First Canadian Study to Examine Both Sides of AI in Hiring Finds a Striking Disconnect

86% of candidates think AI is blocking them from interviews. The employers say otherwise.

CALGARY, AB, CANADA, May 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Job seekers across Canada have been blaming artificial intelligence for a problem it largely isn’t causing. A new survey by Hire Value Inc. in collaboration with Verve Recruitment Group found that 78 per cent of employers are using traditional knockout questions or human review to screen candidates at the front end of the hiring process. The survey found that only 15 per cent of employers are using AI to read and sort resumes. The technology most candidates believe is blocking them simply isn't there.

The disconnect between those two realities is significant. Out of 1,815 job seekers surveyed, 86 per cent believe companies using AI in their hiring process have made it harder to get an interview. On the employer side, 383 hiring managers told a different story entirely.

“There’s a real and hopeful story here for job seekers,”said Shelley Billinghurst, CEO of Hire Value Inc. “A human being is reading your resume. The problem is not a machine. The problem is volume, and that’s something candidates can actually do something about.”

AI tools have made it faster and easier than ever for candidates to apply to more jobs, generate polished cover letters, and tailor applications at scale. The result is that employers are now fielding hundreds of applications for a single role, while the pool of candidates who look qualified on paper has grown considerably. Being good on paper used to mean something. Now it just means you’re in the pile.

The research also points to where AI in hiring is actually headed, and it has little to do with the front door. Both Billinghurst and Kim Wilkinson, founder of Verve Recruitment Group, see the technology's most meaningful role coming after the interview, in how employers manage relationships with candidates who were not hired the first time around.

"Imagine treating a candidate the way you would treat a customer lead," said Billinghurst. "They were one of 300 applicants. They did not make the top five this time. But six months from now, another position opens up, and you have already been nurturing that relationship. That is where AI can do something genuinely useful in this space."

Wilkinson said the findings shift the burden back to job seekers in a meaningful way. “When you believe AI is the barrier, you lose your sense of control. What this research shows is that the power is still very much with the candidate. And that means how you network, how you show up, and how you build relationships matters more than optimizing your resume for a machine that is probably not reading it.”

The survey findings are the result of an ongoing research collaboration between Hire Value Inc. and Verve Recruitment Group, combining insight from both the employer and job seeker sides of the Canadian hiring market.

About Hire Value Inc.
Hire Value Inc. is a Canadian talent solutions firm specializing in workforce strategy, recruitment consulting, and employment branding.

About Verve Recruitment Group
Verve Recruitment Group is a Canadian recruitment firm founded by Kim Wilkinson, focused on connecting top candidates with employers across a range of industries.

Ryan O'Donnell
CIPR Communications
+1 403-978-6000
ryan@ciprcommunications.com
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