Latest news with #jobapplications
The Guardian
7 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Teach First job applicants will get in-person interviews after more apply using AI
One of the UK's biggest recruiters is accelerating a plan to switch towards more frequent face-to-face assessments as university graduates become increasingly reliant on using artificial intelligence to apply for jobs. Teach First, a charity which fast-tracks graduates into teaching jobs, said it planned to bring forward a move away from predominantly written assignments – where AI could give applicants hidden help – to setting more assessments where candidates carry out tasks such as giving 'micro lessons' to assessors. The move comes as the number of people using AI for job applications has risen from 38% last year, to 50% this year, according to a study by the graduate employment specialist Bright Network. Patrick Dempsey, the executive director for programme talent at Teach First, said there had been a near-30% increase in applications so far this year on the same period last year, with AI playing a significant role. Dempsey said the surge in demand for jobs was partly due to a softening in the labour market, but the use of automation for applications was allowing graduates to more easily apply for multiple jobs simultaneously. 'The shift from written assessment to task-based assessment is something we feel the need to accelerate,' he said. Dempsey said much of the AI use went undetected but there could be tell-tale signs. 'There are instances where people are leaving the tail end of a ChatGPT message in an application answer, and of course they get rejected,' he said. A leading organisation in graduate recruitment said the proportion of students and university leavers using AI to apply for jobs had risen to five out of 10 applicants. Bright Network, which connects graduates and young professionals to employers, found half of graduates and undergraduates now used AI for their applications. More than a quarter of companies questioned in a survey of 15,000 people will be setting guidelines for AI usage in job applications, in time for the next recruitment season. Kirsten Barnes, head of the digital platform at Bright Network, said employers had noticed a 'surge' in applications. 'AI tools make it easier for candidates of any age – not just graduates – to apply to many, many different roles,' she said. 'Employers have been saying to us that what they're seeing is a huge surge in the volume of applications that they're receiving.' Breakthroughs in AI have coincided with downward pressure on the graduate and junior jobs market. Dartmouth Partners, a recruitment agency specialising in the financial services sector, said it was increasingly seeing applicants using keywords written in white on their CVs. The words are not visible to the human eye, but would instruct a system to push the candidate to the next phase of the recruitment process if a prospective employer was using AI to screen applications. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion Vacancies for graduate jobs, apprenticeships, internships and junior jobs with no degree requirement have dropped by 32% since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, according to research released last month by the job search site Adzuna. These entry-level jobs now account for 25% of the market in the UK, down from 28.9% in 2022, it found. Last month, another job search site, Indeed, reported that university graduates were facing the toughest job market since 2018, finding the number of roles advertised for recent graduates had fallen 33% in mid-June compared with the same point last year. The Institute of Student Employers said the graduate and school-leaver market as a whole was not declining as rapidly as reported, however. Its survey of 69 employers showed job vacancies aimed at graduates were down by 7% but school-leaver vacancies were up by 23% – meaning there was an overall increase of 1% in a market earmarked for AI impact. Group GTI, a charity that helps students move into employment, said job postings on UK university careers job boards were up by 8% this year compared with last year. Interviews with graduate recruitment agencies and experts have found that AI has yet to cause severe disruption to the market for school and university leavers – but change is inevitable and new joiners to the white-collar economy must become skilled in AI to stand a chance of progressing. James Reed, the chief executive of the Reed employment agency, said he 'feels sorry' for young people who have racked up debt studying for degrees and are encountering a tough jobs market. 'I think universities should be looking at this and thinking quite carefully about how they prepare young people,' he said. He added that AI would transform the entire job market. 'This change is fundamental and five years from now it's going to look very different – the whole job market,' he said.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Companies are relying on aptitude and personality tests more to combat AI-powered job hunters
