AI Is Changing the Job Search—But Not Always Making It Easier

For many jobseekers, the application process looks very different than it did even a decade ago.

There was a time when applying for a job meant walking into a business, filling out an application or handing someone their printed resume, and sometimes speaking directly with a hiring manager. Today, that process is almost always entirely digital. Jobs are found through online searches. Applications are submitted through a web form or portal. Most applications go through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)—software that helps employers sort through large volumes of applications.

AI-powered ATS platforms often rely heavily on keywords to determine whether a candidate is a match for a role.

Many jobseekers use AI tools—platforms like ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot—to tailor resumes for specific opportunities, draft cover letters, and prepare for interviews. It’s important to always remove personal contact information from anything that you submit into any AI tool.

AI is particularly helpful for people looking to transition into a new field, helping update the language around their professional experiences to translate those skills using industry-specific terminology found in the job description. While a human recruiter might easily recognize transferable skills, an algorithm may not, resulting in qualified applications never being seen.

When Robots Apply to Robots

Some jobseekers now use tools and paid services to automatically apply to dozens—or even hundreds—of jobs per day. That dramatically increases the number of applications employers receive.

In the past, a role might receive 100 applications in its first week. Today, hiring teams might see thousands. And if the role is remote, the number of applicants increases exponentially with jobseekers applying from all over the country.

For employers, that means AI is often necessary to filter applications and identify which candidates to advance to interviews. But it also increases the likelihood of qualified candidates getting completely overlooked in the process.

The result sometimes becomes AI systems reviewing applications that were optimized or even created by other AI systems.

The Risk of Losing the Human Touch

Despite the efficiencies AI can offer, it cannot replace human judgment. One of the most consistent concerns across the hiring landscape is the potential loss of the human connection in recruiting.

Jobseekers often share that their biggest frustration is silence. Rejection never feels good, but at least the jobseeker can move on. Submitting an application and never getting a response can feel impersonal and discouraging.

AI can help automate communication from hiring teams—sending confirmation emails or status updates, for example. But these automated messages should be thoughtfully written and created by the employer’s hiring team rather than a generic message provided by your HR platform.  Partnering with the communications team will help ensure any automated messages reflect and align with the employer’s values and company culture. Generic and cold automated emails—or complete silence—during the hiring process can be dehumanizing for applicants and damaging to an employer’s brand and reputation.

Equity and Bias in AI Hiring Tools

Research and reporting have shown that some automated hiring tools can unintentionally reflect biases present in the data they were trained on. This can influence how AI filters or ranks applications, creating an unintended process that may sideline candidates whose experiences or identities don’t align with the existing majority.

Employers should be thoughtful about how these tools are used and ensure they support fair hiring practices rather than unintentionally limiting diversity.

How Jobseekers Can Use AI Wisely

Use AI to refine—not write—your resume
AI can help identify areas where your resume could better match a job description. Try uploading a job posting and asking an AI tool to suggest improvements that highlight relevant skills. Use AI as a tool to improve your application materials, not create them.

Focus on clarity and impact
Resumes should prioritize clear, concise descriptions of your accomplishments. AI can help remove unnecessary language and emphasize measurable results.

Prepare for interviews
AI tools can generate potential interview questions based on a job description and suggest ways to structure strong responses based on your experiences.

Ask the tool to apply the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) when developing responses. Practicing your answers can help build confidence and strengthen your storytelling.

Always protect your personal information
Before uploading documents to any AI platform, remove sensitive information like your home address, email, or phone number.

Do your research
Not all AI tools work the same way. Explore multiple platforms and compare outputs to ensure the suggestions you receive are useful and accurate.

How Employers Can Responsibly Integrate AI

Audit your recruiting process
Identify where AI might help streamline workflows, such as screening resumes or scheduling interviews.

Monitor for bias
Regularly review AI-powered tools to ensure they aren’t unintentionally filtering out qualified candidates. One way to test this is by submitting a mock qualified application and observing how it moves through your system.

Communicate with applicants
Automated updates can help keep candidates informed and improve the overall experience. Ensure the messages and tone are human and reflect your company’s values.

Let the system send the communications, not create it
Read the messages out loud. If they sound robotic, rewrite them.

Keep humans involved
AI can help narrow the candidate pool, but hiring decisions should always involve human judgment. Regularly review what AI filters out to ensure the results align with your hiring goals.

Focus on candidate experience
The applicant experience should be as thoughtfully considered as one of an existing employee or even a customer.

The Future of AI in Hiring

AI is not going away. In fact, it will likely continue evolving and becoming more embedded in both job searches and recruiting. The future of hiring isn’t about replacing people with technology. It’s about using technology to help people connect more effectively, whether that’s helping employers identify great talent or helping jobseekers present their skills more clearly.

That is exactly what EmployIndy is committed to do for our community. And we will continue to innovate our work to support the ever-evolving world of work.

With or without AI, successful hiring still requires the ability to make meaningful connections, recognize potential, and build trust between both individuals and organizations. AI can assist with that process—but it can’t replace the people.