A 22-year-old graduate applies for more than 200 jobs before finally landing one. A major energy employer closes its graduate scheme early after receiving 12,000 applications in three weeks. More than nine in ten of the UK’s largest graduate employers say they have encountered, or suspect, candidates misusing AI during selection.
Those were some of the findings in a BBC report this week on what the industry has started calling “spray and pray” applications: candidates using AI to produce CVs and cover letters at volume, and employers responding with more and more automated screening.
It is easy to understand how both sides got here. It is also worth asking where it leaves the people at the centre of it.
An arms race nobody is winning
According to the Institute of Student Employers, graduate roles now attract an average of 141 applications each. The share of employers who have encountered or suspected AI misconduct in selection has risen to 92%, up from 85% the year before. And while only 16% of the employers surveyed currently use AI in their own recruitment process, 29% plan to introduce it within the next year.
Separate research from Prospects at Jisc found that nearly three quarters of students and graduates had used AI at some point in the application process, with those sending the most applications the most likely to rely on it.
The graduate in the BBC report described the position candidates are now in: use AI too much and you no longer sound human, use it too little and you risk being filtered out by an automated screen. Employers, meanwhile, are hearing interview answers that sound rehearsed, and candidates pausing while they wait for a tool to suggest a response.
The result is a process where everyone is working harder and learning less. When every CV is polished, polish stops telling you anything.
Why this matters even more in our industries
The BBC focused on graduate recruitment, but the same pressures are reaching the specialist markets we work in. Across Energy, Offshore, Green Energy and Construction, the cost of the wrong hire is rarely just a missed target. It can mean a delayed project, a team waiting on a key role, or a safety risk on site or offshore.
A well-worded CV can include all the right keywords. On its own, it cannot tell you:
- Whether someone’s certifications and training are current and appropriate for the role and location
- How much hands-on experience actually sits behind a job title
- Whether they are ready for a remote, rotational or international assignment, and what support they will need to mobilise safely
- How they will work with the team and the project they are joining
Those answers come from conversations with people who understand the work.
What a people-led approach looks like at WRS
At WRS, our consultants specialise in the sectors they recruit for, so the person reviewing your profile or your workforce requirement understands the industry, the terminology and the realities of the role.
For clients, that means starting with the project, not just the vacancy. As part of our recruitment process, we take time to understand your brief and company culture, hold thorough qualifying calls with candidates across multiple touchpoints, and present a tailored shortlist that includes our consultants’ notes and references alongside each CV. You can read more about our recruitment solutions.
For candidates, it means speaking to a real person who will give honest feedback, explain what a role really involves and support you before your interview.
And our involvement does not stop at the offer. Through mobilisation support, contractor care, payroll services, timesheet support and ongoing post-placement support, we stay alongside the people we place, mobilising candidates in over 90 countries. Our ISO 9001:2015 accredited quality management approach underpins how we deliver that support consistently.
Recruitment is about more than filling vacancies. It is about careers, projects and long-term relationships, and that is not something a keyword match can manage.
This is not an argument against technology
It would be easy to turn this into a “humans versus AI” debate. That is not our view.
Candidates using AI to tidy up a CV, research a company or practise interview questions is sensible, and many employers are comfortable with it. We use technology too. Our AI Policy sets out exactly how: AI tools within our applicant tracking system help our team with administrative and communication tasks, such as drafting outreach messages and summarising CVs Every AI-assisted output is reviewed by a member of our team before it is used.
What AI does not do at WRS is make recruitment decisions or influence selection. Every candidate assessment and hiring recommendation is made by our people, using their professional expertise and judgement. Our approach is aligned with the UK Government’s Responsible AI in Recruitment guidance, and candidates and clients can ask us how AI is used in connection with their application.
In safety-critical, high-stakes environments, we believe that is where the line should sit. Tools can support a recruitment process. The judgement about who is right for a role should rest with people who understand the work and are accountable for it.
A few tips if you are applying through WRS
- Use AI to polish, not to replace your voice. We want to understand what you actually did on your last project, in your own words.
- Be precise about your tickets and certifications. Include accurate details and expiry dates. It saves time and builds trust.
- Apply for fewer roles, more carefully. Browse our current opportunities and speak to one of our consultants about which ones genuinely match your experience.
- Be yourself in interviews. A natural, honest answer will always tell an employer more than a perfect script.
- Don’t use AI to create your CV. AI-generated PDF CVs are often unreadable by many CRM systems, and this formatting issue could prevent your application from being considered.
People still make the difference
The BBC report closed with EDF’s early careers lead explaining that what they are really looking for is authenticity and personality. We agree.
As applications become more automated, the value of knowing the people behind them only grows. That is why our approach will always be built around conversations, relationships and judgement, because people are our purpose.
Whether you are planning the workforce for your next project or looking for your next opportunity, speak to the WRS team or submit your CV.