Employers are overwhelmed with job applications and leaning more on a particular hiring tool. Cognitive and personality tests are becoming mainstream, hiring test providers told BI. Employers are the most interested in testing for soft skills, like emotional intelligence, the firms said. Are you happy? Do you sleep well? Do you have many friends? Are you a workaholic? Those are some of the questions Katelin Eagan, 27, said she had to answer recently when she was applying for a job. She agreed to take a cognitive and personality assessment as part of the hiring process, but was a bit bewildered. Many of the questions had nothing to do with the engineering position, which, after completing the tests and going through several months of silence, she was eventually rejected for. Eagan says she's been applying for jobs full-time since the start of the year. Her efforts haven't panned out yet, which she attributes partly to how competitive her field has become and employers having room to be picky. "I think there's definitely a lower amount than I thought there would be," she said of available roles. But that may be only part of the story. Employers are growing increasingly selective, partly because many are seeing a flood of seemingly perfect candidates, many of whom are suspected of using AI to finesse their applications, according to recruiters and hiring assessment providers who spoke to BI. The solution many companies have come to? Make everyone take a test — and see who candidates really are, irrespective of what ChatGPT suggested they put on their résumés. According to surveys conducted by TestGorilla, one firm that administers talent assessments for employers, 76% of companies that had hired in the 12 months leading up to April said they were using skills tests to determine if a candidate was a right fit, up from 55% who said they were using role-specific skills tests in 2022. Employers seem most interested in testing for soft skills — amorphous qualities like communicativeness and leadership — as well as administering general aptitude and personality tests, Wouter Durville, the CEO of TestGorilla, told Business Insider. TestGorilla's Critical Thinking test was completed more than 100,000 times in the first quarter of this year, a 61% increase compared to the same quarter in 2024. The firm also offers a Big 5 personality assessment, which was completed more than 127,000 times in the first quarter — a 69% increase compared to last year. Demand among US employers in particular has been "massive," Durville said, adding that many firms have turned to tests as a result of being overwhelmed with job applications. The US is the largest market for the firm, which is based in the Netherlands. "The biggest thing is people just want to hire the best people. It's very selfish and it's fine," Durville said. Canditech, another firm that offers hiring assessments, says it's also seen rapid growth in the last year. In 2024, the assessment usage grew 135% compared to the prior year, CEO Guy Barel told BI. He estimates that assessment usage is on track to soar 242% year-over-year. Barel says the surge is partly due to the job market tipping more in favor of employers. In many cases, companies he works with are flooded with "tons of candidates" and looking to "move forward as fast as possible," he said. Criteria, another skills-based assessment provider, says test usage has more than doubled in recent years. "AI is kind of creating this authenticity crisis in talent acquisition, because everyone can and is putting their résumé into ChatGPT." Criteria CEO Josh Millet told BI. "It's all about demonstrating your ability or your skill or your personality in an objective way that's a little bit harder to fake." Jeff Hyman, a veteran recruiter and the CEO of Recruit Rockstars, estimates that demand for testing among his clients has increased by around 50% over the last 18 months. That's due to a handful of different reasons, he said — but companies being inundated by job applications is near the top, thanks to candidates leaning more on AI to gain an edge and send out résumés en masse, he says. Hyman says a typical job he tries to fill for a client has around 300 to 500 applicants, though he's spoken to companies trying to fill roles with more than 1,000 candidates within several days of being posted online. The number of job applications in the US grew at more than four times the pace of job requisitions in the first half of 2024, according to a report from WorkDay. Companies also want to test candidates' soft skills as remote work grows more common, Hyman adds — and they want to be sure they're getting the right person. Depending on the size of the organization, a bad hire can cost a company anywhere from $11,000 to $24,000, a survey conducted by CareerBuilder in 2016 found. According to TestGorilla, 69% of employers who issued tests this year said they were interested in assessing soft skills, while 50% said they were interested in assessing a candidate's cognitive ability. A separate survey by Criteria ranked emotional intelligence as the most sought-after skill among employers, followed by analytical thinking. "It's about their personality and to see if they are a good fit to the organization, if they share the same DNA," Durville said, though he noted that, in many cases, companies find the results of the tests to be shaky as a sole evaluation metric. TestGorilla, Canditech, and Criteria told BI that employers say they're enjoying the time and cost savings of administering tests. According to TestGorilla, 82% of employers who