them better because of the experience.
80% said it left them feeling more confident in their application.

Those aren’t small margins — they point to strong candidate acceptance across demographics, roles, and backgrounds.

In their own words

The most powerful insights came directly from participants. Candidates described the AI-led avatar interviews as:

“More human than I expected — I didn’t feel judged, and I could just focus on what I had to say.”
“The avatar made me feel more at ease than a real person, because I knew it wasn’t evaluating me on anything but my answers.”
“It was structured, clear, and less nerve-wracking than other interviews I’ve done.”

For many, the experience wasn’t just acceptable — it was preferable.

Fairness across diverse groups

One of the most encouraging findings was how consistently the format resonated across demographics:

People of color reported higher satisfaction and comfort than other participants.
Non-native English speakers and older candidates described the interviews as accessible and fair.
Candidates with disabilities also found the format inclusive.
Even by role type, satisfaction was high — with financial advisors, often seen as “knowledge workers” who prefer human interaction, reporting the highest satisfaction rates of all.

In short: fairness wasn’t just an audit result — candidates felt it in the experience itself.

Why candidate voices matter

Independent audits validate the fairness of our system. But fairness is also about perception and trust. By conducting this additional study, we showed that candidates themselves feel the process is equitable, consistent, and empowering. Their voices confirm that technology can not only pass an audit but also improve the candidate experience in practice.

At Colleva, we’ll keep listening, auditing, and improving — because fairness is both a technical standard and a human outcome.

Ready to see how fair, structured, and candidate-friendly hiring can work in your organization? Learn more about Colleva’s Talent Acquisition platform.

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By the numbers

In their own words

Fairness across diverse groups

Why candidate voices matter

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