Podcast: Hired by an algorithm

If you've applied for a job lately, it's all but guaranteed that your application was reviewed by software--in most cases, before a human ever laid eyes on it. In this episode, the first in a four-part investigation into automated hiring practices, we speak with the CEOs of ZipRecruiter and CareerBuilder, and one of the architects of LinkedIn's algorithmic job-matching system, to explore how AI is increasingly playing matchmaker between job searchers and employers. But while software helps speed up the process of sifting through the job market, algorithms have a history of biasing the opportunities they present to people by gender, race...and in at least one case, whether you played lacrosse in high school. This miniseries on hiring was reported by Hilke Schellmann and produced by Jennifer Strong, Emma Cillekens, and Anthony Green with special thanks to Karen Hao. Jennifer: Searching for a job can be incredibly stressful, especially when you've been at it for a while. Anonymous Jobseeker: At that moment in time I wanted to give up, and I was like, all right, maybe this, this industry isn't for me or maybe I'm just dumb. And I was just like, really beating myself up. I did go into the imposter syndrome, when I felt like this is not where I belong. Jennifer: And this woman, who we'll call Sally, knows the struggle all too well. She's a black woman with a unique name trying to break into the tech industry. Since she's criticizing the hiring methods of potential employers, she's asked us not to use her real name. Anonymous Jobseeker: So, I use Glassdoor, I use LinkedIn, going to the website specifically, as well as other people in my networks to see, hey, are they hiring? And yeah, I think in total I applied to 146 jobs. Jennifer: And.. she knows that exact number, because she put every application in a spreadsheet.