Three in four UK recruiters believe most CVs are AI-written
TestGorilla report shows that nearly nine in ten UK recruiters have found candidates' AI skills fall short at interview, while 73% spend an hour or more verifying a single candidate
29 October 2026
Amsterdam, 29 October 2026 – New research from TestGorilla, the proof-first AI recruiting platform, reveals that three in four UK recruiters (75%) believe the majority of candidate profiles and CVs they see are written by AI, raising concerns about how employers can assess candidates' genuine skills and experience. The findings come from TestGorilla's Recruiting in the AI era report, a survey of 1428 US and 483 UK talent acquisition professionals, external recruiters and HR leaders.As a result, British recruiters are cautious in this AI era. Only 15% would take a candidate's word that they can do the job, against 23% of US recruiters. Working out whether candidates really have the skills on their CVs is the top sourcing challenge in the UK, named by 49% of recruiters, ahead of a shortage of skilled candidates on 43%.The problem is sharpest in the roles employers are competing hardest to fill. For new AI-specific jobs, such as AI engineer or AI product manager, one in three UK recruiters (33%) say every candidate's profile reads the same. Recruiters are feeling the effect at interview. 87% say a sourced candidate's profile has claimed AI skills that turned out weaker than the profile suggested, at least sometimes, and 45% say it happens often or almost always. Working out whether candidates really have the skills on their CVs continues to be the top sourcing challenge for UK, and US, recruiters.
With the CV saying less, recruiters are filling the space with their own time. 73% spend an hour or more of their own time on a single candidate before they trust that person can do the job, and 30% spend two hours or more. 69% review 26 or more profiles to find one worth contacting, and 40% hear back from fewer than a quarter of the candidates they approach.What recruiters want instead is evidence they can validate. 92% of UK recruiters would use an objective check on a sourced candidate before interviewing them. A short job simulation is the most popular choice (46%), followed by a 10-minute skills test (43%) and an ID or credential check (40%). Only 5% would go straight to interview with no check."A CV used to be a candidate's account of themselves. Increasingly, it's an AI's account of what a recruiter wants to read," said Wouter Durville, CEO of TestGorilla. "UK recruiters have worked that out, which is why so few will take a candidate's word for it. Reading harder won't solve it and the hour they spend on every candidate shows that. Candidates should have the opportunity to demonstrate what they can actually do early in the hiring process, so recruiters can make informed decisions without spending hours verifying claims on a CV."
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With the CV saying less, recruiters are filling the space with their own time. 73% spend an hour or more of their own time on a single candidate before they trust that person can do the job, and 30% spend two hours or more. 69% review 26 or more profiles to find one worth contacting, and 40% hear back from fewer than a quarter of the candidates they approach.What recruiters want instead is evidence they can validate. 92% of UK recruiters would use an objective check on a sourced candidate before interviewing them. A short job simulation is the most popular choice (46%), followed by a 10-minute skills test (43%) and an ID or credential check (40%). Only 5% would go straight to interview with no check."A CV used to be a candidate's account of themselves. Increasingly, it's an AI's account of what a recruiter wants to read," said Wouter Durville, CEO of TestGorilla. "UK recruiters have worked that out, which is why so few will take a candidate's word for it. Reading harder won't solve it and the hour they spend on every candidate shows that. Candidates should have the opportunity to demonstrate what they can actually do early in the hiring process, so recruiters can make informed decisions without spending hours verifying claims on a CV."
About the research
Fielded 10 September to 7 October 2026. Analysis base: 483 UK talent professionals, weighted to 55% talent acquisition, 25% external recruiters and 20% HR leaders. US comparisons are from TestGorilla's Recruiting in 2026 report (1,428 US talent professionals, fielded August 2026), which used the same questionnaire, exclusions and weighting. Full methodology and data tables are published with the report at https://www.testgorilla.com/reports/recruiting-ai-era/About TestGorilla
TestGorilla is a proof-first AI recruiting platform. Recruiters source from 900 million profiles, and then prove who can do the job with TestGorilla's 350+ skills tests and 100+ AI interviews. TestGorilla's mission is to place 1 billion people in their dream jobs. www.testgorilla.com
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