AI in recruitment: when every candidate is “perfect”

In the last 12 months, AI has become a significant part of the recruitment landscape. For many HR teams and recruiting managers, understanding how candidates are using AI tools – and how to respond – is now a top priority.

Candidates are using AI at every stage of the application process. A recent survey found 51% of candidates had used AI tools to refine or optimise their CVs. They are also using AI to complete job applications, apply for jobs at scale, refine answers to selection tests and receive real-time prompts during Teams interviews. At the more extreme end, some employers are reporting the use of AI-generated avatars in interviews using deepfake technology.

As AI use becomes widespread, employers are facing a fundamental question: if every candidate can present as “perfect”, what does that mean for recruitment and selection processes?

The challenge for employers

The growing use of AI by candidates raises several practical and strategic issues for employers:

• Assessing genuine capability: AI makes it harder to assess a candidate’s true capabilities and to identify the best candidates in a reliable way
• Accuracy and trust: GenAI tools (like ChatGPT and Copilot) are not always reliable and can distort information. There is an important distinction between using AI to refine an application and allowing it to present misleading or inaccurate information. That line is not always easy to draw in practice. Some recruiting managers are becoming more sceptical when reviewing applications, which can erode trust in the process.
• Fairness and accessibility: There is a risk of unequal advantage if some candidates have greater access to AI tools or the skills to use them effectively. At the same time, there are situations in which AI may help to level the playing field – for example, by supporting certain disabled applicants who may otherwise be at a disadvantage.
• Increased number of applications: AI tools enable candidates to apply for roles at scale and at speed. Many employers are seeing a significant increase in application numbers, placing extra pressure on recruitment teams. Against that backdrop, employers need to think carefully about how their processes can continue to identify the best candidates in a fair and reliable way.

How should employers respond

There is no single “right” answer and the appropriate approach will vary depending on the role and organisation.

Clear communication has a big role to play. A blanket ban on AI use may be unrealistic, in a world where it is quickly becoming the norm. A better approach may be to be upfront with candidates, setting out clearly what your organisation considers acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in the application and interview process

This will require careful thought about what skills you are trying to assess and whether use of AI would undermine that objective. As with all employment policies, it is important to be able to justify your decisions, for example by reference to proportionality and business need. You will also need to be ready to adjust your approach where AI-tools may assist with accessibility, for example in the context of reasonable adjustments for a disability, or for language translation.

But what do you do if you suspect a candidate has used AI in breach of your guidelines? Employers may consider raising the matter with the candidate or, in appropriate cases, removing them from the process. However, employers will need to be alive to potential discrimination risks and to ensure that any response is proportionate and applied consistently. 

Other steps that employers may wish to consider include:

• strengthening screening and verification checks;
• favouring face-to-face interviews (far less common since the Covid-19 pandemic); and
• using probationary periods more effectively to assess skills in practice.

Striking the right balance

For employers, the challenge is to strike a balance between embracing the benefits of new technology and maintaining fair, effective and trustworthy selection processes. 

This is likely to require a shift of focus, with renewed emphasis on human interaction at every stage of the recruitment process.

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