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About half of all job seekers are using AI to apply for roles, according to a new report. Employers and recruiters say they have been inundated with low-quality, robot-written submissions.
Candidates have been turning to generative AI, such as Gemini and ChatGPT, to assist them with writing job applications, curricula vitae, and cover letters. The Financial Times cites employers and recruiters who say as much as 50% were using artificial intelligence.
Khyati Sundaram, chief executive of recruitment platform Applied, told the publication: “We’re definitely seeing higher volume and lower quality, which means it is harder to sift through.
“A candidate can copy and paste any application question into ChatGPT, and then can copy and paste that back into that application form.”
How many job hunters are using AI for CVs and applications?
According to HR start-up Beamery, a survey of 2,500 UK workers found that around 46% of job hunters are using generative AI to search and apply for posts. Another poll of 5,000 global job seekers by graphic design platform Canva, said that 45% had used the technology to build or improve their resumes. Similarly, consulting firm Neurosight also saw that 57% of applicants had used ChatGPT in their job applications.
Andy Heyes of tech recruiter Harvey Nash stated that there were “tell-tale signs [like] American grammar,” and “bland” applications gave “an indication of whether candidates have used AI.”
Several major employers have reportedly cracked down on the use of AI in the graduate recruitment process. Among them are the Big Four accountants Deloitte, EY, PwC and KPMG.
In response to the surveys, Suzanne Hills, a sales and marketing director at the aerospace company Hutchinson, wrote in a LinkedIn post that the situation seemed rather ironic. She said: “If both job seekers and employers are using AI in the recruitment process, perhaps it’s time to rethink the system altogether before the recruitment process descends into farce?”
Furthering the irony, the Beamery report revealed that workers are still concerned that AI would take over their jobs, with 36% feeling concerned that it may reduce the human workforce.
Featured image: Ideogram
