Nearly seven in 10 employers will use AI to automatically reject candidates without human oversight, … [+] which necessitates job-seekers finding alternative ways to get their applications viewed by a human
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Just when you thought the impact of artificial intelligence on job loss couldn’t get any bleaker, nearly seven in 10 employers plan to use AI in the coming year to screen and reject candidates without human input or oversight, even conducting entire interviews, per the findings of a recent Resume Builder survey of nearly 1,000 business leaders in October.
By now, it’s a well-known fact that most companies and hiring managers employ the use of AI at some point in their hiring processes, especially when it comes to the proverbial ATS (applicant tracking systems) which can scan through candidate resumes and match them according to the skills and keywords the recruiter is looking for.
How Employers Will Use AI For Hiring In 2025
However, based on the findings of this eye-opening study, it appears that AI usage in hiring will become more frequent than job candidates might find comfortable and be used across more aspects of the hiring process, especially as companies ramp up their hiring plans and attract vast numbers of applicants globally.
Here are the estimated figures below:
Resume review—83%
Candidate assessment analysis—69%
Social media and personal website scan—47%
Chatbots to communicate with candidates—39%
New hire onboarding—36%
Conducting interviews—19%
It’s clear that the greatest percentage of use cases for AI in the hiring process are for resume reviews (as has been the case for a long time already) and assessing a candidate’s suitability for the role based on the completion of assessments.
This poses a significant problem: AI tools in hiring are subject to bias and discrimination. And hiring managers know it. Nearly all of the survey respondents agreed that AI always, often, or occasionally, produces biased recommendations when assessing candidates, including being liable to age, gender, socio-economic, and racial/ethnic bias.
Additionally, hiring managers and talent leaders who plan to increase their usage of AI in hiring by 2025, are concerned that besides bias, AI could screen out qualified candidates (56%) which of course is closely connected to bias, and also cause a reduction in the candidate experience (21%).
However, on the bright side, although a collective 70% of employers use AI to automatically reject candidates at the initial stage (with one in five of these employers using AI to automatically reject candidates at all stages of the hiring process without human review), this figure is set to decrease slightly in 2025. Still, the number of employers using AI throughout hiring to help them achieve their final decision will be up in 2025, compared to this year.
How To Beat ATS And AI Hiring Tools In 2024/2025
So how can you effectively combat the hurdles imposed by AI hiring tools, and ensure that your application is not subjected to bias?
Here are some solutions:
Use AI tools to help you prepare for interviews, such as (list example).
Use AI resume builders to guide you throughout the resume writing process, and to help you with crafting an ATS-friendly resume template.
Be proactive in networking and building relationships with professionals at every level within your industry, from decision-makers (potential hiring managers) to those working as closely as possible to your desired role. Word-of-mouth and tapping into the “hidden job market” before roles are advertized, through your connection with and being recommended by, the right people, will enable you to get ahead of the competition and increase the likelihood of your application being viewed and processed by a real person instead of a robot.
Finally, don’t be afraid to try unconventional methods, and such as sending in a speculative application via email (another way to access the hidden job market).
Tapping into the hidden job market through networking and sending speculative emails, are two … [+] examples of how you can stand out in your application and ensure you land your dream job without AI hurdles
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While there is only so much that you can control from your side as a job-seeker, by following the above tips and doing all within your power to get creative and think outside of the box, you will increase your chances of getting through the job application stages and being hired.