Upwork launches AI-conducted interviews to help employers sift through job applicants

Freelancer marketplace platform Upwork Inc. is beefing up its artificial intelligence capabilities with a new Uma chatbot-powered feature called “Instant Interviews” that aims to help employers streamline the initial screening process and narrow down their list of job candidates.

The updates to Uma are part of a comprehensive revamp of the Upwork platform. Other new features include an integrated video meeting tool, a revamped and context-aware search experience, enhanced job posting tools and additional benefits for premium subscribers.

The real highlight of the release is the AI interviews, with Upwork’s AI chatbot Uma now able to automate the entire interview process on behalf of clients, carry out full evaluations of each candidate based on the employer’s interview questions, summarize its findings and then offer recommendations based on them.

The idea is to try to save employers’ time by reducing the need for manual reviews and screening. The goal is to help them make better hiring decisions, faster than before.

That said, Upwork believes the AI interviews will provide benefits for freelancers too, saying that it will enable them to find work faster and carry out interviews at a time that’s suitable for them. They’ll also be able to showcase skills that can’t be fully captured within their cover letters, the company said, such as their language fluency, communication skills and domain expertise.

The company reassured freelancers that Uma’s Instant Interviews are not intended to replace face-to-face connections, but rather give more of them the opportunity to speak directly to prospective clients. The existing, manual screening process means that many candidates fail to get past the initial cover letter stage: They submit a proposal and never hear anything back, often because the interviewer is too busy and doesn’t have time to go through the volume of submissions they receive. After all, they’re only human, and sometimes it’s simply not possible for them to schedule more than a few face-to-face interviews.

With Uma AI, Upwork says, it ensures that every job candidate gets a chance to conduct an interview and make the case as to why they’re the best person for the job. “This levels the playing field a bit, so everyone answers the same questions and also gets the same opportunity to respond,” the company said via email.

Candidates can conduct an interview right at the beginning, as they submit their proposal and cover letter. Once done, the client will receive an AI-generated summary of the candidates interview responses, as well as the full interview video if they desire to watch it, plus a transcript. This will also help to identify when candidates are giving canned responses to the interviewee’s questions, the company said.

The idea, according to Upwork, is that employers can create a shortlist of candidates based on their cover letters and AI interviews, and then conduct a small number of face-to-face meetings with those who impressed them the most.

Dave Bottoms, Upwork’s general manager and senior vice president of product, said AI is becoming a more familiar part of how work gets done, so it makes sense to use it in this way.

“Work is being reshaped in real time, and intelligent agents are becoming a more familiar and essential part of how work gets done,” he said. “With Uma, we’re unlocking a new era where agentic AI amplifies human brilliance to unlock new levels of opportunity, efficiency and impact.”

What else is new?

Other new features in today’s update include integrated video meetings. Previously, Upwork relied on a third-party integration with Zoom to conduct video calls, but it now has its own, AI-native platform complete with transcripts, summaries and recommendations.

The new search enhancements are focused on context-aware suggestions, based on client’s active job posts and search histories and designed to help them find information and talent faster, while the revamped job posting experience comes with AI-generated tips to help employers better define what they’re looking for.

Finally, Upwork said it’s giving more to its premium subscribers. For instance, Business Plus subscribers get access to a new “direct contracts” feature that lets them invite, manage and pay talent they hire beyond the Upwork platform, plus AI-curated freelancer and proposal shortlists that match their job descriptions.

As for Freelancer Plus subscribers, they’re getting their own dose of AI with “real-time proposal insights” that can help them to adjust their bidding strategies and focus on the most appropriate clients, as well as customizable job alerts that will instantly notify them of any new opportunities that match their skillsets.

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