Recruitment trends: AI assisted CVs – Could you spot an AI generated CV?

How to spot an AI generated CV

The red flags
With AI becoming ever more sophisticated, spotting a fully generated CV or application will undoubtedly become more challenging, but according to Hughes there are some obvious red flags.

Generic content
AI generated CVs tend to rely on frequently used sentences and often lack real depth. So, for example, achievements written using AI may sound great but lack any real context or examples. They also tend to lack any real personalisation.

Odd sentence structure or inconsistent language
Inconsistent use of language and syntax issues are probably one of the major red flags and easiest to spot. This could include the overuse of elaborate words and sentences that don’t flow (or make sense) or using words in an incorrect context.

Inconsistent structure or flow
CVs and applications should flow, guiding the hiring manager logically through a candidate’s achievements and highlighting skills. AI generated CVs and applications can sometimes jump around, presenting information in an illogical flow – ultimately not making much sense.

How can organisations get on the front foot of this recruitment trend?

The number of candidates using AI to generate CVs or enhance CVs is only going to increase and for organisations hiring directly, this presents a very real challenge in both time and resource.

With potentially more candidates making it through the initial CV screening stages, talent acquisition or in-house recruitment teams will need to spend more time on pre-screening calls and activities before presenting shortlists to hiring managers. As well as heavier workloads, another biproduct of this is longer recruitment processes and the increased risk of losing candidates along the way. And let’s face it, with talent still hard to come by, this is not a desirable outcome.

Skipping this step is not an option either as it will only result in hiring managers interviewing more candidates, taking them out of the business for longer periods of time, interview fatigue and a greater risk of them going outside of internal processes due to the quality and quantity of candidates.

Silver lining

This is where partnering with external recruitment agencies has advantages. They already have a ‘screened’ candidate talent pool, built up over many years of nurturing relationships. This means they can quickly find candidates with the right skills and cultural fit. As Hughes points out, “It’s not uncommon for us to present shortlists back to clients in 48 hours.”

Moreover, engaging with a recruitment agency means that they have accountability for all pre-screening activities.  As an example, at Harvey Nash we interview all candidates, providing that checkpoint to really assess their skills and fit for the role and the business. This is a really a key advantage of working with external recruiters – providing that verification, drilling down into experience to ensure credibility before presenting a shortlist to the hiring manager. It also provides us with an opportunity to spot candidates that would be a perfect match for a role and company but who may not impactfully represent themselves and be overlooked in any screening process.

AI generated CVs is a recruitment trend here to stay

Like all technology, AI generated CVs are here to stay, and they will only grow in adoption and sophistication. Upskilling recruitment teams on how to spot AI or ChatGPT generated CVs is the first step. Beyond that, looking at how you can adapt and evolve your recruitment processes including the technology such as AI content detectors to support screening is essential to staying ahead of the game.

About the author:

Rhodri Hughes is the Director of Harvey Nash’s Financial Services Practice. Working with his team he provides support and expertise across an extensive portfolio of trusted clients, including; but not limited to Investment Banks, Retail Banks, Investment Managers, Consultancies, Asset Managers, Proprietary Trading houses, Brokerages, Fin Techs, Insurance firms and more, covering a wide range of roles including technology, change and transformation, risk, compliance as well non-tech roles. 

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