Study Says Hiring Managers Expect (and Prefer) AI-Enhanced Resumes

In a powerful new survey conducted by Canva, a multi-purpose digital suite, and Sago, a quantitative research firm, nearly half of all job seekers today are using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to improve their résumés. As reported in Yahoo news, the survey included 5,000 hiring managers and 5, 000 job seekers from the US, UK, India, Germany, Spain, France, Mexico and Brazil. According to the results, 45% of job seekers have used generative AI to build, update or improve their résumés. But the really surprising statistic? Hiring managers are encouraging the use of AI for the creation of job search documents. Not surprisingly, in 2023, Canva’s AI-powered Magic Write tool was used five million times. Grammarly has attracted 30 million users to its AI Resume Skills Generator. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Does HR Prefer AI-Generated Résumés?

For hiring managers, 90% say that it’s acceptable to use generative AI in application materials. Nearly half (44%) say that it’s OK to use AI to create any content related to the interview process. And a majority of hiring managers (67%) believe that they can tell when they are reading an AI-modified résumé.

But that last stat feels sort of like the number of people who feel that they are good drivers. Notice the difference: there’s how you feel about your driving, and there’s what I just experienced on the freeway. Perhaps our ability to spot AI is a little over-stated?

At any rate, there’s a new résumé trend for 2024 emerging, and that’s the use of visual components. Nearly 60% of hiring managers prefer CVs (curriculum vitae, another way of saying résumé) with visual elements. In fact, 71% of respondents say that purely text-based résumés will be obsolete in five years.

Why It’s a Good Idea to Use AI for Your Résumé and CV

Amy Schultz, global head of talent acquisition at Canva, told FOX Business that candidates should feel reassured by this survey that they can continue to use AI as “a sort of great jumping off point.”

“We know that job seeking can be really hard, it can be really daunting, so if there’s something that can make you feel better about that experience, then I think that folks should lean into that,” she continued.

On average, this survey says that recruiters spend an average of just 7.4 seconds scanning a résumé. That’s generous, according to reports from CNBC. Simon Taylor, a former recruiter at Disney, says the number is more like three to five seconds. “Five is generous,” says Taylor, the author of the upcoming leadership book, Build Smart.

For savvy job seekers, finding every possible way to succeed in this current market means using the latest tools. And now, when it comes to using AI on your résumé, hiring managers are expecting it.