How AI keeps both job seekers and employers from filling roles

Jobseekers submit resumes into applicant tracking systems without knowing whether applications are reviewed, while recruiters face hundreds or thousands of applications per role. Jobseekers increasingly use AI to improve callback odds by extracting keywords from job posts, generating cover letters that mirror job descriptions, and using automated tools to send large volumes of customized applications. Recruiters also adopt AI to speed qualification matching, authenticate candidates, and automatically reject applicants based on eligibility. AI is also used to detect bot activity and verify identity. These parallel uses create an “AI doom loop” where applicants become indistinguishable and recruiters rely on their own AI filtering, driving a war of attrition that leaves both sides unhappy.

"Candidates upload (and retype) their resumes into an applicant tracking system (ATS) with no sense of whether or not their applications are getting seen. Recruiters are buried under hundreds or even thousands of applications for a single listing."

"Frustrated jobseekers are doing everything they can to better their chances of a callback, increasingly through the use of AI. This means parsing job posts for potential keywords, generating cover letters that mirror the wording of a job description, or even using bots that send out thousands of customized applications for jobs with a button click."

"These tools can help find certain qualifications faster (and with more flexibility) than an ATS, authenticate candidates, and automatically reject candidates based on their eligibility. They're also using AI to sniff out bots and to make sure candidates are who they say they are."

"“Employers optimize for filtering because they feel overwhelmed. Job seekers therefore optimize their visibility. Then employers double down on filtering, so job seekers double down on visibility,” says Sarah Trumble, a researcher of ATS design and job applications."

Read at Fast Company