Only 37 percent of recruiters prepared for AI’s impact on hiring
A new survey of 1,000 US HR and recruiting leaders shows teams are struggling to verify skills, assess culture fit, and find qualified candidates and that only 37 percent are prepared for an AI-driven future
The study from TestGorilla finds 58 percent struggle to verify skills on resumes, 47 percent find it difficult to identify candidates aligned with the company culture, and 43 percent cite a lack of skilled candidates in the market.
Recruiters are struggling with tools too, nearly half (46 percent) say their current sourcing tools are ineffective with integration failures and outdated candidate data the biggest frustrations.
Active sourcing is seen as the answer with three-quarters saying it’s very important or essential to their talent acquisition strategy, yet only 27 percent actively source more than half their hires.
Wouter Durville, CEO and co-founder at TestGorilla says, “Sourcing teams are under more pressure than ever. They’re expected to deliver quality hires in a market where AI is rapidly reshaping talent acquisition, skills are harder to verify, and outdated tools can’t keep up. Our research shows that while nearly eight in ten leaders say active sourcing is vital, most still rely on passive hires because of these barriers. Better sourcing comes down to three things: smarter signals on skills and culture, tools that integrate seamlessly, and clear ROI measurement so you can double down on what works and fix what doesn’t.”
Focusing on the IT industry only 17 percent of organizations actively source more than half their hires, despite 83 percent saying active sourcing is essential. Recruiters cite outdated candidate data (44 percent) and integration gaps between tools (48 percent) as their biggest frustrations -- pain points that persist even in a tech-first sector. Still, 67 percent plan to invest in new sourcing technology in the next 12 months. Looking ahead, IT professionals expect disruption less from skills shortages (27 percent) and more from AI and automation (54 percent) and advanced data and analytics (49 percent) -- though many admit they are not fully prepared for these shifts.
The full report is available from the TestGorilla site.
Image credit: BiancoBlue/depositphotos.com