Yellow Arrow

There’s a shift that I’ve spotted at the senior level

More of the CVs I see tick every box. They quantify impact, they tell the story, properly and that would usually mean, “they’re worth a screening call”.

It’s very different to how it was even 12 months ago.

It’s going to lead to a significant time sink for internal hiring teams and hiring managers.

Unless you’ve got somebody at the front end who knows how to properly interview and assess talent, you’re just going to waste more time. And time, in this context? That’s bad hires, wasted budget, slower growth, internal friction… take your pick.

How many leaders/managers have had proper interview training?

How many managers know how to properly score an interview, read body language, take detailed notes, probe deeply into what somebody has achieved?

I’d argue it’s fewer than you’d think.

Most people become managers due to being good at the job they do. They then become responsible for hiring people. They usually learn how to interview from somebody else who didn’t have interview training.

How it used to work (in a lot of businesses):

A need arises because Jeff handed his notice in. They’d dust off an old Job Description (probably from a few years ago), change the last reviewed date in the footer to today’s date and then post it on a job board (and probably send it out to a few recruiters). When it comes to interviewing, they’d either look for past interview questions or if they couldn’t find them, they’d use their trusty friend, Mr/Mrs. google for some.

Simple.

We had a candidate last month who looked perfect on paper. But five minutes into the interview, it was clear they couldn’t evidence half of it… (Has it happened to you yet?)

Nowadays, they go onto their chosen AI model, ask it for a JD for a _______ role. Then ask it to write an advert. Then get it to create some interview questions. If they’re really good with AI, they’ll also ask for a scoring matrix.

On the candidate side. They’re wise to this. They upload the JD to their chosen AI model (potentially the same one as the hiring company) alongside their CV and they ask it to “tailor my CV to this job”.

Few seconds later, and depending on how good they are at prompting, out pops a CV that looks like a perfect fit for the role.

They hit apply. The CV does the job. A few days later, they’re invited to interview.

They don’t remember applying for the role. So they dig out the JD, upload it to their model, and ask: “What questions might I get?”

Then they go one step further: “Based on my CV, how should I answer that?”

So, you now have a bunch of candidates with cracking CVs, ready prepared answers to your questions and a bit of initiative.

So what happens when you’ve got polished answers, polished CVs… and no one in the room trained to tell the difference? Do you see the problem yet?

In a market this competitive, if you can’t tell what’s real at interview… someone else will.

That’s the bit we focus on at Corvus People, getting past the polish.

We ask better questions (We often hear “that’s a good question, I’ve not heard that one before”) and we know what to look for.

It’s what we do every day, and if that kind of sharp thinking would help you, just give me a shout.

By Michael Hewitt


You May Also Like...

There’s a shift that I’ve spotted at the senior level

There’s a shift that I’ve spotted at the senior level

Jul 02, 2025 | Business Advice, Career Advice, Executive Search, Recruitment

More of the CVs I see tick every box. They quantify impact, they tell the story, properly and that would usually mean, “they’re worth a screening call”

read more
The 5 Human Skills You Need to Thrive in the Age of AI

The 5 Human Skills You Need to Thrive in the Age of AI

Jul 02, 2025 | Business Advice, Executive Search, Recruitment

AI is no longer a future concept, it’s here, embedded in our workspaces, reshaping roles, and redefining what it means to be “employable.” What do we bring to the table that AI can’t replicate?

read more
From Awareness to Action: How to Measure and Develop Human Skills in the Age of AI

From Awareness to Action: How to Measure and Develop Human Skills in the Age of AI

Jul 02, 2025 | Business Advice, Executive Search, HR Consulting, Recruitment

In a world increasingly augmented by AI, the spotlight is shifting to the human skills machines can’t replicate; imagination, creativity, emotional intelligence, ethical reasoning, and storytelling. These aren’t just “nice to have” anymore. They are becoming the core skills of high-performance teams and resilient organisations.

read more
Why Fractional Leadership Could be the Smart Hire for Growth-Stage Owner-Led Businesses

Why Fractional Leadership Could be the Smart Hire for Growth-Stage Owner-Led Businesses

Jul 02, 2025 | Business Advice, Business News, Executive Search

In today’s fast-moving often unpredictable business climate owner-led and privately held firms face a unique leadership dilemma. They’re scaling quickly, investing in new markets or navigating periods of transformation but, don’t always have the capacity or confidence to bring in full-time senior executives.

read more
Succession Planning in Northern Ireland’s Family Businesses: The Opportunity No One’s Grabbing

Succession Planning in Northern Ireland’s Family Businesses: The Opportunity No One’s Grabbing

May 28, 2025 | Business Advice, HR Consulting

Let’s talk about something that’s quietly becoming a big deal in Northern Ireland’s business community — succession planning, especially in family-run companies.

read more
Five Jobs Likely to Emerge Over the Next Three Years as Technology Evolves

Five Jobs Likely to Emerge Over the Next Three Years as Technology Evolves

May 28, 2025 | Business News, Career Advice

The world of work is changing at a pace we’ve not seen before. While some roles are gradually becoming obsolete, others unheard of even five years ago, are gaining real traction. The driving force behind this shift is the steady integration of intelligent systems into daily business and life.

read more

Sign up to our mailing list

Let’s stay in touch

Keep up to date with the latest insights from Corvus with our newsletter. We'll never spam you and will only send you the good stuff. We'll never share your email address.