Why employers say AI is making hiring harder

Hiring managers say too many applicants are using AI tools to help shape resumes and cover letters. Andrew Johnson reports.

Artificial intelligence is taking some of the discomfort out of trying to perfect your resume, but the growing use of the technology in job applications is creating new challenges for employers trying to sort through candidates and figure out who they’re really dealing with.

A new survey from recruiting firm Robert Half suggests a mountain of AI-generated resumes and cover letters is slowing down the hiring process.

Eighty-nine per cent of 1,500 hiring managers who responded from across Canada, reported a heavier workload due to candidates using AI, and 61 per cent agreed hiring now takes longer.

“You can’t trust the documentation you’re receiving from candidates the same way anymore,” said Tara Parry, Robert Half’s director of permanent services.

At downtown Vancouver’s YWCA youth employment centre Wednesday, 20-year-old Eden Pothier was searching for work in the trades after spending his teen years competing in breakdancing.

Pothier says scrolling through job listings can be daunting.

“You go on Indeed and there’s so many different jobs you can apply for,” he said. “When you look at how many people have applied to each, it can be kind of overwhelming.”

Pothier knows AI tools can help polish a resume or cover letter, but isn’t sure he’s ready to go there, at least not yet.

“I’ll be honest, I don’t like it,” he said. “I think it kind of becomes unfair for the person who tries to not use AI and wants to actually put the effort in themselves.”

Staff at the employment centre say many other young job hunters are diving right in, and their AI-assisted applications are easy to spot.

“I’d say a lot of $10 words. Nobody actually talks like this,” said career adviser Ethan Curran-Morton. “Also, the weird double dashes are a huge giveaway.”

Employment specialists say it amounts to hiring managers seeing a lot of applications that look very similar because they were generated using the same AI tools.

“You can’t trust the documentation you’re receiving from candidates the same way anymore,” said Parry. “Honestly, I stopped reading cover letters years ago. Most of them are written by AI anyway.”

Parry says employers are increasingly relying on multiple interviews and other ways to connect with applicants. “I think the biggest thing you can do is actually talk to people,” said Parry. “You have to have multiple connection points with candidates to make sure you’re actually getting what’s being sold.”

Experts say job seekers should treat artificial intelligence as a help tool, and nothing more.

“I would say for job seekers, make your resume simple,” Parry said. “You can spot AI from a mile away. Use it as a tool, not as your primary resource.”