When recruiters are tasked with wading through hundreds or thousands of applications for an open position, they often rely on AI-powered tools to screen résumés and make the hiring process more manageable. These tools have only grown more popular in recent years, with more than half of companies currently using artificial intelligence technology in their hiring process.
According to a new survey from Resume Builder, that figure could increase to nearly 70% by the end of 2025, particularly among larger employers. A vast majority of companies—82%—said they currently use it to screen résumés, while about 40% employ AI to communicate with applicants. About 64% said they use AI for evaluating assignments or tests that candidates are asked to do as they advance through the interview process. Another popular use case for companies employing AI is onboarding new employees and scanning candidates’ social media profiles and websites during the hiring process.
AI use in interviewing and vetting candidates
But the survey also found that some companies—23%—already rely on AI to conduct interviews, and that another 19% are planning to start doing so within the next year. That can include using AI to ask interview questions, analyze body language, or transcribe interviews. In fact, according to the survey, 24% of companies currently use AI for the “entire interview process,” and that number is projected to increase to 29% by the end of 2025.
Screening résumés remains one of the most common ways to use AI, especially after many companies adopted hybrid or remote work arrangements that have led to an increase in applications for open positions. But as the use of these tools has increased, it has become clear that relying too heavily on them can introduce bias into the hiring process; candidates who have a gap in their résumé may be automatically screened out, for example, along with applicants who simply fail to use certain keywords, before ever meeting a human recruiter.
Resume Builder’s survey found that while half of companies exclusively use AI tools to reject applicants during the early stage of reviewing résumés, about 21% cut candidates at any stage of the hiring process “without human review.”
Potential for bias
If companies continue to incorporate AI into other aspects of the hiring process, particularly for interviews, the risk of bias will most certainly increase. Many employers are aware of that fact: Resume Builder revealed that 67% of companies surveyed said AI tools could introduce bias into the hiring process.
Experts have warned that AI tools should be used sparingly for high-level hires or during certain steps in the hiring process—including for interviews. As executive search leader Adam Charlson recently wrote in Fast Company, “Humans should be leading hiring tasks when it comes to nuanced aspects of the process, including assessing leadership style, emotional intelligence, career aspirations, and organizational fit, as well as late-stage candidate comparisons.”