'A CV used to be a candidate's account of themselves. Increasingly, it's an AI's account of what a recruiter wants to read': Report finds most recruiters don't believe anyone is actually writing their

• Report finds 75% of recruiters believe the majority of CVs and profiles they are sent are written by AI
• The survey of British recruiters reveals that 73% verify a candidate’s skills, a process that can up to 60 minutes
• TestGorilla’s research also found 33% of recruiters observing little difference between applications in AI fields

If you’re writing or polishing your CV with AI, it hasn’t gone unnoticed. Recruitment specialists are having a hard time with CVs and profiles they’re sent, with 75% of UK recruiters convinced that the majority are written with AI. This leaves them with a problem: how do they accurately assess skills, and can they be sure the candidate has genuine experience?

New research from TestGorilla also shows a different attitude to hiring between UK and US recruiters. UK based talent acquisition professionals are less likely (15%) to hire a candidate based on their promise of being able to do a job than those in the US (23%).

AI’s impact on recruitment may have made it easier to process a lot of applications, but it has a shortcoming. Many applicant profiles read much like another, particularly in AI fields, with 33% of recruiters observing little difference between applications.

The AI era

TestGorilla's report, which spoke to HR personnel in the UK and US, found 49% of recruiters in the former are struggling with verifying applicant skills, making it their single largest problem in sourcing new people. Meanwhile, 43% cite a shortage of skilled candidates.

Also of concern is the depth of AI skills that candidates are claiming, with 87% of recruiters saying that an applicant’s AI skills were in fact weaker than indicated. CV fakery is not a new problem, but it is one that has been enhanced in the age of AI.

AI-targeted CVs

With AI now pivotal for every element of a job application, the goalposts have shifted, but it seems recruiters are back to square one.

Wouter Durville, CEO of TestGorilla, says “A CV used to be a candidate's account of themselves. Increasingly, it's an AI's account of what a recruiter wants to read.”

As the research shows, recruiters get more applicants, but verifying them is a struggle, and they can’t just accept what is in a CV – which means a change in the application process is now needed.

Durville adds: "Reading harder won't solve [verification] and the hour they spend on every candidate shows that. Candidates should have the opportunity to demonstrate what they can actually do early in the hiring process, so recruiters can make informed decisions without spending hours verifying claims on a CV."