How AI Is Changing Recruitment in the UK: What Jobseekers Need to Know

December 31, 2025

Very few sectors have escaped the arrival of AI, and recruitment is no different. Whether the presence of AI is obvious or not, there is a good chance that your application has been handled by an AI agent if you have submitted a CV to any company in the past year.

And it’s not just employers using AI to streamline their recruitment processes. Candidates are also using AI to quickly craft CVs that meet all of the requirements of the (likely) AI-generated job description. It does make you wonder how we’re going to retain the ‘human’ in ‘human resources’.

AI arrived with such breakneck speed that many employers are fully confident that they know what they are doing with it. This technology makes lofty promises to be able to speed up workflows, improve engagement and identify the best candidates with ease. So, how is this going to change recruitment in the years ahead?

CV screening and applicant tracking systems

From a candidate’s perspective, this could have a significant impact on how you get your foot in the door of a company. AI is likely to be used in initial CV screening, so it’s vital to make sure that your CV is an accurate representation of what you have to offer.

The good news is that applicant tracking systems are likely to help reduce instances of ghosting, which has been a sore point for candidates for quite some time. Better engagement should help to improve sentiment towards companies – even if the news you are receiving isn’t the news you want.

AI video interviews are on the rise

You may have seen short clips of these interviews on social media, as many people are already growing weary with companies outsourcing this task to a machine. This is a popular early screening technique that helps companies to gauge soft skills like communication and thinking on your feet.

Some candidates find that this is far less nerve wracking than speaking to an actual person, but others find the disconnection quite strange. This technique is more commonly used in entry level roles, or as an early screening tool for more advanced hiring flows.

AI is making predictions about your future intentions

Data on past hiring decisions can help to inform future hiring decisions – at least in theory. While you might say that your five year plan is to rise in the ranks of the company you are interviewing for, the data might say otherwise. 

AI is increasingly being used to make predictions about staff retention, which could help employers decide between one candidate and another. We could see employers run into legal trouble if they rely on this information to make predictions about candidates.

Candidate sourcing is changing

Keeping your LinkedIn profile up to date and active has never been more important. AI recruitment tools are more likely to be put to use to help broaden recruitment pools, including scanning online databases for active and passive job seekers. If you have skills that recruiters are looking for, expect AI to help drive more recruiters in your direction.

What do candidates need to do in the face of these changes?

AI is changing the face of recruitment, and thankfully, it’s only taking away the tedious tasks that cause frustration for both employers and candidates. 

As a jobseeker, you should make sure that your CV and cover letter hits the relevant keywords. You should also strip away any unnecessary formatting and keep things clean. And finally, make sure you keep your professional online profiles up-to-date and consistent with your CV.