Four in Ten AI Interviews in Sweden Happen Outside Office Hours

Tengai AB has analyzed more than 20,000 screening interviews conducted in Sweden with its AI avatar. 44% take place before 8 a.m., from 5 p.m., or on weekends. Office hours are no longer interview hours.

An analysis of 20,291 interviews conducted by Tengai's AI avatar between January 2025 and September 2026 shows that four in ten interviews started outside regular work hours.

• 44% of interviews take place outside work hours, meaning before 8 a.m. or from 5 p.m. on weekdays, or on weekends.
• 85% take place on weekdays and 15% on weekends. Sundays (8.9%) are more common than Saturdays (6.4%).
• 34% of weekday interviews take place before 8 a.m. or from 5 p.m.

"Candidates interview when life allows it. After work, after school pickup, or during lunch. But they don't do it in the middle of the night, which is more common in international data outside of Sweden," says Mathias Ahdrian, Head of Sales at Tengai.

In early screening, Tengai often replaces the traditional phone screen, a call that requires both the candidate and the recruiter to be available at the same time during work hours. This makes it easier for applicants who already have a job. For employers, an early step in the process becomes more efficient, and more applicants can be interviewed, which creates a broader candidate pool.

"Candidates used to have to sneak out of work to take the phone screen, or the recruiter had to call at seven in the evening. Now candidates interview when they have time, and recruiters make decisions based on comparable data when it suits them. It’s a win-win for both parties," concludes Mathias Ahdrian.

Read the full analysis, with an international comparison and what it means for employers and candidates.

About the data
The analysis covers 20,291 interviews in Tengai between January 2025 and September 2026, grouped by start hour in Swedish time. Outside work hours is defined as before 8 a.m. or from 5 p.m. on weekdays, plus Saturdays and Sundays.