We challenged professional recruiters to see if they could spot AI-generated CVs – they got it right 33% of the time.
With advancements in machine learning coming in the form of tools like ChatGPT and Bard, AI has quickly begun to permeate many aspects of the professional world.
Offering fast and easy solutions to complex and time-consuming problems, 46% of job seekers report utilising the likes of ChatGPT to assist in their application efforts, but can recruiters spot the AI CVs from those that are human-made? We created five AI-generated CVs and asked recruiters what they thought to find out.
The challenge
We prompted ChatGPT to create five CVs of varying industry and experience levels. We then sent these CVs to a group of recruiters and asked them to guess which were AI-generated and which were created by humans.
The results
Of the recruiters, we asked:
- Only one could identify all five AI-generated CVs correctly.
- Recruiters could successfully identify an AI CV just 33% of the time.
- Recruiters said the biggest giveaways were a ‘lack of personality’, ‘broad, sweeping statements’, and lack of detail.
- Our tech industry CV was the most correctly identified as being AI-generated.
Amelia Stanford CV
(click/tap to enlarge)
With two-thirds of our AI-generated CVs fooling recruiters, it’s clear that any giveaways can be hard to discern, even for experts. Given that AI technology is improving by the day, it won’t be long before AI CVs become near-impossible to identify.
What does this mean for job hunters?
With many seeing job hunting as a numbers game, a 33% chance of having an AI CV spotted and potentially rejected seems somewhat insignificant. In fact, 78% of job seekers report being given an interview when using application materials created by ChatGPT, with 59% being given the job as a result.
The simple fact is that AI can generate meaningful text faster than an average human can. And in a high-paced and competitive job market, this can mean the difference between getting eyes on an application right away or entering the bottom of a large pile of applications that made it across the recruitment desk faster.
With many recruiters asking for cover letters alongside CVs, AI negates the need for applicants to research each job or company they apply to, freeing up more time for making more applications.
John Richmond CV
(click/tap to enlarge)
What does this mean for recruiters?
For HR professionals, it’s up to debate whether these statistics are encouraging or alarming–does an AI-generated CV mean the applicant is a corner-cutter or a tech-savvy individual using all the tools at their disposal to increase efficiency? As Bill Gates famously said, ”I choose a lazy person to do a hard job. Because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it.”
But, while Gates’ thinking may apply to companies in the tech space, it may not be suitable for others. Regardless, it’s up to HR and recruitment professionals to consider these results, understand the challenges that AI-generated content poses to them, and formulate their own opinions and protocols in reaction. ”Like all tools, AI has positives and negatives,” explains Mollie Cross, Talent Partner at the Instant Group, ”Its use really needs to be tailored to specific scenarios or roles.”
If you’re a business owner recruiting, here’s what to look for to make sure you’re getting the best candidates:
- Thoroughly assess candidates’ skills to make sure they’re the right fit for the role.
- Look out for candidates who will be a good cultural fit for your business.
- Try to pick candidates who have shown a desire and potential to learn and grow. These will be the hard workers that can take your business to new heights.
- Look at their track record. If they have a history of generating amazing results, then they will no doubt be capable of doing the same for your business.
- Good communication is key to effective teamwork. Try to find a candidate who demonstrates the ability to communicate clearly and effectively.
Looking for Office Space?
We Operate in Some of the World’s Top Cities:
London, New York, San Francisco, Paris, Singapore, Hong Kong, Search more locations