Using Behavioural Assessments Effectively in the Age of AI

Artificial Intelligence is rapidly changing the recruitment landscape. Candidates now have access to AI tools that can help write resumes and cover letters, prepare for interviews and even assist with online assessments. While these tools can enhance a candidate’s presentation, they can also make it more difficult for employers to distinguish between polished applications and genuine suitability for a role.

As traditional recruitment indicators become easier to optimise with AI, behavioural and psychometric assessments can play an increasingly important role. They provide valuable insight into how a person is likely to behave in the workplace, how they approach challenges and whether they may be a good fit for a specific role and team.

Here are several practical strategies organisations can use to maintain confidence in their recruitment process while embracing the realities of AI.

Candidates should understand that behavioural assessments are designed to measure their own characteristics, preferences, attitudes and abilities. Encourage applicants to complete assessments independently and honestly, without assistance from AI tools, search engines or other people.

Making expectations clear from the outset helps establish appropriate assessment behaviour and reinforces the importance of authentic responses.

Assessment results should not be viewed in isolation. Instead, use them to guide deeper conversations during interviews.

If an assessment indicates strong resilience, high conscientiousness or another notable characteristic, explore the result further by asking candidates to provide real-life examples. Questions such as:

• What happened next?
• Why did you respond that way?
• Would you do anything differently now?

can help verify whether assessment results align with a candidate’s actual experiences and behaviours.

Providing detailed descriptions of the exact personality traits, attitudes or behaviours you are seeking can unintentionally encourage candidates to tailor their responses.

Whether using AI assistance or not, candidates are more likely to attempt to match a perceived ideal profile if they know exactly what employers are looking for. Keeping benchmark criteria confidential helps preserve the integrity of the assessment process.

Create organisation-specific benchmarks

One of the most effective ways to improve hiring accuracy is to benchmark candidates against the characteristics of your own high-performing employees.

Custom benchmarks create a profile that reflects the unique requirements of your organisation and make it far more difficult for candidates to predict what responses may appear most desirable. Organisation-specific benchmarking can also provide a more meaningful measure of suitability than generic industry comparisons.

No assessment, interview or reference check should stand alone.

Instead, consider the overall pattern of evidence. Ask yourself:

• Do assessment results align with interview responses?
• Are key behaviours supported by referee feedback?
• Does practical performance match the capabilities suggested by the assessment?
• Can the candidate explain and demonstrate the strengths identified in their profile?

The more consistency you see across different recruitment stages, the greater your confidence in the hiring decision.

For some roles, particularly those with a large number of applicants, supervised assessment centres may provide additional confidence.

Assessment centres allow employers to combine behavioural assessments with other selection activities such as:

• Structured interviews
• Role plays
• Group exercises
• Situational judgement activities
• Practical job-related tasks

These environments provide opportunities to observe how candidates communicate, solve problems and interact with others while reducing the opportunity for external assistance.

Rather than treating AI as a taboo topic, consider discussing it directly with candidates.

While it may not always be possible to verify whether AI has been used, asking candidates about their approach can encourage transparency and provide useful insight into their decision-making. Establishing clear guidelines around acceptable and unacceptable AI use within your recruitment process can also help set expectations.

AI is unlikely to disappear from the recruitment process. Instead, employers should focus on strengthening the way information is collected, explored and verified.

Behavioural assessments remain a powerful recruitment tool, but their value is greatest when combined with structured interviews, multiple sources of evidence and thoughtful follow-up discussions.

The key is simple:

Assess. Explore. Verify.

By taking a holistic approach, organisations can continue to make informed hiring decisions while adapting to an increasingly AI-enabled world.