To gain an understanding of how many companies are utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) in hiring, Resume Builder surveyed 948 business leaders in October 2024.
Key findings:
- Half of companies currently use AI in the hiring process, and 68% will by the end of 2025
- A number of companies currently have AI conduct entire interviews
- Nearly all companies believe AI produces biased recommendations
- Majority of companies let AI reject candidates without human oversight
7 in 10 Companies Will Use AI in Hiring in 2025
Currently, more than half (51%) of companies are leveraging AI technology in their hiring processes, and this number is set to rise. By the end of 2025, 68% of companies will be using AI to acquire new talent. Larger companies are more likely to adopt these technologies.
How companies currently use AI in hiring
Today, 82% of companies use AI to review resumes, while 40% employ AI chatbots to communicate with candidates. About 23% use AI to conduct interviews, and 64% apply AI to review candidate assessments. Additionally, 28% of companies use AI for onboarding new hires, and 42% scan social media or personal websites as part of the hiring process. Only 0.2% of companies report not using AI in their hiring practices.
How companies plan to use AI in hiring
In 2025, most companies plan to use AI for reviewing resumes (83%) and conducting candidate assessments (69%). AI will also play a role in analyzing a candidate’s digital footprint, with nearly half (47%) of companies planning to scan social media profiles or personal websites as part of the evaluation process. Furthermore, 39% will implement AI-powered chatbots to communicate with candidates throughout the hiring journey.
AI’s influence will extend beyond initial screenings, with 36% of companies intending to integrate AI into onboarding processes. A smaller, yet notable percentage (19%) are even looking to AI for conducting interviews.
“As organizations face an overwhelming influx of resumes, especially with the expansion of remote and hybrid work models, more companies are leveraging AI in the hiring process,” says Resume Builder’s Chief Career Advisor Stacie Haller. “These models have broadened the talent pool, allowing candidates from various geographic locations to apply, resulting in an exponential increase in applications for every open position.”
“Given the competition for top talent, companies understand that the longer the hiring process takes, the higher the risk of losing the best candidates. AI helps by automating tasks, allowing organizations to speed up their decision-making and reduce the manual workload of hiring managers.
“Organizations adopt AI to varying degrees. While some use it primarily for resume screening, others incorporate AI more extensively, using it in everything from chatbots that handle candidate queries to sophisticated algorithms that predict a candidate’s success based on historical data.”
1 in 4 companies using AI for interviews rely on it for the entire process
Companies that currently use AI in interviews do so across a range of tasks. A total of 81 % of companies use AI to ask interview questions, 65% employ it to analyze candidates’ language, and 60% use it to transcribe interviews and assess tone, language, or body language. Additionally, 52% utilize AI to collect data through facial recognition.
By 2025, 76% of companies plan to use AI for asking interview questions, 63% will collect facial recognition data, and 62% will analyze candidates’ language. Additionally, 60% will use AI to transcribe interviews, while 59% will assess tone, language, or body language.
Currently, 24% of companies have AI conduct the entire interview process, and this figure is expected to rise to 29% by 2025.
“Candidates must recognize the increasing role AI plays in the hiring process. It’s critical that applicants tailor their resumes for each specific job, highlighting the key skills and qualifications that are mentioned in the job description,” says Haller.
“In addition to resume customization, candidates should be well-prepared for interviews. It’s essential to practice key elements of a successful video interview, such as maintaining eye contact by looking directly into the camera, dressing professionally, and ensuring that the background is appropriate and distraction-free.
“In this increasingly automated landscape, candidates who adapt their approach by preparing for AI-driven screenings and interviews will have a competitive advantage in their job search.”
7 in 10 Let AI Reject Candidates Without Human Oversight
Currently, 21% of companies automatically reject candidates at all stages of the hiring process without human review, while 50% use AI only for rejections at the initial resume screening stage. However, 29% maintain human oversight for all rejection decisions.
Looking ahead to 2025, slightly fewer companies (16%) plan to allow AI to reject candidates throughout the entire hiring process, while 49% will limit AI’s ability to reject candidates to initial resume reviews. Meanwhile, more (35%) intend to maintain human oversight for all rejection decisions.
Nearly All Companies Say AI Produces Biased Recommendations
When it comes to bias in AI hiring tools, 9% of companies using the technology report it always produces biased recommendations, while 24% say it often does. Another 34% say bias occurs sometimes, 30% believe it happens rarely, and only 4% say AI never produces bias.
Regarding the specific types of bias AI introduces, 47% of companies believe it leads to age bias, 44% cite socioeconomic bias, 30% mention gender bias, and 26% point to racial or ethnic bias.
For companies planning to use AI in hiring by 2025, bias is just one of several concerns. About 56% of companies are worried that AI could screen out qualified candidates, and 48% are concerned about the lack of human oversight. Additionally, 46% fear that AI may introduce bias based on factors such as age, gender, or race. Other concerns include a reduction in the candidate experience (21%), though 9% of companies report having no concerns about using AI in hiring.
“It’s important to note that while AI can be a powerful tool, it’s not without its challenges. If not properly calibrated, AI systems can introduce biases based on past hiring patterns or data that reflect historical inequalities. Therefore, companies must strike a balance between speed, efficiency, and fairness to ensure that AI enhances, rather than hinders, their ability to find the best talent,” says Haller.
Methodology
This survey, launched on October 9, 2024, was commissioned by ResumeBuilder.com and conducted online by the polling platform Pollfish. Overall, 948 business leaders completed the survey.
To qualify for the survey, all participants had to be over 25, have a household income of at least $75,000, have a bachelor’s degree or a higher level of education, have a manager-level role or higher, and work at a company with more than 21 employees.
Respondents also had to indicate their level of knowledge about hiring practices at their company via a screening question.
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