More than a third of recruiters say AI tools are now causing them to miss out on strong candidates, as employers increasingly rely on automation to manage high volumes of applications.
That’s according to new research from CV-Library, one of the UK’s largest job sites, which shows 83% of recruiters use AI in hiring, with 28% relying on it to screen applications. But 35% say it has led to missed talent, while 27% believe strong candidates are being filtered out before they reach an interview.
Jobseekers say AI is ‘unfair’ and too impersonal
The study, based on nearly 500 recruiters and 1,100 candidates reveals more than half (53%) of jobseekers believe they’ve been rejected by AI without a human ever reviewing their CV.
A further 46% say unfair rejection is one of their biggest frustrations when job hunting, while 63% say AI-led hiring is less fair than human judgement.
It is also changing behaviour, with 40% of jobseekers abandoning or considering abandoning applications when AI is used in early screening.
David, 37, a part-time bartender from Doncaster, said:
“Being interviewed by an AI bot felt incredibly alienating – there’s no feedback or human interaction, so you have no idea how you’re coming across. It feels like you’re being filtered out, and with so little real communication, it’s easy for the effort you put in to be completely overlooked.”
Gen Z most sceptical of AI hiring
Younger jobseekers are most concerned about automated hiring decisions. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of Gen Z believe AI is responsible for rejecting their application in early stages – the highest of any generation.
They are also the most frustrated by unfair rejection (53%), followed by Millennials (47%) and Gen X (46%).
AI creates an ‘arms race’ in hiring
The rise of AI is also changing how candidates present themselves. 79% say AI-generated CVs have surged in the past year – but this is creating unintended consequences. 81% of recruiters cite CVs have become more standardised and less distinctive due to AI, with individuality and personality disappearing.
It’s part of an emerging ‘arms race’ as jobseekers use AI to boost their chances, but with so many look-alike CVs flooding in, it’s becoming harder than ever for candidates to stand out and recruiters to find the quality hires.
Even candidates who were initially resistant are adapting. Simon, 39, from the West Midlands, said:
“I stayed away from initial interviews with AI platforms – there’s no human interaction and just entirely impersonal. But now AI is in human calls too, taking notes during interviews. After three months without a job, what am I supposed to do? If AI is going to be a gatekeeper, I may as well use it to help me get through those gates.”
AI use surges – but confidence lags
More than four in five recruiters (83%) say they are using AI to speed up hiring, with 28% relying on it to manage application volume. But its not always delivering the benefits, with just 36% say it improves speed-to-hire.
AI is strongest in admin tasks such as writing job descriptions (63%) and scheduling interviews (38%) but struggles with judgement-based decisions. 72% say AI cannot assess cultural fit, while 55% say it performs poorly when evaluating soft skills.
Lee Biggins, CEO and Founder of CV-Library said: “Candidates have long felt that the human touch is ebbing away from the hiring process and that good people are getting screened out unfairly. This insight from recruiters in both agencies and businesses suggests their frustrations may be justified.
“It’s a timely wake-up call that not everything should be outsourced to AI, especially in recruitment where every candidate is individually unique. It can add value in automating some laborious process, but good recruiters are using it to support human intuition, not replace it.”
Five ways to avoid being filtered out by AI
- Frontload your skills – clearly match your experience to the job description.
- Showcase unique achievements – use measurable outcomes, not generic responsibilities.
- Tailor every application – customise CVs and cover letters for each role.
- Be specific, not vague – include data and context to demonstrate impact.
- Stick to simplicity – avoid overly designed CVs that AI tools may struggle to read.
CV-Library has also published a set of AI prompts to help jobseekers strengthen CVs while maintaining individuality and personality: https://www.cv-library.co.uk/career-advice/cv/how-to-use-ai-effectively-to-write-your-cv/.
Full report: https://www.cv-library.co.uk/recruitment-insight/ai-in-recruitment-survey/.
About the research:
CV-Library conducted two surveys in March 2026 to explore recruiter and candidate use of AI in the hiring process, including sentiment, effectiveness and perceptions of the technology. The research gathered responses from 424 recruiters and employers and 1,067 candidates across the UK.
The research was conducted to uncover how the rapid rise of AI is reshaping hiring, and whether it is improving outcomes or unintentionally creating new barriers for both employers and jobseekers. The findings aim to provide practical, actionable guidance to help both navigate AI effectively and avoid missing out on opportunities or talent.
The research is supported by two real-world candidate case studies. Both individuals agreed to take part, providing permission for their names and experiences to be published.
About CV-Library
CV-Library is the UK’s largest independent job site, matching candidates with jobs from the UK’s largest employers. It attracts over 4.3 million unique jobseekers every month with a database of more than 22 million CVs.
