The rise of generative AI in hiring is making recruiters sweat. A new study from talent management provider Talogy finds that two-thirds of hiring managers worry candidates are using tools like ChatGPT to game assessments. But here’s the twist: candidates don’t see themselves that way.
In Talogy’s Hiring Future Ready Early Talent report—based on surveys of 560 hiring managers, 564 early-career professionals, and 138 job seekers—only 15% of young professionals and 22% of job seekers admitted they’d lean on GenAI during assessments.
That disconnect highlights what Talogy calls a growing “trust gap” in hiring.
The AI Honesty Experiment
To test solutions, Talogy introduced a simple mechanism: honesty pledges. Candidates were asked upfront to confirm they wouldn’t use GenAI, search engines, or outside help during assessments.
The results were striking. In a separate analysis of 2,000+ assessment participants, the number of candidates admitting to outside help plunged from 28% to just 13% when an honesty statement was included.
It turns out, a little nudge toward fairness goes a long way.
The Bigger Picture
The fear of AI cheating is hardly surprising. In education, universities have scrambled to rewrite exam rules for the ChatGPT era. In hiring, assessments are meant to ensure a good fit between candidate and company. When AI muddies the waters, both sides risk a mismatch.
But Talogy’s VP of R&D, Ted Kinney, suggests the issue isn’t so black and white.
“AI is still in its infancy,” Kinney said. “Sometimes its use shows that a candidate with high potential is simply leveraging available tools. The next step is figuring out how to redesign assessments that allow for fair, transparent use of AI.”
Why It Matters for HR Tech
Recruiters are walking a tightrope. Over-policing assessments could deter candidates, while ignoring AI risks could undermine trust in the process. Talogy’s findings suggest the industry may soon pivot—not toward banning AI, but toward building AI-inclusive assessments that balance fairness with innovation.
That shift could set the stage for the next frontier of HR tech: evaluating not just what candidates know, but how they use AI responsibly.
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