Recruitment battle of the bots

When it comes to finding a new job or employee, is it your AI verses theirs?

In the recruitment landscape, "recruitment bot vs bot" refers to the situation where both job seekers and employers are using AI-powered tools to automate parts of the hiring process, leading to a potential "arms race" where AI systems compete to outsmart each other, impacting the quality of applications and the overall hiring experience.

That first paragraph was written by AI. You’re probably wondering now whether this one is as well.

It’s not. And AI will not be used in the rest of this article – we promise. But it’s hard to tell, right? In a bid to optimise efficiency everyone is using it.

Consider then the challenge hiring managers face as they tackle hundreds of algorithmically generated job applications. Hundreds of applicants using an AI resume builder or an AI cover letter generator. More worryingly, consider your own CV and cover letter jostling for attention.

Separate reports have recently come up with the oppositional statistics that while 73 per cent of Australians are using AI to apply for jobs, some 80 per cent of hiring managers dislike AI-generated applications.

It appears more than ever that bots are trying to outfox bots, and yet everyone says that the one thing they want is authenticity.

Jobseekers and hiring companies have all embraced AI

The extent to which everyone has embraced AI in the recruitment process is astounding.

Recent research from Capterra has highlighted widespread use of artificial intelligence (AI) in job applications, with 73 per cent of Australian job seekers using AI tools such as an AI CV maker or AI cover letter generator to help with their CVs and cover letters – that’s 15 per cent higher than the global average.

Even more concerning is that 90 per cent of those AI users admitted fabricating skills or qualifications in those applications.

With the speed and ease that AI brings, companies are becoming overwhelmed by algorithmically generated job applications, as candidates apply for more jobs than ever before.

Ironically, it is reported that one San Francisco-based AI company Anthropic put out a message to job applicants urging them to refrain from using AI tools in their job applications, despite continuing to support its use in the workplace.

Meanwhile in London, top recruiters are apparently urging jobseekers to use artificial intelligence tools to apply for roles. Indeed some bigger recruitment companies have started offering AI tools to candidates in a bid to help them write CVs and draft cover letters. The age of the AI resume builder and AI cover letter is being embraced.

Smart Company Australia put conservative figures at 65 per cent of job seekers are using AI, but a huge 92 per cent of hiring managers are using AI in the recruitment process. They are quoted as saying that almost all jobseekers who used AI said they received an interview call back.

But possibly that’s because their AI is talking to the hiring organisations’ AI.

At least if AI gets you a foot in the door, you won’t encounter AI in the interview process… well, that might not quite be true anymore either.

A race to the bot-tom?

Last year, a report by Jobscan found that almost all Fortune 500 companies now use AI tools to track applications — this involves scanning CVs to remove those unsuitable.

But then conversely another article highlighted that 80 per cent of hiring managers discard AI-generated job applications.

If that’s the case, is AI just spinning people’s wheels? While the volume of applications for jobs are going up, are the same people getting jobs – based on their authentic skills and experiences – who would have got the job anyway? Are we just slowing down the whole process, but getting no discernible difference in outcomes?

A recent study by Software Finder reports that although AI solutions could assist job seekers, it also prolongs the hiring process and raises concerns over the issue of authenticity.

Certainly, if people are fabricating experience and qualifications, that can only end badly – either at review stage, when references are sought, or potentially even further down the line.

So what do you do next?

AI is out of the box and if everyone else is using it then why penalise yourself unnecessarily. The trick is knowing how much of AI to use, and how much of yourself.

The first thing is making sure you have an application to ‘beat the bots’. A few tips to do that include:

Using the job description to write your cover letter using an AI cover letter generator. This ensures that key words and phrases the bot will be looking for are picked up.
Ensure that your most recent roles and responsibilities are rewritten to emphasise the parts most matching the role you are applying for. An AI resume builder can help with this.
Check out any marketing collateral from the organisation you are applying to. Look at their website and any releases to see if there is any language they use consistently. This can possibly be worked into your AI cover letter.
Add a human lens to everything. It’s usually apparent when something is written in AI – slightly too stiff and lacking a human touch. Rewrite anything that doesn’t sound natural. Give it some authenticity and personality.
Then check the whole thing for errors and consistency, but don’t worry if the application isn’t perfect. If you make a small mistake, that’s human – and actually proves the fact.

There is no definitive way to detect when an application has been completed by AI entirely, but there are some clues, such as:

Flawless grammar, spelling, and punctuation, without any errors at all.
Overly sophisticated vocabulary, without any repetition or redundancy.
No filler words or vague phrases, just key words.
No mismatch or inconsistency of tone whatsoever.
An AI application will also lack specific examples and will be more generalised.
In a nutshell – use AI to speed up the process, but never to replace it. Make sure your application is YOU, enhanced by AI – not vice versa.

And whatever you do, don’t fabricate your experiences or qualifications, that can only end badly.

As for AI-free interviews…

While some companies are urging candidates to use AI to help with their applications, others still are asking them to avoid it, even going as far as to include AI detectors in their software to alert hiring managers when AI has been used to write resumes or written interview questions. And the use of AI doesn’t stop there. Some organisations are going further and are using AI at the person-to-person interview stage as well. This suite of technology promises to analyse body language and use vocal assessments to decide whether an applicant is a good match or not.

As a result, companies are now releasing software that also gives candidates the power to use AI during an interview. While previously AI has been used to prep for interviews through practice sessions, now AI can guide candidates in real time. Without the hiring manager being aware, candidates can use AI to ‘listen in’ on interviews and give text-based answer in real time for the candidate to reply.

There are positives though...

While some of what we’ve shared highlights the pitfalls of AI in recruitment, there is of course an upside – if there wasn’t, then it wouldn’t be becoming so widespread. And there are always teething problems with any new technology.

From a candidate point of view, if you can use it to enhance rather than take over the application process, then you can be more efficient and focussed on your cover letters and resume. From a hiring manager perspective, it can increase ROI and speed up the whole process.

And finally, AI job ads are down...

It is also being reported that advertisements for artificial intelligence-related roles are shrinking in Australia, new job data reveals, with the number of roles down 35 per cent compared to when ChatGPT first launched more than two years ago.

AI job ads are currently representing just 0.5 per cent of all job ads.

And we know who’s applying for those job ads…