by Bill Boorman
Boston-based Aptitude Research has released a report on AI adoption in talent acquisition that concludes that “Most organizations use AI in only a small portion of their hiring process, trust remains moderate, governance is lagging and both recruiters and candidates want more clarity, not more automation.”
The report, entitled “AI Adoption in Talent Acquisition: Why 62% of Companies Use AI — But True Adoption Still Lags,” was written by Aptitude Research founder and chief analyst Madeline Laurano and sponsored by U.K.-based ATS provider Oleeo. The report argues that while AI adoption is rising, it remains concentrated in narrow, early stages of the hiring process.
Meanwhile, reporting from job aggregator Indeed shows that job seekers are adopting AI tools at a faster pace. For employment sites, this widening gap signals a major shift: User experience — specifically transparency, clarity and reassurance — will increasingly determine which sites earn trust and which lose it.
Aptitude reports that “62% of companies are using AI today, compared to 40% in 2020,” with “26% of companies planning to invest in AI this year.” However, it says that adoption remains limited in scope.
According to Laurano, “44% of companies are using AI in only 1–25% of their talent-acquisition process,” mainly “between the attraction stage, the apply step and early screening activities before candidates reach a shortlist.” Only “6% of companies use AI in more than 75% of the process,” she adds.
Screening and matching the most common AI applications
The most common applications are screening and matching: Laurano notes that “55% of companies are using AI to support screening and matching,” while only “10% of companies are using AI in final hiring decisions.” This reliance on humans for the later stages reflects the requirement for human oversight in employment-related decision-making.
Trust is inconsistent across audiences: Laurano explains that “40% of recruiters have high trust in AI,” another “40% have moderate trust,” and “85% of recruiters want to maintain control over hiring decisions, regardless of AI recommendations.”
Candidate sentiment shows a similar split: “60% of candidates say AI improves their experience,” while “20% say it worsens it.” Laurano cites “a lack of transparency in how AI is being used in the hiring process” as a major barrier to broader adoption.
While employers are measured in their approach, job seekers are moving significantly faster. Reporting from job aggregator Indeed shows that “70% of job seekers use generative AI tools in their job search,” including rewriting resumes, tailoring applications and researching employers. In contrast with Laurano’s finding that “62% of companies” use AI — and mostly in early, limited stages — Indeed’s report identifies a clear behavioral gap that employment-site executives cannot ignore.
Candidates are both more tech-aware but also more tech-suspicious
This divide is reshaping user expectations. Candidates are becoming more tech-aware but also more tech-suspicious. They understand the power of AI because they use it themselves, and this awareness makes them more critical of processes that feel hidden, inconsistent or unaccountable. They want to know when automation is involved, what data is being reviewed and when humans take over. When those answers aren’t easy to find, trust is quickly eroded.
For employment sites, this is no longer a UI problem — it is a strategic product and commercial challenge. Ambiguity around process, screening or data handling increases friction, generates drop-off and undermines brand trust. Clear, human-centered experience patterns — such as explicit process explanations, transparent next steps and reassuring language about human oversight — are fast becoming differentiators.
The views of recruiters also carry product implications. While many recruiters express moderate or high trust in AI, hesitancy among others may reflect concerns about job security as more tasks shift to agentic AI. Employment sites that help employers understand how automated systems work and offer clear control points are more likely to be successful in driving adoption by recruitment professionals.
Transparency will become the defining user experience
Across the hiring ecosystem, transparency is emerging as the defining user experience. Regulatory environments are moving toward explainability, and users increasingly expect systems to behave in predictable, understandable ways. Experiences that clarify how information is treated, how screening works and how decisions are made will become essential, rather than optional.
As a result, job boards must now prioritize clarity, articulate how processes work and avoid anything that resembles a black box. As both candidates and employers navigate an AI-driven transition, trust has become the most valuable asset, and it will be won or lost through the user experience.
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