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AI is rapidly reshaping recruitment, but candidates are sending a clear message: it only works when it feels authentic.
In our recent survey around candidate perceptions of AI, authenticity emerged as one of three critical pillar shaping candidate experience. It’s not about whether AI is used, it’s about how and where it shows up in the process.
The difference between a positive experience and a disengaged candidate?
Feeling like a person – not a process.
Candidates don’t reject AI - they reject generic experiences
The data paints a nuanced picture. Candidates aren’t anti-AI. In fact, most recognise its role in improving efficiency across recruitment. But when AI creates experiences that feel generic, impersonal, or disconnected, candidate engagement drops fast.
- 93% of candidates say AI-created assessments don’t increase their effort – and over a third would put less effort in or abandon them entirely.
- The majority also see generic assessments as a signal they were created by AI.
- And when assessments feel generic, most candidates report a negative experience.
Q 29. If you thought an Online Assessment was created using AI, how would that affect the amount of effort you put into completing it compared to one created by a human?
The insight is clear:
Authenticity isn’t about removing AI – it’s about removing the feeling that ‘this could be for anyone’.
The perception problem: effort signals matter
Candidates judge your process not just on what it delivers, but on what it signals.
When an assessment feels tailored to the role or organisation, it communicates:
- Care
- Intent
- Investment in the candidate
When it feels templated, it communicates the opposite:
- Minimal effort
- Low value placed on the applicant
- A “tick-box” process
And that impacts more than just the task itself, but also the candidate’s perception of the role and organisation.
Authenticity directly influences employer brand
Candidate experience and employer brand are tightly linked, and authenticity sits at the centre of both.
- 91% of candidates say their experience of the recruitment process influences how they feel about the role.
That means every generic or impersonal interaction doesn’t just reduce engagement – it actively weakens brand perception. In a competitive early careers market, that’s a risk most employers can’t afford.
Where AI adds value (and where it doesn’t)
Candidates are surprisingly clear on where AI enhances their experience – and where it detracts from it.
Where AI works well:
- Onboarding admin (e.g. right to work checks, contract summaries) sees strong positive sentiment (63%)
- Answering simple onboarding questions (e.g. logistics like dress code or location) also receives majority positive sentiment (56%)
These are:
- Repetitive
- Low-emotion
- Process-driven
In other words, perfect use cases for AI.
Q.48 – Please indicate your feelings on the ability to use AI for the following – particularly to make your learning journey more personalised.
Where authenticity matters most:
- Role-specific skills training is viewed negatively (around 50% negative sentiment)
- Assessment design and scoring using AI both receive overall negative sentiment
These are:
- High-stakes
- Personal
- Closely tied to candidate potential
And candidates expect a human touch.
Trust still leans human - especially for key moments
Even beyond assessments, credibility matters.
- 62% of candidates would trust a specialist over AI to guide their learning journey pre-boarding
This reinforces a broader truth: Candidates want to feel like decisions and development pathways are guided by people, not just systems.
AI can support, but it shouldn’t replace, the moments that define a candidate’s relationship with your brand.
The hidden risk: AI can make your process feel careless
Qualitative feedback highlights a deeper emotional response:
- Candidates associate AI-heavy processes with a lack of care or effort from employers
- Some feel it creates distance between them and the organisation
- Others worry it prevents them from showing their true potential
This isn’t just about technology – it’s about perception.
And perception, in candidate experience, is everything.
Authenticity is the differentiator - not the technology
The organisations that will win with AI in recruitment aren’t those that use it the most. They’re the ones that use it most intelligently.
That means:
- Leveraging AI for efficiency where it adds value
- Preserving human interaction where it builds trust
- Ensuring every touchpoint feels relevant, tailored, and intentional
Because ultimately, candidates aren’t assessing your tech stack. They’re asking:
“Does this company feel like it genuinely wants to hire me?”
What this means for employers
If you’re embedding AI into your recruitment process, authenticity needs to be designed-in, not assumed.
Key principles:
- Personalise the experience
Generic = AI in the candidate’s mind.
Bespoke = effort, care, authenticity.
- Use AI where it removes friction, not meaning
Automate the admin.
Keep the human for decisions, development, and evaluation.
- Be intentional with assessment design
Ensure tasks reflect the actual role and company context, not just standardised outputs.
- Protect the human moments
Interviews, feedback, progression—these are the touchpoints that define your brand.
Final thoughts: Transparency is the new fairness
AI isn’t the problem.
Inauthentic experiences are.
Candidates are open to AI in recruitment—but only when it feels:
- Relevant
- Human-centred
- Worth their time
Get that balance right, and AI becomes a powerful enabler of better candidate experience.
Get it wrong, and it risks undermining both engagement and employer brand.
Our full report based on the survey findings Human First: Candidate Perspectives on AI in Recruitment is available here.
You can check out parts 1 and 2 of this blog series below:
Part 1 – Understanding How Students Use and View AI in Recruitment – The Importance of Connection
Part 2 – Transparency in AI: The Missing Link in Candidate Experience
