Jessica O'ConnorArtificial intelligence (AI) is now playing a decisive role in hiring, promotion and redundancy decisions, according to research from MyPerfectResume, with adoption rising faster than confidence in its fairness.
The survey of 1,000 hiring managers found that 73% of employers now use AI in hiring decisions, while 52% also applied it to workforce planning.
Despite this widespread use, only 51% of employers said they are confident AI is being used fairly in layoffs, and 23% expressed doubts.
Furthermore, 65% of hiring managers reported that AI now automatically rejects applicants prior to review.
In some cases, this filtering is significant, with 14% reporting that more than half of applicants are rejected by AI systems.
Worryingly, nearly half of employers (47%) said AI may have filtered out candidates they would otherwise have progressed.
Jasmine Escalera, career expert at MyPerfectResume, said: “AI is no longer just supporting hiring decisions; it’s actively deciding who gets seen and who gets filtered out.
“When more than half of employers are using these tools to shape workforce decisions, the stakes are incredibly high.
“The concern is that speed and efficiency are being prioritized over accuracy and fairness, and that can have real consequences for qualified candidates.”
