As AI use becomes more common among job applicants, here’s how HR leaders can distinguish truly qualified candidates from fakes.
By Maggie Mancini
Artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized the hiring process, enabling talent acquisition teams to quickly source and screen applicants, streamline candidate communications, and improve time-to-hire for critical positions. At the same time, job seekers are increasingly using AI tools to optimize their resumes and cover letters, generate sample answers for common interview questions, and robo-apply to hundreds of jobs.
Though the rapid evolution and increased use of these tools can help simplify hiring, they can also be used to mislead or outright lie to TA teams about a candidate’s experience or qualifications. In response, HR leaders must be able to distinguish between truly qualified candidates and fake or misleading applications.
Candidate catfishing—a trend in which job applicants embellish or exaggerate their experience and qualifications during the application process—is increasingly aided by AI, says Kara Ayers, senior vice president of global talent acquisition, total rewards, and inclusion at Xplor Technologies. Today, at least 42% of applicants admit to using AI for resume writing and 50% use it to generate or aid in writing cover letters, she says.
“While some may use AI tools to optimize their application materials, others are overstating their qualifications,” Ayers says.
There are plenty of ways that talent acquisition leaders can determine whether they are being catfished—or otherwise lied to—by a job applicant. To catch deceivers, Ayers suggests the following:
- train recruitment teams on what to look for when reviewing resumes, like syntax or jargon common when using AI;
- push for live video interviews more frequently throughout the screening process for each candidate;
- ask follow-up questions during the interview that go into more detail about a candidate’s experience or skills; and
- utilize skills testing during the hiring process to ensure that candidates are as qualified as they say they are.
“While candidate catfishing is a new challenge for hiring managers, there are also benefits to candidates’ use of AI in the application process,” Ayers says. “AI is a helpful support tool for candidates to start a resume because a lot of people don’t know where to begin.”
From a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) lens, she says, AI can be a beneficial tool for creating equality for those that have a difficult time articulating their experience on paper or in writing—including those with learning disabilities or who are not native English speakers. Still, it’s important for hiring teams to assess candidate qualifications and ensure that the person they are hiring is the best fit for the role.
Ayers adds that Xplor Technologies has experienced a 75% increase in the volume of job applicants, which they are attributing in part to job candidates’ AI usage, as many are using AI to automatically apply to jobs.
“Hiring managers can set up processes to weed out AI-generated applications,” Ayers says. “At Xplor Technologies for example, we ask the candidate to enter a certain keyword or phrase and to place that word or phrase somewhere specific in their application. If a human is applying, this is an easy verification, but AI-generated applications would not decipher this or add those words correctly.”
She adds that taking extra precautions during the screening and interviewing process is particularly important for remote employees, as they may have less immediate oversight once they’re on the job. This comes as the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center has warned of an increase in complaints about the use of deepfakes used to apply and interview for remote work positions.
Though this particular scheme primarily impacts IT, technology, and computer programming positions, the public service announcement explains that candidates used voice spoofing and other deepfake technology during interviews, with some using stolen personal information within their applications.
“The world of talent acquisition is constantly evolving,” Ayers says. “Live video interviews only became popular in recent years. The same thing will happen with AI, and talent acquisition and hiring teams will need to continue to adapt their approach and processes and use all the technology tools available to them when assessing a candidate’s suitability for a role. With all of this said, employers shouldn’t neglect old-fashioned hiring methods such as referral programs and incentivizing their current employees to spread the word about open roles.”
