Andy Burnham warns against using virtual job interviews or AI during recruiting
The Prime Minister said he doesn't like this culture of interviewing via Zoom or Teams.
Andy Burnham has called on employers to reconsider their reliance on virtual job interviews, arguing the technology may not give young people the ability to “shine” during the hiring process.
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Mr Burnham said he was concerned that post-pandemic recruitment practices were not becoming “fairer”.
“One thing I really don’t like is this culture now of interviewing via Zoom or Teams,” he said.
“That just doesn’t seem right to me. I know it’s convenient for the organisations that do it, but how does a young person shine in that situation?”
He added: “How do you get over some of your personality, your passion? It seems to me to then work against people who have that side to their character and work for those who are just giving the more formulaic answer.
“I do worry about that and I’ve seen that in relation to my kids and their situation.”
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Speaking to former political adviser Jimmy McLoughlin, host of the Jimmy’s Jobs of the Future podcast, the PM also raised concerns about the increasing use of artificial intelligence to screen potential candidates, questioning how young people without existing connections could get their foot in the door.
He added he did not feel that “recruitment in the post-pandemic era is becoming fairer”.
An AI ministerial role was recently created by Mr Burnham, with Kanishka Narayan appointed to the post and given a seat at Cabinet.
In a bid to encourage the hiring of more young people, Mr Burnham also told the podcast the Government would place more emphasis on “social value” when awarding contracts, which could include whether firms offer young people work experience.
The Prime Minister said he wanted to increase the number of 45-day placements, to give 16 to 18-year-olds the chance to spend more time with an employer and gain practical experience.
He also urged senior executives to give young people without professional contacts the chance to shadow them, saying he would “always be open to looking at” regulations that might stand in the way.
Speaking at No 10, Mr Burnham referred to his successes getting placements for young people while mayor of Greater Manchester, as he said the move would help tackle youth unemployment.
Mr Burnham said: “I will be changing public procurement (to include) more social value weighting in public contracts, and it will particularly be focusing on more provision of those 45-day work placements.”
On Tuesday, the Prime Minister unveiled plans to open up new technical education routes to 14-year-olds, which would be put on the same footing as traditional academic pathways.
From Year 10, pupils will be able to combine core academic subjects, like English and maths, with technical education linked to jobs in their area.
Mr Burnham also emphasised the importance of subjects like sports and the arts in schools.
“I make a very big critique of the (former Education Secretary Michael) Gove era because sport was dismantled in schools and the creative subjects were pushed right out of the curriculum,” he told the podcast.
“That’s wrong as far as I’m concerned because the creative subjects, sport, brings employability skills. The things you learn by doing those things are huge.”
He added: “Creativity in young people and enabling them to feel confident and the confidence that comes with excelling in sport and the arts is massive, expect that to be a feature of my time.”