said they used skills-based hiring — a catch-all term for hiring based on proven skills — said they were satisfied with new hires, compared to 73% of US employers on average. Canditech, meanwhile, claims its assessments can help employers cut down on hiring time by as much as 50%, and reduce "unnecessary interviews" by as much as 80%, according to its website. But Hyman thinks there are some issues with hiring tests. For one, he says employers turn down candidates who don't score well "all the time," despite them being otherwise qualified for the job. The trend also appears to be turning off job candidates. Hyman estimates around 10%-20% of applicants will outright refuse to take a test if employers introduce it as a first step in the hiring process, though that's a practice Canditech's Barel says is becoming increasingly common. Hyman says he frequently has conversations with employers urging them not to put so much weight on test results, due to the potential for a mis-hire. "That's lazy hiring, to be honest. I think that's not the right way to go about it," he said. Read the original article on Business Insider
Associated Press
06-07-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Resume In Minutes Launches AI Solution to Revolutionize Job Applications by Instantly Building Tailored Resumes from Job Postings or Descriptions
Resume In Minutes introduces an innovative AI-powered platform designed to simplify resume creation and job applications in seconds. United States, July 6, 2025 -- Streamlining Job Applications with Smart AI Technology In an era where job seekers face overwhelming competition and complex application processes, Resume In Minutes has developed a solution that dramatically simplifies the resume creation process. Addressing the growing challenge of job application burnout, the platform uses proprietary algorithms to instantly generate ATS-friendly, job-specific resumes and cover letters based on job links or descriptions. Users can quickly apply to multiple jobs with tailored content, helping them find opportunities faster and increase their chances of landing their dream job. Founded by a young computer science student at the University of Illinois at Chicago in his teens, the company has grown from a simple idea into a powerful tool that saves hours of tedious work for job seekers across the United States and beyond. Jary Shahab, Co-Founder and CEO, recalls the frustration that led to the platform's creation: 'We were witnessing people spend countless hours reworking and tailoring their resumes for every job they applied to, and we knew there had to be a better way to help them.' Apply to Multiple Jobs in Minutes Applying to several jobs no longer needs to be a time-consuming task. With Resume In Minutes, users can simply enter a job posting link or paste the job description, and the platform instantly generates a tailored resume optimized for that specific role. Whether applying to one position or twenty, generating customized resumes is now effortless—what once took hours can now be done in minutes. Creating multiple targeted resumes has never been this easy. Solving the Job Application Burnout Job application burnout is a real issue. According to recent surveys, candidates spend an average of 12 hours per week searching for jobs, and much of that time is consumed by writing and customizing resumes. For job seekers, this often leads to frustration, fatigue, and ultimately, a sense of discouragement. Resume In Minutes aims to change that by enabling users to generate multiple tailored resumes and cover letters in mere seconds. By offering an intuitive platform that integrates a job description or a LinkedIn profile, users can quickly generate personalized application materials for each job listing they encounter. No longer will users waste precious time formatting, rewriting, or tailoring resumes for every opportunity. Simplifying Resume Creation: More Than Just AI While many job application platforms rely on basic AI tools, Resume In Minutes stands apart by utilizing proprietary algorithms that significantly improve the customization process. The platform is not just a 'wrapper' around standard AI technology but a unique tool that learns and adapts to users' specific job search needs. Whether attaching an existing resume or using a LinkedIn profile to generate tailored content, the platform allows job seekers to instantly personalize resumes to align with specific roles. With a single link or pasted job description, users can generate a fresh, fully personalized resume ready for download. Key Features That Set Resume In Minutes Apart The Vision Behind Resume In Minutes At the heart of Resume In Minutes is a desire to empower job seekers with tools that allow them to focus on what really matters—landing their next job. Jary Shahab, who co-founded the company as a teenager, saw the challenges that his family and friends faced while preparing resumes and wanted to develop a smarter solution that would save both time and energy. 