Professionally written cover letters, error-free texts and wording tailored to the job advertisement can now be created within just a few minutes. AI tools such as ChatGPT make it significantly easier for applicants to prepare their application documents and, at the same time, are changing the way recruiting works.
For recruiters, this raises a new question: How meaningful are application documents if they may have been created with the support of artificial intelligence?
AI does not automatically make an application better or worse. However, it changes the conclusions recruiters can draw from it. Companies therefore need to consider not only the use of AI in their own recruiting, but also adapt their selection processes to an application landscape in which AI is increasingly becoming the norm.
AI lowers the barriers for applicants
First of all, this development also offers advantages from a company perspective. Applicants who find writing difficult or feel unsure about the language used in a job advertisement can use AI to present their experience and skills more effectively.
This can particularly lower the barrier to entering the application process. Instead of spending a long time working on a cover letter, interested candidates can create an initial version more quickly, adapt it and submit their application.
For companies, this may mean reaching candidates who might otherwise not have applied because of the effort involved.
At the same time, this creates a new challenge: Professionally written application documents are no longer necessarily a reliable indicator of a candidate’s writing skills.
We explain how applicants can use AI effectively and what risks are involved in our article “AI in Job Applications: Opportunities, Risks and Practical Tips”.
When applications become increasingly similar
AI tools often rely on established wording and structures. If the results are barely personalized, this can lead to applications that appear professional but reveal little about the person behind them.
For recruiters, this makes it more difficult to assess from a cover letter how strong a candidate’s motivation actually is or how well they communicate. Even a cover letter that is perfectly tailored to the job advertisement does not necessarily mean that the candidate actually possesses the skills described in it.
This does not mean that cover letters are becoming worthless. However, their role within candidate selection is changing.
Should HR try to identify AI-generated applications?
The obvious reaction might be to try to determine which applications were created using AI. However, this question is not always decisive for the selection process. What matters more is whether the information is accurate and whether the candidate actually has the required skills.
Instead of assessing an application based on how it was created, companies can therefore focus more strongly on what lies behind the statements. For example, if someone claims to be particularly solution-oriented, they can be asked during the interview about a specific situation in which this skill was required.
This shifts the focus from perfect wording to verifiable experience and skills.
Personal interviews are becoming more important
The easier it becomes to create convincing application documents, the more important the next steps in the recruiting process become.
Structured job interviews, specific follow-up questions about experience or, depending on the position, work samples and practical tasks can help provide a more complete picture.
The aim is not to “catch” applicants who have used AI. Rather, the goal should be to verify whether the statements in the application documents correspond with the candidate’s actual experience and skills. Motivation and personality can also be assessed much more effectively through direct interaction than through a perfectly written cover letter.
Job advertisements also influence the use of AI
However, this development does not only affect applicants. Companies themselves can influence how meaningful applications are.
Very general questions such as “Why would you like to work for us?” can be answered particularly easily with generic AI-generated responses. More specific questions about the position, on the other hand, can encourage applicants to think more deeply about their own experiences.
For example, candidates could be asked how they would deal with a specific challenge they might encounter in their future day-to-day work.
This provides recruiters with information that is often more valuable for assessing actual suitability than lengthy standard cover letters.
Application processes need to evolve
The increasing use of AI is therefore also an opportunity to reassess existing recruiting processes.
What information is actually needed? Which mandatory fields provide real added value? Is a traditional cover letter necessary for every position? And at what point in the process can motivation and skills best be assessed?
Especially with simple or mobile application processes, targeted questions can provide an alternative to lengthy application documents. What matters is that companies ask for exactly the information they actually need for an initial assessment.
It is also worth considering not only individual steps, but the entire journey leading up to the application. You can find out which barriers frequently cause candidates to drop out in our article “The Biggest Mistakes in the Recruiting Funnel – And Why They Cost You Applicants”.
AI therefore fits into a development that has already been apparent for some time: Application processes are becoming simpler, faster and more focused on relevant information.
AI is also an opportunity for HR
While applicants use AI for their application documents, HR teams can also benefit from the technology. AI can, for example, assist with writing job advertisements, structuring information or handling administrative tasks.
AI is now also integrated into various aspects of everyday recruiting in my.two.jobs. When creating and optimizing job advertisements, AI helps revise existing content or create new texts. An AI chat support feature answers questions about my.two.jobs and its functions directly within the tool. With AI candidate search, the existing candidate pool as well as newly received applications can also be searched for suitable candidates based on individually entered search criteria.
You can find out what other opportunities AI offers companies and how it can support recruiting processes in this blog article.
The crucial distinction, however, is not to equate AI with decision-making authority. Especially when it comes to evaluating and selecting people, companies must pay attention to how automated systems are used and on what basis decisions are made.
AI can support recruiters and save time. However, responsibility for fair and transparent candidate selection remains with the company.
What does this mean in practice for recruiters?
Companies do not need to reject AI-generated applications as a matter of principle or completely abandon their existing processes. It makes more sense to reassess how meaningful individual elements are.
For example, a linguistically perfect cover letter should be given less weight if professional skills are what actually matter. At the same time, specific application questions, structured interviews and practical tasks can be given greater importance.
A simple application process does not become any less important as a result. On the contrary: If applicants can now prepare their documents more quickly, they increasingly expect companies to provide a straightforward and modern process as well.
Conclusion
Artificial intelligence is not going to disappear from application processes. For HR, the challenge is therefore less about preventing its use and more about adapting candidate selection accordingly.
Professional application documents alone may reveal less about a candidate in the future. Concrete experience, verifiable skills, personal interviews and relevant application questions, on the other hand, are becoming more important.
At the same time, this development gives companies the opportunity to reassess traditional selection criteria and focus more strongly on what ultimately matters in recruiting: finding the right person for the right position.
