Employers move beyond CVs with skills-based hiring & AI tools
The dominance of the traditional CV is weakening as employers increasingly turn to skills-based assessments and scenario-driven interviews, according to new data from global hiring technology platform Willo.
Decline of CVs
The report found that just 37% of employers now rate credentials and learning history-typically outlined in CVs-as among the most reliable indicators of talent. Four-in-ten hiring professionals are actively moving away from CV-first hiring, and 10% say they have already replaced CVs with alternative methods. A further 15% are currently exploring other approaches to candidate evaluation.
The study indicates a significant change from previous years. In 2024, CVs remained the default reference point for hiring decisions. By 2025, the proliferation of AI-assisted CVs had begun to erode employers' trust in these documents. This year, behavioural interviews, practical skills demonstrations, and scenario-based assessments are gaining prominence.
AI's new role
Artificial intelligence is now embedded in most hiring processes, but mainly in supporting rather than decision-making roles. The survey revealed that 77% of employers encounter AI-generated or AI-assisted job applications. In response, 47% have updated their interview techniques to include deeper questioning, and nearly a third have introduced practical tasks into their hiring processes. Fourteen percent have deployed AI detection tools.
While 65% of respondents have increased their use of AI tools for tasks such as volume management and initial sorting, not one participant expressed a willingness to delegate every stage of hiring to automation. Eight-in-ten respondents insist that final hiring decisions must remain in human hands. On the issue of salary negotiation, 72% support continued human involvement, though 28% would accept AI-driven outcomes.
Searching for authenticity
The increasing prevalence of AI-generated applications is driving employers to seek more authentic signals of talent. Many have adopted in-depth behavioural questions, one-way video interviews, and role-specific tasks to generate unscripted responses. The research shows that 68% of employers now view live behavioural interviews as the most trusted indicator of talent, followed by hands-on testing and real-time problem-solving.
"The CV used to tell a story of effort, experience, and aptitude, now it often tells us how well someone can prompt a large language model. Great candidates are getting lost in a wall of near identical applications, and the best hiring teams are catching on to that. AI is not the end of hiring, what it does mean is the end of hiring based on summaries of experience alone. Employers are looking for real signals of capability, which means moving beyond a single document into skills, scenarios and verified credentials," said Euan Cameron, CEO and Co-founder, Willo.
Fair hiring practices
Efforts to improve fairness and inclusiveness are also accelerating. Close to 70% of employers now use structured interviews, while 73% express confidence in the fairness of their processes. Bias-awareness training, more diverse interview panels, and an increased focus on skills-based assessments contribute to this shift. Forty-two percent of respondents have introduced new practical evaluations to reduce dependence on traditional credentials.
"Inclusive hiring and strong candidate experience now go hand-in-hand. When hiring is structured and early-stage tasks are streamlined with AI, ambiguity falls, fairness increases, and candidates face less friction, especially those changing careers or without traditional CV credentials," said Luke Smith, Talent Acquisition and Experience Specialist, Toyota (GB).
Balancing AI and judgement
The consensus among employers is clear: while AI can streamline and strengthen early-stage candidate screening, essential decisions require human insight.
"The 2026 hiring trends signal a new era where AI is a powerful enabler, but not a replacement for human judgment, and I agree. The mission before us is to harness AI for efficiency while doubling down on fairness, authenticity, and skills-based assessment. Moving beyond CVs to holistic, scenario-driven evaluation will help us identify adaptable, high-potential talent, especially from diverse backgrounds." said Kree Govender, SMB Canada Leader, Microsoft.