A pioneering step in public sector recruitment is being taken by the Maharashtra Cyber Police, which has become the first government department in the state to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into its hiring process. As part of a pilot project, AI tools will be used to conduct initial rounds of interviews for 150 cyber consultant positions expected to be filled over the coming months.
The adoption of AI in the recruitment process has been prompted by the need to streamline hiring, reduce processing time, and minimise human bias. A collaboration has been established with two firms—Nova Strategic Operations (NSO), based in India, and VeriKlick, a U.S.-based company—under a non-commercial arrangement. Through this partnership, AI-driven interview and screening systems will be deployed to assess a large pool of applicants.
Over 2,400 applications have already been received in response to a recent job advertisement posted by the department. In order to handle this volume efficiently, a technology-led approach has been chosen. It has been revealed by officials that interviews will be conducted by AI bots, which will pose adaptive, voice-based questions and assess candidates using facial and voice recognition technologies. Based on the responses, scores will be generated digitally and shared with department officials for further consideration.
It has been explained by the authorities that the AI interface has been trained using over 70,000 hours of interview data. After a candidate’s eligibility is confirmed, a unique link will be shared, allowing the virtual interview to commence. The interaction will be carried out by a bot that adjusts its line of questioning depending on the answers provided, ensuring each interview is personalised and skill-focused. Once the interview is completed, a report devoid of any personal identifiers will be submitted to the recruitment team. Candidates will be referred to by assigned numbers rather than names or genders, to ensure unbiased evaluations.
It has also been clarified that the AI-based round will not entirely replace human judgement. All candidates shortlisted by the automated process will still be called for in-person interviews, where final selections will be made. This dual-layer process has been designed to ensure both efficiency and accuracy, while also preventing false positives from being relied upon without human verification.
It has been stated by Additional Director General (Cyber) Yashasvi Yadav that the Maharashtra Cyber Police may be the first government agency in the country to adopt such a process. A significant reduction in man-hours, improved accuracy in candidate selection, and minimisation of human bias are expected to result from the integration of AI into hiring. The move has been described as a shift toward a more innovative and transparent public recruitment system, where technology is being used not to replace but to enhance human decision-making.
Share
Tweet
