Gartner Survey Shows Only 26% of Job Applicants Trust AI Will Fairly Evaluate Them

1 August 2025 — Only 26% of job candidates trust AI will fairly evaluate them in the recruiting process, despite 52% believing AI screens their application information, according to a survey by Gartner, Inc. 

A 1Q25 Gartner survey of 2,918 job candidates found 32% were concerned about AI potentially failing their applications, and 25% said they trust employers less if AI is used to evaluate their information. In addition, only half of candidates trusted the legitimacy of the jobs they were applying for. 

While candidates are concerned about employer use of AI, they are leveraging the technology in their own applications. A 4Q24 Gartner survey of 3,290 job candidates found 39% said they used AI during the application process. Those who leveraged AI did so to generate text for their résumé/CV (54%); cover letter (50%); writing sample (36%); or answers to questions on the assessment (29%).

"It's getting harder for employers to evaluate candidates' true abilities, and in some cases, their identities," said Jamie Kohn, Senior Research Director, in the Gartner HR practice. "Employers are increasingly concerned about candidate fraud, which creates cybersecurity risks that can be far more serious than making a bad hire."

A 2Q25 Gartner survey of 3,000 job candidates found 6% admitted to participating in interview fraud - either posing as someone else or having someone else pose as them in an interview. Gartner predicts by 2028, one in four candidate profiles worldwide will be fake.

Uncertainty surrounding AI could make candidates even more selective when it comes to the job application process. According to Gartner research, 51% of candidates accepted a job offer in their most recent application process (2Q25), a substantial decline from 2Q23, when 74% of candidates accepted their most recent offer. 

To combat candidate fraud and retain candidate trust, employers should have a multi-layer fraud mitigation strategy that focuses on three steps:

• Setting clear expectations and communicating hiring standards. Employers should explain to candidates how they define acceptable use of AI and emphasise their fraud detection efforts including the legal consequences if fraudulent behaviour is detected.
• Using the assessment process to uncover fraud. Recruiters should know how to detect evasive behaviours and assessment tools should include anti-cheating safeguards, such as conducting in-person interviews. Gartner research found 62% of candidates said they are more likely to apply to for a position if the organisation requires in-person interviews (2Q25). 
• Refining assessment methods throughout candidate evaluation. Fraud prevention must extend beyond the initial hiring phase. Employers should focus on system-level validation rather than individual surveillance - tightening background checks, using risk-based data monitoring and embedding detection tools like identity verification and anomaly alerts in recruiting systems.

Gartner clients can read more in the reports: Mitigate Rising Candidate Fraud Through Identity Verification and Voice of the Candidate Survey Analysis (2Q25): Competition, Talent Attractors and Candidate Fraud. 

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