'We built this platform with the goal of putting the focus back on what matters most—helping job seekers prepare for interviews and showcase their skills, not spend hours formatting resumes. It's about making the application process efficient, streamlined, and ultimately more successful.' Looking Ahead: The Future of Resume In Minutes As Resume In Minutes continues to evolve, the team is committed to expanding its capabilities and improving the user experience. Future updates will include additional personalization options, integrations with more job boards, and more advanced features that make the job application process even more seamless. The company is also focused on expanding its reach globally, helping job seekers from various backgrounds and industries navigate the increasingly complex world of job applications. With its continued dedication to innovation and efficiency, Resume In Minutes is poised to revolutionize how job seekers approach the job market. About Resume In Minutes Resume In Minutes is a U.S.-based company co-founded by Jary Shahab, a young computer science student passionate about simplifying the job application process. The platform's proprietary technology helps job seekers create professional, tailored resumes and cover letters quickly, eliminating the time-consuming task of reformatting and rewriting for each job application. The mission of Resume In Minutes is to make applying for jobs easier and more efficient, giving job seekers the tools they need to focus on the next steps—preparing for interviews and landing their ideal job. Resume In Minutes is available in US English, British English, German, French, Latin American Spanish, Japanese, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, and Chinese languages. For countries where the term 'CV' is more commonly used, the platform is also accessible under Media Contact Jary Shahab Co-Founder & CEO, Resume In Minutes Email: [email protected] Contact Info: Name: Jary Shahab Email: Send Email Organization: Resume In Minutes Website: Release ID: 89160871 If there are any deficiencies, discrepancies, or concerns regarding the information presented in this press release, we kindly request that you promptly inform us by contacting [email protected] (it is important to note that this email is the authorized channel for such matters, sending multiple emails to multiple addresses does not necessarily help expedite your request). Our dedicated team is committed to addressing any identified issues within 8 hours to guarantee the delivery of accurate and reliable content to our esteemed readers.
Telegraph
03-07-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Civil Service to allow job applicants to use chatbots
Aspiring civil servants will be allowed to use artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots to improve their job applications, despite fears that it could encourage cheating. Job applicants seeking to work in Whitehall have been told they can use AI to 'enhance' applications or 'improve the clarity and quality' of written answers. The new rules, which have been published on the Civil Service Careers website, said that to avoid cheating candidates must not use the technology to generate answers in their entirety, or fabricate information. However, it comes amid growing concerns that job seekers are using AI to deceive employers. According to a new report from talent management business Talogy, up to 65pc of hiring managers are concerned about chatbots being used to cheat during the recruitment process. A separate report from Career Group also found that two thirds of job seekers had used AI at some point when applying for jobs. This has already led to a string of major companies banning candidates from using AI in their job applications, including across the 'big four' accountancy firms. Monzo, the digital bank, has also warned candidates that they would be disqualified if caught applying with the help of ChatGPT. However, the decision to embrace AI by the Civil Service reflects a shift in sentiment, particularly as some departments had previously banned chatbots in their entirety. In one example of acceptable use, the guidance states candidates could 'write a list of examples with details of how you relate your experience and skills to the role, then ask AI to help you structure them using the Star [situation, task, action, result] reformat or other ways to strengthen your examples'. 'The goal of using AI in your job application is to help you show us who you are and what you are good at,' the new careers page states. 'It's not about creating a persona that isn't you.' In job vacancies advertised for the Department for Transport, the guidance says that applicants can 'ask AI to provide examples of how to describe leadership experiences, then personalise these examples'. Martin Drake, the founder of Higher, a recruitment firm, says AI use is becoming 'normal and commonplace' in society and the Civil Service's stance is the 'right one'. The Government is hoping to save billions of pounds with AI and cut the cost of running the Civil Service by 15pc by the end of the decade. In June, the Government published the results of a trial that claimed AI tools could save the equivalent of two weeks per year per person. A Civil Service spokesman said: 'We want tech-skilled and AI savvy people to apply to the Civil Service, so we can deliver a fundamentally reformed British state which can deliver on our Plan for Change for working people. 'Our guidance is clear that applications should not use AI to generate full or false responses. The initial written application is only one part of the Civil Service recruitment process.'
