A survey shows that more and more job seekers are using AI tools such as ChatGPT for their application letters. We were also asked what the candidates think about HR managers also using artificial intelligence.
“Dear ladies and gentlemen, I hereby apply for the position of…” Generations of applicants have struggled with such phrases. Now you can simply have this text work done by artificial intelligence. With tools like ChatGPT, a formally correct and yet individual application can be written by itself. But should you do that?
More and more people are apparently making use of this option: almost one in five applicants (19 percent) have already tried out AI tools such as ChatGPT for writing a cover letter. This was the result of an online survey conducted by the recruiting software company Softgarden among around 2,700 job seekers in September of this year. The trend is rising sharply, as only 13 percent answered “yes” to the same question in the spring.
In addition, in the current survey, a further 42 percent (previously 37 percent) said that they had not yet used AI in their application, but could imagine doing so. The camp of AI opponents, on the other hand, is getting smaller: only 32 percent (38 percent in the spring) of applicants think that cover letters created with ChatGPT are “fraud”. Another 7 percent (previously 13 percent) find it too complicated to deal with such tools.
“It’s awesome that you can find an apprenticeship with AI”
In any case, many job seekers are impressed by the potential of the new technology. “I had colleagues who used AI to apply and found an apprenticeship,” says one survey participant. “It’s amazing that you can find an apprenticeship with the help of AI.” Another also thinks it’s amazing “that complete cover letters can now be written by AI and that they are usually of higher quality and better than if you were to write them yourself.” Another says: “The cover letters are ok, but you always have to readjust and adapt them individually.” He finds the possibility of being able to adapt the style of a cover letter particularly interesting – for example, changing an existing text “from classic to something funny”.
In light of their survey results, the experts at Softgarden advise companies to completely forego the classic application letter in the future. “In the foreseeable future, it will no longer be possible to draw any conclusions about the motives or personality, but rather about the level of AI know-how of job seekers,” says the study.
Conversely, artificial intelligence also offers employers new opportunities to make their hiring process more efficient. What do job seekers think about it? First of all, 71 percent of those surveyed think the use of AI in recruiting is generally good, only 20 percent think it is bad (the rest did not provide any information). A large majority welcome it when companies create their job advertisements with AI support. The use of chatbots on company career pages is also widely welcomed.
Can AI sort out applicants?
However, most respondents are critical of it when an AI decides based on the application documents whether a candidate is invited to an interview or not. According to most respondents, the AI can make a recommendation, but the decision as to whether an applicant gets a chance should be made by a flesh-and-blood recruiter. Most applicants are also not enthusiastic about the option of conducting video interviews with an AI instead of a human or having video interviews evaluated by an AI.
However, at least one in five people like video interviews with an AI and almost one in three people welcome it when the AI evaluates video interviews. 22.7 percent of those surveyed are generally in favor of excluding human judgment from the application process and would rather let the computer make the decision. Some of the survey participants’ comments also point in this direction. “I believe AI in applications can lead to more objective decision-making, but only if data and metrics free of human bias are used to design and train the AI systems,” says one.
From the point of view of most people, it doesn’t work without people on the employer side. “As in other areas, the use of AI in the application process will become unavoidable. In my view, however, it is important that it complements, not replaces, humans on the HR side,” says one respondent. This is also how a survey participant who has experience in recruiting sees it. He writes: “Soft skills cannot be determined by AI and ultimately determine whether someone fits into a team or not.”
Source: Stern
