Key Findings

  • A LiveCareer survey of 517 U.S. job seekers in June found that although 64% of respondents believed their resumes could successfully pass robot screening and applicant tracking systems (ATS, software used by HR departments to manage recruiting), only 10% thought that nearly all applications they submitted would be reviewed by a human recruiter. The survey was released last month.
  • Amid growing distrust of modern recruiting systems among job seekers, more than half (57%) of surveyed job seekers said they had abandoned an application midway due to overly complex processes. The survey was conducted by LiveCareer, an online resume builder provider headquartered in Puerto Rico.
  • LiveCareer career expert Jasmine Escalera advised job seekers to carefully evaluate the systems they apply to, while encouraging candidates to remain confident that there is human involvement behind the process. In an email to CFO Dive, she said: "While it may seem like your resume isn't being reviewed by a human, the reality is that there are people behind the system sorting and filing candidates. Application volumes are currently very high, especially for remote positions, and employers are relying on systems to find and screen suitable candidates efficiently."

Deep Dive

The survey is the latest evidence showing declining trust in the application process among job seekers, even as automation, social media, and artificial intelligence provide more and more channels for employers and candidates to connect.

Earlier this year, another LiveCareer survey of 918 HR professionals found that 88% of recruiters said they had been "stood up" by candidates during the hiring process, with 12% saying it still happened even after extending an offer; more than half (65%) cited AI and automation tools as one of the reasons leading candidates to abandon the process.

"Job hunting has always been a difficult and alienating process for job seekers, but the widespread integration of AI has intensified that feeling," Escalera said Tuesday. "Job seekers are savvy and can tell which parts of the process have been outsourced to AI. For example, someone might receive a rejection letter whose timing clearly indicates the hiring manager hasn't reviewed their application yet, or the written response sounds more like a 'bot' than a human. Some companies even go to extremes by having AI conduct the first round of face-to-face interviews."

Escalera noted this doesn't mean companies shouldn't use AI to improve talent acquisition efficiency, but it needs to be done in a way that doesn't alienate candidates. Additionally, to help keep strong candidates engaged throughout the hiring process, she advised recruiters to stay in touch, as one of the main pain points job seekers mentioned was not hearing back from potential employers.

"Providing updates and feedback after each stage of the recruiting process, and looking for opportunities to streamline the process and reduce time consumption, are two key focus areas," she said. "Put yourself in the job seeker's shoes and think about what signals you can send to show the recruiting team is interested in that candidate. If the candidate's communication and response speed match yours, then you know the candidate is equally invested in the opportunity."