Rejected by a computer

Rejected by a computer

I wrote this back in 2014 edited 2024

A worrying trend of late is when applying for a online job that you get rejected by the computer. A recent example for me was applying for a job at Barclays at Canary Warf for a web developer. I did the initial test and all went very well. At the end of what I thought was the whole of the application, which took half an hour, it said that I was an extremely strong candidate. Further it said that my application would be shown to a human and they would get back to me.

However immediately after this an email came, clearly automatically, which informed me I needed to take a few tests as a formality. After another hour of my life had passed the tests were done. I probably did well but for my all-time problem of mathematics. Again, at the end of this an email arrived instantly to inform me that my application would not be taken any further. This is a disturbing trend, I am a web designer, not a mathematician. I am also dyslexic and there was no accommodation of that fact or anyway to notify them of that.

The fact that no human ever saw the “strong candidate” is disturbing. Obviously it proves to me I didn’t want to work for a company like that, but the worry is that the world will turn to automation like this.