What is an automated interview? Basically, you buy the service from a vendor and pre-record a set of questions. Then you get a toll free number to put in job ads or give to candidates you’d like to learn more about.

The candidates call the number at their convenience, listen to the questions and record their answers.

(Check out a vendor offering the service here.)

Is it a worthy idea? It might help out if you don’t have the manpower to do phone screens with an actual human being on the other end. But even then, there’s no way to probe, so you aren’t really likely to find out much more than you can get from the resume and cover letter.

But who knows. Stranger things have become normal practice. What do you think about it? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section.