HMN 2025: How Online job interview simulator improves prospects for people returning from incarceration

In a job-hunting market where every edge counts, most people look for ways to stand out—but what about those returning from prison?

A new University of Michigan study published in the Journal of Experimental Criminology found that virtual job interview training can be a game-changer by helping individuals practice job interviews in realistic scenarios. The tool boosted their confidence and sped up the path to employment.

For many, it’s not just tech—it’s a second chance. The study could lead to more interest in virtual training to help returning citizens after prison release.

Researchers partnered with two Michigan prisons to conduct a trial that evaluated whether Virtual Reality Job Interview Training, an online job interview simulator, improved post-release employment outcomes among returning citizens who completed the training. The study involved more than 100 participants—two-thirds received virtual training and feedback that uses speech recognition software.

Six months after their release, the many trainees who had the training reported securing a job, the study showed. Improved interviewing skills positively impacted employment outcomes, not just within pre-release programs, but after returning to their communities.

“Implementing virtual job interview training within vocational services could bridge a critical gap in employment readiness, thereby helping returning citizens to overcome barriers to employment,” said Matthew Smith, U-M professor of social work and the study’s lead author.

Smith, associate dean for research at the School of Social Work and director of U-M’s Level Up: Employment Skills Simulation Lab, said it’s important that everyone has a fair chance to be hired. Those impacted by the criminal legal system who obtain jobs will feel as if they are making meaningful contributions to society as they pursue a career pathway, he said.

Meanwhile, employers will have access to a skilled group to help labor shortages, he said.