Artificial intelligence is no longer an emerging experiment in hiring; it’s now firmly entrenched in the recruitment process.
Seventy-nine percent of the 1,000 hiring managers nationwide who were polled for Resume Genius’s 2026 Hiring Insights Report say their companies use AI somewhere in hiring or recruiting.
While AI tools are widely used, the data indicates they primarily support administrative and early-stage tasks rather than replace human decision-making.
AI use is concentrated in the administrative stages
With nearly eight in 10 hiring managers saying their companies use AI as part of the hiring or recruiting process, the report asked them how they use the technology:
- 35% screen or rank resumes or applications.
- 33% schedule interviews or manage logistics.
- 32% source candidates.
- 31% write job descriptions or job ads.
- 28% communicate with candidates (e.g., outreach, follow-ups, Q&A).
- 23% conduct pre-screen interviews (e.g., automated phone screenings, AI video interviews).
- 21% use AI in interviews to write questions, take notes, or summarize candidate information.
- 21% create or score skills tests or assessments.
In some workflows, AI can take limited actions. For example, 13% of hiring managers say AI can automatically send messages or move candidates forward based on predefined criteria.
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AI is a decision assistant, not a decision maker
Most hiring managers still only use AI to assist with making decisions, while they still hold the final decisions:
- 32% say AI recommends or ranks candidates, but humans make all final hiring decisions.
- 22% say AI is used strictly for administrative support.
- 19% say AI screens out some candidates using rules set by humans.
Only a small group of hiring managers report minimal human oversight. Six percent say AI can move candidates forward or reject them with limited human review.
With nearly 80% of hiring managers are using AI, that tells us hiring has permanently changed, says Eva Chan, career expert at Resume Genius. AI is now built into the first stage of the process—from screening resumes to organizing interviews.
“The biggest mistake job seekers can make right now is assuming a human reads their resume first,” she said. “In many cases, AI helps determine who moves forward, which means your resume needs to clearly match the job posting—especially your skills and experience. If the keywords and qualifications are easy to spot, you’ll be more likely to make it past the first filter.”
Methodology
The 2026 Hiring Insights Report is based on a survey of 1,000 U.S. hiring managers, conducted by Pollfish to ensure a diverse, demographically balanced sample. Respondents were screened to confirm they were directly responsible for hiring employees within their organization. Resume Genius used standard statistical methods to analyze the survey data and identify overall trends and demographic differences across age and gender groups.
Photo credit: sorbetto/iStock
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