More than Half of Job Seekers are Using AI to Cheat: Survey

A growing number of employers are using AI-based tools to augment their recruitment process by, for example, generating job descriptions, customizing job postings, and automating candidate searches. Well, many job seekers are using AI tools as well to find their next job. But according to a new survey, some of them are not necessarily doing this in an ethical way.

The Capterra 2024 Job Seeker AI Survey polled nearly 3,000 job seekers and discovered that 58% of candidates are using AI tools in their current job search. The problem? An alarming 83% of them admit to using AI tools to exaggerate or in some cases outright lie about their skills in a resume, cover letter, job application, and/or skills assessment.

In addition, 26% of job seekers say that they have used AI to mass apply to jobs. And while this practice is not patently deceitful or unethical, it does clog recruiting pipelines with undifferentiated applications.

“What makes this issue so complex is that not all AI uses are necessarily bad,” comments Brian Westfall, principal HR analyst at Capterra. “If a job seeker is using AI to refine their resume or cover letter, most employers won’t bat an eye. It’s when they’re using AI to mask a skills deficiency that recruiters need to be on guard.”

According to Capterra, employers can mitigate AI deception by job seekers in a few ways:

• Proactively tell candidates which uses of AI are acceptable, and which uses are not.
• Leverage tools to detect fraudulent content.
• Shift to video or in-person interviews to avoid AI-generated responses.
• Place more emphasis on candidate references.
• Ensure that hiring managers have enough time to conduct thorough screening.

States the survey report: “Companies have a difficult time identifying the best job candidate as it is. In a survey, nearly three in four small-business employers said they’ve hired the wrong person for a position in the past — costing them as much as $10,000 to rectify. If businesses don’t get on top of job seeker AI deception soon, even more costly bad hires will follow…As more job seekers realize the benefits of AI to their job search, employers will need to move quickly to draw their line in the sand on what constitutes AI fair play. Those that then combine the right AI detection tools with critical recruiting processes and culture changes will have a clear advantage in identifying and hiring truly talented candidates.”