How to build trust with candidates in the AI age

AI is reshaping every stage of the hiring process, making it faster, smarter, and more scalable. But at the other end of the spectrum, candidates want more than efficiency. They want clarity, fairness, and human connection. 

The question isn’t whether to use AI in hiring. It’s how to use it responsibly, in ways that earn trust and strengthen employer brands.

At Hirevue, we believe the answer isn’t choosing between technology and humanity but rather building a foundation that respects both. Based on insights from the 3,100 candidates we surveyed in our 2025 Candidate Experience Report, here’s what candidates told us—and what hiring teams can do to respond.

What candidates think about AI in hiring

Our survey revealed a nuanced mix of positivity and hesitation:

• AI is a productivity hack. Candidates use it in their own job searches—52% for resumes, 51% for cover letters, 49% to prep for interviews. They see AI as a lifeline to save time.
• Trust and skepticism coexist. While many embrace AI personally, skepticism grows when it’s introduced by employers. Today, 79% want to know when AI is used in hiring decisions, and 66% are opposed to AI making the final call (and we are, too).
• Skills-based hiring is a shared priority. Candidates believe AI has the potential to make hiring fairer if it’s designed to validate skills, not replace human judgment.
• Education is still needed. Candidates don’t always understand how AI is used in hiring, or what it means for their chances. This creates an opportunity for teams to be transparent and intentional with their resources for candidates.

3 ways to build candidate trust with AI

1. Transparency is a non-negotiable

Candidates want to know when and how AI is used. Proactively communicate what AI does in your hiring process (provides a fairer, structured experience to provide decision support) and what it doesn’t do (makes final hiring decisions).

Education in the age of AI is critically important, especially when so many conversations center around “robots taking over the world!” Ensure you have resources available to your candidates that make it clear how you use AI. 

In addition to our AI Explainability Statement, our AI in Hiring Hub offers a resource for users to better understand how our algorithms are built to ensure fairer processes. 

2. AI works in tandem with humans

AI should support decisions, not make them. We believe that the science behind AI, combined with humans, is what makes the most effective and positive candidate experience.

Try incorporating intro recruiter videos into your OnDemand interviews. A simple reassurance that reminds people that “real people will review your interview” can go a long way.

• When Schneider Electric added personal recruiter videos to their interviews, the hiring team saw candidate satisfaction jump 7 cNPS points, proving that the human touch matters.

Read the full case study here.

3. Validate skills, not resumes

Candidates want to be judged on what they can do, not what a one-dimensional piece of paper says. So ensure that your hiring tech is built to give every candidate the same experience and validate their skills in the process. 

Hirevue offers the right data to make the right hire with solutions built to validate the skills needed for any job at any level. 

• William Hill used a 15-minute game-based assessment to screen 30,000 applicants, cutting time-to-interview from 15 days to 1.8—while boosting candidate satisfaction to 9.3/10.

Read the full case study here.

The right tech builds a strong brand

Candidates are not anti-AI. They’re anti-ambiguity. They want processes that respect their time, recognize their skills, and feel human even when powered by AI-driven technology.

How you use AI will determine whether candidates connect with or reject your brand. Be deliberate and transparent in not only how you use AI but in how you communicate with your candidates.

The bottom line? Keep human empathy at the center of your process.

AI is no longer optional in hiring but rather a competitive necessity. But trust is what determines whether candidates see it as helpful or harmful.

At Hirevue, our AI-driven hiring solutions are designed with transparency, fairness, and human oversight at their core. Read the full 2025 Candidate Experience Report or take a self-guided candidate experience tour and see how you can build trust and hire quality talent at speed and scale.