A recent Gartner survey reveals a significant trust gap in AI-driven hiring processes: only 26% of job applicants believe AI will evaluate them fairly. Despite this skepticism, more than half (52%) of candidates believe their application data is reviewed by AI systems.
At the same time, many candidates are using AI themselves.
Nearly 40% use it to assist in crafting résumés, cover letters, and application responses.
Gartner’s findings indicate a complex relationship between candidates and AI: while job seekers fear bias, they’re increasingly relying on AI tools to improve their odds. Meanwhile, employers are becoming more concerned with fraud, including the rising trend of fake identities and interview deception.
With trust eroding on both sides, AI’s role in hiring has gained heightened attention.
Why It Matters: Trust is a cornerstone of effective recruitment, and AI’s expanding presence risks eroding that foundation. As candidates question the fairness of evaluations and employers face growing fraud risks, companies must strike a balance between efficiency and integrity. Failing to address these challenges could lead to talent gaps, reduced application rates, and legal complications.
- Low Confidence in AI Fairness: Only 26% of job candidates trust that AI will fairly assess their qualifications, even though 52% believe AI is involved in the hiring process. This disconnect points to a broader unease about automation’s role in high-stakes decision-making.
- Candidates Use AI—Despite Distrust: In the Q4 2024 survey, 39% of applicants reported using AI tools to generate résumés, cover letters, writing samples, or assessment responses. Despite fearing bias from AI-driven hiring systems, candidates are embracing similar tools to enhance their own competitiveness.
- Employer Concerns About Candidate Fraud: Employers are increasingly concerned with identity fraud, as 6% of candidates admitted to fraudulent behavior during interviews, such as impersonation or using proxies. Gartner predicts this issue will escalate, estimating that by 2028, one in four candidate profiles worldwide will be falsified.
- Application Behavior is Shifting: The proportion of candidates accepting job offers has dropped sharply from 74% in Q2 2023 to just 51% in Q2 2025. This could reflect increased skepticism about job legitimacy, concerns over how AI is used, or more strategic decision-making among applicants.
- Multi-Layered Fraud Prevention Is Key: Gartner recommends a proactive fraud mitigation approach, including clearly communicating AI usage policies, embedding identity verification in assessments, and refining background checks post-hire. Employers are also encouraged to use in-person interviews and build anti-cheating safeguards into evaluations to preserve integrity and trust.
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