More than a third of recruiters admit that artificial intelligence is causing them to miss out on strong candidates, as employers increasingly rely on automated systems to manage high volumes of applications.
The findings suggest that while AI is helping to speed up hiring processes, it is also introducing new risks, particularly in the early screening stages where decisions are made without human input.
The research, from jobs site CV-Library, found that 35 percent of recruiters believe they are losing top talent due to a lack of human judgement when AI is used.
A further 27 percent said strong applications are being filtered out before reaching interview stage, while one in five reported a decline in overall candidate quality where AI plays a role in hiring.
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Jobseekers question fairness of AI screening
The concerns are shared by candidates, many of whom believe automated systems are rejecting applications before they are reviewed by a person.
More than half of jobseekers surveyed said they believed their application had been rejected by AI, while 46 percent cited unfair rejection as one of their biggest frustrations.
The growing use of AI in recruitment is also affecting candidate behaviour. Around 40 percent said they had abandoned, or were considering abandoning, an application due to the use of AI, particularly when screening tools or automated interviews are involved.
One candidate described the experience of interacting with AI during hiring as isolating. “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.”
Younger candidates appear especially sceptical. Nearly two thirds of Generation Z respondents believe AI is responsible for rejecting them at early stages, with frustration highest among this group compared with older workers.
Another jobseeker said the lack of human interaction had changed how he approached applications.
“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.”
Speed gains balanced against quality concerns
The use of AI in recruitment has grown rapidly as employers look to manage increasing application volumes and reduce administrative workload.
More than four in five recruiters said they use AI to speed up hiring, while over a quarter rely on it to handle large numbers of applications.
But confidence in its effectiveness remains mixed. Only 36 percent said AI improves time-to-hire, suggesting that speed gains may not always translate into better outcomes.
Recruiters said AI performs best in administrative areas such as writing job descriptions and scheduling interviews. However, its effectiveness drops when assessing more complex qualities.
A majority said AI struggles to identify cultural fit, while more than half said it performs poorly when evaluating soft skills, areas that typically require human judgement.
Lee Biggins, chief executive and founder of CV-Library, said the findings reflected long-standing concerns about the loss of human input in recruitment.
“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.”
He said AI should support rather than replace recruiters. “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.”
Balancing efficiency with candidate experience
The findings come as organisations continue to explore how AI can be integrated into hiring without undermining fairness or candidate experience. While automation can reduce administrative burden, there is growing recognition that over-reliance on technology may result in missed talent and disengaged applicants.
Experts say maintaining human oversight, ensuring transparency and regularly reviewing AI systems are essential steps to avoid unintended consequences.
As the use of AI becomes more widespread, the challenge for employers will be to balance efficiency with the need to identify and engage the best candidates in an increasingly competitive jobs market.
William Furney is a Managing Editor at Black and White Trading Ltd based in Kingston upon Hull, UK. He is a prolific author and contributor at Workplace Wellbeing Professional, with over 127 published posts covering HR, employee engagement, and workplace wellbeing topics. His writing focuses on contemporary employment issues including pension schemes, employee health, financial struggles affecting workers, and broader workplace trends.
- William Furney
- William Furney
- William Furney
- William Furney
