A new survey of 1,000 UK-based HR and talent professionals by background-checking platform Zinc reveals AI is now embedded across nearly every stage of the hiring process, from writing job descriptions to rejecting candidates.
Yet while automation promises speed and efficiency, it’s also creating a sense of detachment with both candidates and recruiters.
According to the data, 62% rely on AI to screen candidates. More than half (55%) use AI tools to write job descriptions, and almost half (47%) say they use AI to move candidates through the hiring funnel, while over a third (37%) automate rejections entirely.
But this push toward automation has a clear human cost, as 71% of HR professionals believe automation removes personalisation from the hiring process. With 73% of HR teams saying they use AI in recruitment because it’s a business priority, it begs the question – how much AI is too much?
“AI is supposed to make hiring smarter, not colder,” said Charlotte Hall, Co-founder at Zinc. “Candidates want clarity and connection — not an experience that feels generated by a machine. When automation replaces empathy, the relationship breaks down. The irony is that AI can make hiring more human — if used thoughtfully. It can take care of the admin, freeing recruiters to do what machines can’t: build real relationships.”
The research paints a picture of an industry struggling to find balance. On the one hand, HR teams are under pressure to do more with less – reviewing hundreds of applications, finding the perfect hire in a high-pressure economic market, and keeping up with new technologies. 70% of respondents said they couldn’t afford to make a bad hire.
Even when candidates make it to the finish line, this disconnect continues. 75% of HR teams have had to delay a hire due to slow background checks, and 40% said new hires had left within six months because the role wasn’t what they expected. Given 59% of HR pros also admit using platforms like ChatGPT to draft interview questions and candidate tasks, AI use should be carefully considered; otherwise, it risks acting as a barrier to businesses finding what they’re truly looking for.
And the push toward automation doesn’t always translate into speed. 84% of recruiters said senior hires take longer than a month, and 15% said it takes over two months — giving disengaged candidates ample time to look elsewhere.
Despite these challenges, recruiters will continue to experiment with tools to generate interview tasks, screen CVs, and even predict performance based on set questions. But as technology opens the door to significant efficiencies, the tension between candidates and machines is playing out simultaneously – in fact, it’s clear the future of hiring will depend on how well companies can combine efficiency with empathy.
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