Employers have a bizarre new job interview problem: Figuring out if they’re talking to a human

The recruitment process has become increasingly frustrating for both recruiters and candidates, with a significant number turning to Reddit for support in a subreddit named r/recruitinghell. A recent report from Western Governors University, based on a survey of 3,100 professionals, reveals that AI is creating new challenges in evaluating candidates' real skills during interviews.

A staggering 60% of U.S. hiring managers surveyed believe AI is making it harder to assess a candidate's true abilities, while nearly 20% of respondents are struggling to confirm whether they're speaking to a human candidate or an AI.

Scott Pulsipher, president of Western Governors University, states that AI is not only changing how work is done but also altering the way employers identify and evaluate talent. This shift is not limited to hiring managers; 44% of job applicants also view the increased use of AI negatively. They express concerns that qualified applicants may be unfairly screened out, that AI can make mistakes, and that the technology could reduce human interaction.

In response to these challenges, employers are seeking new ways to verify the skills of potential hires, particularly for entry-level candidates. This difficulty is particularly pronounced among employers who report that AI has made evaluating candidate skills more challenging. As a result, 54% of these employers have reduced their entry-level hiring.

Some solutions that employers are trying include relying on various signals to assess a candidate's readiness, such as degrees, skills, experience from internships, apprenticeships, or project-based work. However, the use of AI has also transformed the career trajectories of college graduates with certain degrees, sparking debate about the value of a degree in general.

Despite this, a higher share of employers surveyed this year consider college degrees or certificates to be more valuable than they did in 2025. Pulsipher believes that higher education and employers must develop a better proof system, including credentials that carry meaning, assessments that verify a person's abilities, and real-world experiences that demonstrate how they think, adapt, and use AI responsibly.