UK Firms Adopt Skills-Based Hiring as AI Erodes Resumes
Recruitment leaders in the United Kingdom and Ireland are replacing traditional resumes with practical assessments as generative AI makes standard CVs less effective.
Recruitment firms and business leaders in the United Kingdom and Ireland are shifting toward skills-based hiring to counter the impact of generative AI on traditional applications. Barb Hyman, CEO of Sapia.ai, argues that the traditional CV is now a broken artifact because AI allows candidates to tailor resumes to any role regardless of their actual experience.
Research from Michael Page indicates that approximately two-thirds of organizations in the United Kingdom have adopted skills-based hiring in 2026. This transition aims to reduce human bias, such as mirror hiring, and identify candidates with non-traditional backgrounds whose soft skills may be hidden by a standard resume.
Companies are implementing practical alternatives to traditional screening. Taktile now assesses candidates on their ability to experiment with AI tools and question their own builds, while PMG uses in-person exercises to evaluate how graduate candidates approach real-world work. These firms prioritize interpersonal skills and self-reflection over the static history provided by a cover letter or resume.
