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AI in Recruitment: What We’ve Learned

AI has become increasingly integrated into many aspects of our lives, and it’s clear that this includes the recruitment process. However, what isn’t clear is how or when AI is being used in recruitment or whether it’s making it easier or more difficult to hire that ideal candidate. So, last year, we surveyed both CharityJob candidates and recruiters to find out their perspectives on and usage of AI in recruitment. We received responses from 2,309 candidates and 97 recruiters, whose data we analysed.

This blog delves into the standout findings from the recruiter survey, which explored the use of AI in recruitment and its impact on assessing job applications. You can find out more about how candidates are using AI, or for the full findings please download the Perspectives on AI in Charity Sector Recruitment 2025 report.

How familiar are our recruiters with AI?

69% of our respondents said they are somewhat, very or extremely familiar with AI.

Use of AI in recruitment

We saw that 76% of respondents had never used AI in their recruitment. Although one thing to consider here is that some recruiters may actually be using AI without realising, in the form of applicant tracking systems or other recruitment tools.

Those who didn’t answer ‘yes’ to this question were then asked if they were open to using AI in their charity’s recruitment process. 44% said ‘no’, 41% said ‘somewhat’ and 15% said ‘yes’ they were open to using AI.

Statements about AI in recruitment

Recruiters were given a few statements about AI and asked to rank how strongly they agreed.

A staggering 77% agreed with the statement that AI could have negative consequences for recruitment and only 10% disagreed. This suggests that charity recruiters are cautious about the potential effect of AI on the recruitment process.

51% of respondents disagreed that the impact of AI on charity recruitment will be minimal and nearly a quarter of respondents agreed that AI could improve the hiring process. This indicates a nuanced perspective, with some recruiters cautiously optimistic about AI’s potential benefits.

In addition, more than half disagreed with the statement that AI creates more job opportunities. This could be because it has reduced the need for human input in some areas by making tasks easier or quicker, resulting in fewer new job opportunities.

AI as a recruitment tool

We asked recruiters which areas of recruitment they think AI could be most beneficial in.

Writing job descriptions was the most selected answer, with 76%, followed by creating interview questions with 68%, and more than half said they thought it could be beneficial to help them schedule interviews.

When asked which aspects of recruitment AI shouldn’t be used for, ‘final candidate selection’ was the top answer with 90%, followed by ethical decision making with 80% and offer negotiation with 63%.

So, our data highlights that AI seems to be more useful as a recruitment tool during the beginning phases of recruitment as opposed to post-interview stages.

Do recruiters trust AI’s decisions?

Nearly half of respondents indicated that they wouldn’t trust recommendations made by AI. This suggests that recruiters feel that they can’t rely on it and still need human judgement when it comes to making recruitment decisions.

Recruiters’ views on candidates’ usage of AI

Recruiters were asked to consider if they thought it was fair for candidates to use AI to help with their job application.

Nearly half of recruiter respondents disagreed that candidates should be able to use AI to help them with their job application, with a quarter strongly disagreeing. This could be due to recruiters finding that applications seem inauthentic if they rely too heavily on AI, as some noted when asked for any final thoughts.

Final comments from recruiters on AI in charity recruitment

At the end of the survey, recruiters were asked for further comments on the use of AI in charity recruitment. There was a mix of responses, with the positives being that AI helps to streamline the recruitment process and simplifies tasks like arranging interviews. However, there are still doubts surrounding AI’s ability to assess candidates objectively. Recruiters feel that it might have its own biases, and therefore not be effective in making the recruitment process fairer.

To find out more about recruiters’ usage and perspectives on AI, please download the full report.

Tags: AI in recruitment, AI in the charity sector

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About the author

Jinsha Joshy

Jinsha is Research Executive at CharityJob.