It’s bot versus bot on the hiring front lines, as job hunters turn to new tools to counter the AI that’s screening their applications.
Wall Street Journal
May 10, 2024
Job seekers, frustrated with corporate hiring software, are using artificial intelligence to craft cover letters and résumés in seconds, and deploying new automated bots to robo-apply for hundreds of jobs in just a few clicks. In response, companies are deploying more bots of their own to sort through the oceans of applications.
The result: a bot versus bot war that’s leaving both applicants and employers irritated and has made the chances of landing an interview, much less a job, even slimmer than before.
At Peraton, a national-security and technology company based in Reston, Va., the highest-volume job openings can now draw about 1,200 applicants in 24 hours, said Alison Paris, who leads talent acquisition and workforce planning there. About two years ago, the company began using a tool that identified potential job candidates from their online profiles who might be a good fit for open positions. Then, about six months ago, her team began using an AI résumé-review tool that highlights the candidates who are the closest matches for open jobs. It allows her staff to spend more time screening candidates instead of reading submissions.
Candidates’ use of AI is pushing Peraton’s hiring managers to use live video interviews more frequently in the screening process.
