I’m sure you’ve been receiving more and more perfectly tailored CVs, cover letters and application answers. I’m not blaming the candidates at all, why would you spend more time than you need trying to write perfect answers when so many hiring teams are then using AI to then filter through the thousands of CVs they received.
Jobseekers are trying to present themselves clearly in a competitive market. But for employers, it means written applications are becoming less useful as a signal of genuine fit, effort or communication style.
This all boils down to a screening problem - using ineffective selection methods. A recruiter may receive more applications, many of them more polished than before, while having less confidence that the document reflects the candidate’s own judgement, motivation or capability. Recent reporting has also highlighted how AI and applicant tracking systems can create a strange arms race, with candidates optimising CVs for algorithms while employers try to filter rising volumes more efficiently.
That does not mean CVs should disappear entirely. They still provide useful context: experience, education, location, work history and basic suitability. The problem comes when they are treated early on as the main evidence for who should progress.
This is especially important in high-volume hiring. When recruiters are dealing with hundreds or thousands of applicants, manual CV review can quickly become inconsistent. Strong candidates may be missed because their CV is less polished, while weaker candidates may progress because their application has been well optimised.
For employers reviewing alternatives to CV screening, look to more structured scalable methods such as ability assessments. That structure isn’t replacing human judgement, the aim is to give hiring teams better information and a more manageable list to make judgement calls on.
AI has not made the CV useless. But it has made over-reliance on CVs riskier. Recruiters who adapt now will be better placed to identify real capability, not just the best-written application.
