AI Can Read a CV, But Can It Recognise Real Talent?
By Chris Brown · 04/11/2026
Recruitment has always involved a balancing act between finding the right people and managing the time it takes to get there.
Recruitment has always involved a balancing act between finding the right people and managing the time it takes to get there.
With hundreds of applications applying for a single vacancy, reviewing every CV can be a lengthy and often overwhelming task. It's hardly surprising, then, that recruitment agencies are increasingly turning to AI and ATS’s with built-in AI shortlisting capabilities to help manage the workload.
On the surface, it makes perfect sense. AI can scan applications, compare CVs against job descriptions, identify relevant skills and experience, and rank candidates in a fraction of the time it would take a recruiter.
But there's a question worth asking.
By relying on AI to decide which candidates make the shortlist, could recruiters actually be overlooking some of their best potential placements?
The appeal of AI shortlisting
Let's be clear, AI has a valuable role to play in modern recruitment.
When an agency receives hundreds of applications for a vacancy, manually working through every CV is time-consuming. AI can help identify candidates who appear to meet essential criteria, highlight relevant experience and reduce the administrative burden on recruiters.
It can also help bring consistency to the initial screening process, potentially reducing some forms of unconscious human bias.
For busy recruitment consultants, having technology that can process large volumes of applications quickly is an attractive proposition.
However, removing human involvement doesn't automatically remove bias, and speed doesn't necessarily mean better decisions.
The real question isn't whether AI can identify candidates who match a job description. It's whether it can recognise the candidates who might actually be the best fit for the role.
Are we rewarding candidates who know how to write an AI-friendly CV?
One of the biggest challenges with AI shortlisting is that it relies heavily on the information presented to it.
As AI becomes more widely used by recruiters, candidates are becoming increasingly aware of how to use it themselves. CV-writing tools can now tailor applications to individual job descriptions, incorporate relevant keywords and present experience in a way that closely mirrors an employer's requirements.
The result? A CV that looks like an almost perfect match.
But does that necessarily mean the candidate is the best person for the job?
A candidate who has used AI to rewrite their CV might score highly because their application contains all the right terminology, phrases and skills identified in the job description.
Meanwhile, another candidate might have years of relevant experience but have written their CV in their own words, focusing on their actual responsibilities, achievements and skills rather than trying to optimise it for an automated screening system.
They might have underplayed certain experiences, used different terminology or simply not included the exact keywords the system is looking for.
Does that make them any less capable of doing the job?
Absolutely not.
Yet if the AI system is heavily reliant on keyword matching and predefined criteria, that second candidate could be filtered out before a recruiter has even had the opportunity to look at their application.
We could end up rewarding candidates who are better at writing AI applications rather than those who are genuinely better suited to the role.
The CV doesn't always tell the whole story
A CV is an introduction to a candidate, not a complete picture of what they bring to a business.
Two candidates might have very similar employment histories, qualifications and technical skills, but that doesn't mean they will perform equally well in the same working environment.
Consider someone who has spent five years working for a highly structured corporate organisation. They might have excellent experience on paper, but would they thrive in a small, fast-moving business where everyone wears several hats?
Equally, someone who has worked in a smaller business with limited resources might have developed an incredible ability to adapt, solve problems and take responsibility beyond their job title.
An AI system might recognise the job titles and skills, but can it understand the working environments that shaped those candidates?
Experienced recruiters often have a much deeper understanding of this.
Through conversations with clients, they learn about management styles, team dynamics, company values and the personalities that tend to succeed within particular organisations.
They also get to know candidates beyond their employment history.
That context can make all the difference when deciding whether someone is right for a particular opportunity.
What about personality, communication and those intangible qualities?
One of the most valuable things an experienced recruiter brings to the process is the ability to recognise qualities that aren't necessarily written down on a CV.
Communication skills, confidence, enthusiasm, attitude, adaptability and the ability to build relationships can all have a significant impact on someone's suitability for a role.
But how much of that can AI genuinely establish from a CV?
Imagine two candidates:
Candidate A has submitted a beautifully written AI CV, closely tailored to the job description, highlighting all the relevant skills and experience.
Candidate B has submitted a straightforward, traditionally written CV. They have the experience but haven't particularly sold themselves or used the terminology featured in the vacancy.
AI ranks Candidate A higher and rejects Candidate B.
However, when Candidate A reaches interview, the recruiter discovers that their communication skills are poor, their answers are limited and they struggle to expand on the experience highlighted in their CV.
Candidate B, meanwhile, might have been a fantastic communicator, demonstrated genuine enthusiasm and had exactly the personality and approach the employer was looking for.
Unfortunately, they never got the opportunity to demonstrate any of that because an algorithm had already made the decision.
It's a reminder that being able to write a convincing CV and being able to perform successfully in a role are two very different things.
Can AI really understand company culture?
Cultural fit is another area where technology has its limitations.
A successful placement isn't simply about matching someone's skills and qualifications to a job description. It's also about finding someone who will work well within a particular team, with a particular manager and within the wider organisation.
Recruiters who have developed long-standing relationships with their clients often understand these nuances.
They know the type of personalities that work well within a business, the management styles of individual directors and the characteristics that have made previous hires successful.
This is knowledge built through conversations, experience and relationships.
It isn't necessarily something that can be captured in a job description or measured against a scoring matrix.
An AI system might identify someone as a 95% match based on their CV, but that doesn't mean they will be the right person for the environment they're entering.
Sometimes, the candidate who looks like a slightly less obvious match on paper is actually the one who will make the biggest difference to a business.
So, where should AI fit into the recruitment process?
None of this means recruitment agencies should abandon AI.
Far from it.
There are plenty of areas where AI can make a genuine difference, from reducing administrative workloads and improving database searches to helping with job advertising, candidate communications and automating workflows.
The technology can make recruiters more efficient and free up valuable time to concentrate on building relationships, understanding client requirements and speaking to candidates.
But perhaps we need to be more careful about handing over the decision-making process.
Recruitment is ultimately about people.
It's about understanding what a business needs, recognising potential in candidates and making connections that result in successful long-term placements.
AI can process information at incredible speed, but speed isn't the same as understanding.
It doesn't necessarily know why someone left their previous employer, what they learned from a challenging working environment, how they interact with others or what motivates them to succeed.
And it certainly shouldn't assume that the candidate with the best-written CV is automatically the best person for the job.
AI should be helping recruiters find great candidates, not deciding which candidates deserve to be found.
The best recruitment processes will be those that combine the efficiency of technology with the experience, judgement and personal understanding that only people can bring.
Because sometimes, the best candidate isn't the one with the perfect CV.
It's the one an algorithm would have rejected.
About The RecSupport Co.
The RecSupport Co. provides specialist remote administrative and operational support to recruitment agencies of all sizes. From CRM management, compliance and candidate administration to invoicing, reporting, marketing and general business support, they help agencies reduce administrative workloads and focus on recruitment. Acting as an extension of their clients’ teams, they offer flexible support without the overhead of additional permanent staff.
For more information, contact Chris at <u>chris@recsupport.co.uk</u>.