AI in Hiring: How Employers Use It and How to Apply Successfully

How common is AI in hiring?

Artificial intelligence has moved quickly into recruiting, but adoption is uneven, and different surveys measure different things. SHRM, the largest professional association for HR, has tracked it closely:

Why do the figures differ? The 2025 survey asked whether AI supports recruiting in any way, while the 2026 report measured specific AI use cases deployed within HR functions. The consistent message is that recruiting is where AI is used most in HR, but many employers still use it lightly or not at all.

AI usually sits on top of an applicant tracking system (ATS), which nearly every large employer uses. Jobscan detected an ATS at 97.4% of Fortune 500 companies in 2026. Many ATS platforms now include AI features for matching, ranking or summarizing candidates.

Where AI shows up in the hiring process

In most organizations, AI assists rather than replaces human judgment. Recruiters and hiring managers still review shortlists, conduct interviews and make offers.

Your rights: laws on AI in hiring

Regulation is growing. Two examples show the direction.

New York City Local Law 144

Since enforcement began on July 5, 2023, New York City has regulated automated employment decision tools (AEDTs), meaning tools that substantially assist or replace discretionary decisions in hiring or promotion for jobs in the city. Under the law, as explained by the city's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection:

• The tool must have had an independent bias audit within the past year.
• A summary of the audit results must be published.
• Candidates who live in the city must get notice at least 10 business days before the tool is used, including the job qualifications and characteristics it assesses.
• Candidates can request an alternative selection process or accommodation, where available.

The EU AI Act

The European Union's AI Act (Regulation 2024/1689) classifies AI systems used for recruitment and selection, including targeted job ads, filtering applications and evaluating candidates, as high risk. High risk systems face obligations around risk management, data quality, transparency and human oversight. After the EU's "Digital Omnibus" changes in 2026, the main high risk obligations for these employment systems are set to apply from 2 December 2027, according to legal analysis by Ogletree Deakins and others. Some rules, such as bans on certain AI practices and AI literacy requirements, already apply.

What this means in practice

• If you are told an automated tool will assess you, you may be able to ask what it evaluates and whether an alternative process is available.
• If you need an accommodation, for example because of a disability that affects a timed test or video interview, ask for it. Employment and disability laws in many countries require reasonable adjustments.
• Rules differ by country, state and city. Check your local labor authority for your rights.

How to apply successfully when employers use AI

Write a resume that machines and people can read

Most AI screening starts with parsing your resume into fields and matching it to the job's requirements.

• Use a simple, single column format with standard headings.
• Use the posting's exact wording for skills and job titles where it truthfully describes you.
• Show each key skill inside an experience bullet with a result, not only in a skills list.
• Submit a .docx or text based PDF.

Our full guide explains the details: how to write an ATS friendly resume.

Do not try to game the system

Tactics such as hiding keywords in white text or pasting the whole job description into your resume are well known to recruiters. At best they are ignored; at worst your application is flagged or rejected when a human reads it. Honest, relevant content is the most reliable strategy.

Answer screening questions carefully

Knockout questions, such as work authorization, required licenses, location or minimum experience, can filter applications automatically. Read each one carefully and answer accurately. If a requirement is close but not exact, use any free text field to explain.

Prepare for chatbot and recorded video interviews

For recorded interviews, treat the camera like a person: look at it, speak at a natural pace and keep answers to about one to two minutes. Our guide to tell me about yourself works as a template for most opening questions.

Keep your online profiles consistent

Sourcing tools and recruiters often search LinkedIn and similar platforms. Make sure your profile:

• Has a clear headline with your target role and core skills.
• Matches your resume's dates and titles.
• Lists relevant skills, certifications and projects.

Use AI tools yourself, honestly

AI can help you prepare: tailoring a resume draft, practicing interview questions or researching a company. Use it as an assistant, not an author:

• Edit everything so it sounds like you and reflects what you actually did.
• Never invent experience or credentials. They will not survive an interview or a reference check.
• Do not paste confidential information from current or former employers into public tools.
• Follow employer rules: some assessments prohibit AI assistance, and using it there can disqualify you.

Learning to use AI well is also a skill employers increasingly want; see the AI skills employers want.

Example: rewriting a resume bullet for AI and human readers

Matching tools compare the language and skills in your resume with the job's requirements. Recruiters then read what the tool surfaces. A good bullet works for both.

Suppose a posting for a marketing analyst asks for "SQL", "A/B testing" and "marketing attribution".

The second version uses the posting's terms naturally, shows the skills in context and gives a measurable result. It would read well to a person even if no AI tool were involved, which is the point.

A pre application checklist

Before you click submit on an application that may involve AI screening, run through this list:

See our guide on how to write a cover letter for the tailoring evidence.

Questions you can ask employers about AI

It is reasonable to ask how you will be assessed. Polite, practical questions include:

• "Will any automated tools be used to assess my application or interview?"
• "What skills or qualities does the assessment measure?"
• "Is there an alternative format if I need an accommodation?"
• "Will a person review my application and interview responses?"
• "When can I expect to hear about next steps?"

Asking calmly signals professionalism, and the answers help you prepare. In places such as New York City, employers using covered tools must already provide some of this information.

Concerns about fairness and bias

AI tools learn from data, and data can reflect past patterns, including biased ones. That is why laws like Local Law 144 require bias audits, and why the EU treats hiring AI as high risk. SHRM research from 2022 found that 19% of organizations using automation or AI in HR said their tools had accidentally overlooked or excluded qualified applicants or employees.

What you can do:

• Ask how your application will be assessed, especially if an automated tool is mentioned.
• Request accommodations when a format disadvantages you.
• Apply through referrals where possible, which put a person in the loop early; see our networking guide.
• If you believe you were treated unfairly, many jurisdictions have complaint routes through labor or civil rights agencies.

Myths and facts about AI in hiring

What AI changes, and what it does not

Frequently asked questions

Do employers use AI to reject resumes?

Some use AI to screen or rank resumes, and knockout questions can filter applications automatically. In SHRM's 2025 survey, 44% of organizations using AI in recruiting used it to screen resumes. In most cases, people still review shortlists and make final decisions.

How do I get my resume past AI screening?

Use a simple, readable format, standard headings and the posting's real skill and title wording where it truthfully applies, and show each key skill in an experience bullet with a result. Avoid tricks like hidden keywords.

Can I ask not to be assessed by AI?

It depends on where you are. New York City's Local Law 144 requires notice and lets candidates request an alternative selection process or accommodation. Elsewhere, you can still ask the employer, and you can request reasonable accommodations under disability law.

Is it okay to use ChatGPT or other AI to write my application?

Using AI to help draft and polish is common, but edit carefully so the content is accurate and sounds like you. Never invent experience, and follow any rules an employer sets, especially for assessments.

Will AI interviews replace human interviews?

Not in most hiring today. AI is mainly used for early screening, scheduling and transcription. Later rounds, and final decisions, typically involve people.

Sources

1. 2025 Talent Trends: AI in HR, SHRM (2025)
2. AI hype vs reality in HR (2025 Talent Trends findings), SHRM (2025)
3. State of AI in HR 2026, SHRM (Survey fielded December 2025)
4. Automated Employment Decision Tools: Frequently Asked Questions, NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (June 29, 2023)
5. EU nears approval of agreement to delay rules for AI use in employment decisions, Ogletree Deakins (2026)
6. Fresh SHRM research explores use of automation and AI in HR, SHRM (2022)
7. Applicant Tracking System Usage Report, Jobscan (2026)

Last reviewed November 7, 2026. Found an error? Tell us.