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Yahoo
AI doesn't know me. Good, let's keep it that way.
The curtain of anonymity can produce amusing results. But there is a downside in the age of AI. (Photo illustration by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current) My name is a catfish. Or, so I've been told. When you hear the name Jamie Jung, you might wonder if the face behind this article is a Korean girl or the great-grandson of Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung. A name so mysterious, perhaps even AI would struggle to decipher my identity in my job application. When the pandemic pivoted classrooms to Zoom, I hid behind a faceless black square, only two words revealing my name.. When calling attendance, many of my teachers would pronounce my last name with a German J as 'Yoong' or refer to me with the pronouns 'he' or 'him.' Others would sound my name out phonetically 'Jung' and refer to me as 'she' or 'her.' As much as I enjoyed the curtain of anonymity, I have come to recognize there is a downside. Companies such as Microsoft and Amazon delegate resume screening to AI tools in order to sift through countless applications from job-seekers. AI tools continue to evolve but there should be more attention on the flaws in algorithmic analysis, such as oversimplification and evaluation bias. In 2014, Amazon attempted to automate its hiring process by building a computer program that would review applicants' resumes and spit out a list of the top candidates. The computers were trained to assess applicants by observing resumes submitted to the company over a 10-year period. The problem? A majority of the applicants were men, which unintentionally taught the algorithm that male candidates were superior. The impact of algorithmic bias is not limited to gender. A 2024 study from the University of Washington reported computer models favored white-associated names in 85.1% of cases and female-associated names in only 11.1% of cases. In 2017, the University of Toronto released a study that revealed applicants with Asian names had a 28% reduced likelihood of receiving interviews compared to applicants with Anglo names. This pattern of discrimination even within a recruitment process solely managed by humans establishes a foundation already tainted with bias. Despite the growing diversity of the American workforce, the lack of leadership opportunities given to underrepresented communities serves as evidence of the lasting effects of systemic discrimination. According to the National Library of Medicine, although 74% of health care professionals are women, only 33% of management positions were filled by women. Similarly, while Black employees comprise 14% of all U.S. employees, only 7% of managers are Black. When you hear the name Jamie Jung, you might wonder if the face behind this article is a Korean girl or the great-grandson of Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung. AI has the potential to revolutionize the workplace. Automating monotonous tasks within the hiring process allows employees to maximize productivity, and many human resource managers have recognized these benefits. But by analyzing existing demographics of the workforce, algorithms can deduce that ''top'' applicants who fit the standard are white men. As long as this foundation remains skewed, AI will continue to exclude talented applicants based on an outdated algorithm. A survey by CareerBuilder states 55% of HR managers say AI will become a regular part of HR in the next five years. Although the prospects of an efficient recruitment process are appealing, managers must evaluate the current state of their workforce before integrating AI algorithms in order to provide a fair opportunity for all applicants. By prioritizing equal representation even before implementing AI, companies will be able to utilize algorithms with less worries about bias. The innovation of AI begins with human reflection and revision. AI assumes that I am only what my name allows me to be, ignoring the scope of my accomplishments. I only started going by Jamie in my freshman year of high school, and I thrived under this new ambiguous identity: that year, I became the social media manager of two clubs, was selected to present a TEDx Talk, and was awarded 'Freshman Writer of the Year' by my conservatory's director. When I introduced myself in person the next school year, I was amused by the look of surprise on many of my teachers' and classmates' faces. It was clear I was not who they expected me to be. What's in a name? According to AI algorithms, a name is the reflection of our identities and the face behind these words. I wonder if I had introduced myself as Jaehee Jung, or if I had turned on my camera to reveal my true identity, would I have had the opportunities I did? Maybe. My name is a gift I gave myself in search of belonging. Now I am searching to make this name my own. Not with recognition or achievements, but with the person I am behind the black square. And only I hold the power to decide when to turn it on or off. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
