A new TopResume report shows some hiring managers are rejecting job candidates who use artificial intelligence to write resumes and help in other ways when applying for jobs, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
In a survey of 600 U.S. hiring managers, nearly 20% said they would reject a job candidate who used an AI-generated resume or cover letter, and 14.5% of managers think candidates should not use AI at all when applying for a job.
The 2025 Market Trend Report by Career Group Companies shows about two-thirds of job candidates said they use AI when applying for jobs, including for resume and cover letter writing, interview practice and career guidance. They reportedly are using AI for resumes and cover letters because they believe algorithms are screening their resumes instead of people.
A ServiceNow survey reports 65% of people are uncomfortable with companies using AI in recruiting and hiring, and 90% want them to be upfront about how they use AI for hiring. Although hiring managers believe applicants should not use AI, more than 60% of companies use AI tools as part of their recruiting or hiring process. About 20% of companies use AI to screen resumes. Companies also use AI for tasks such as writing job advertisements and drafting interview questions.
The TopResume report shows 33.5% of hiring managers said they can quickly detect resumes created with AI, often within just 20 seconds. Twenty percent would reject AI-created resumes, and another 20% said candidates relying on AI is a red flag. Fifty-two percent of hiring managers said it is acceptable to use AI for proofreading or support when drafting documents but believe the final product should be produced by a human.
Hiring managers also are concerned about job candidates using AI to help them answer job-interview questions. Fifty-seven percent said tools such as answer-generating apps should never be used during an interview and do not allow a manager to truly assess an individual. Hiring managers especially consider AI unacceptable during skills assessment (40.8%), for resume writing (30.3%) and for cover letters (25%).
