Job seekers are increasingly utilizing ChatGPT in the hiring process from helping to create their resume to writing cover letters.
To find out if candidates are using ChatGPT to complete written skills assessments, in March, ResumeTemplates surveyed 887 U.S.-based recent job seekers who took an online written skill assessment as part of the hiring process.
Study highlights:
To complete the online written assessment, 21% of respondents say they used ChatGPT. Nearly nine in ten users say the tool helped them with the test a lot, and 69% say it helped them put together a much higher quality test submission.
The most common ways the AI tool was utilized to help with the assessment was to find the answer to a specific question (78%) and write a written response (78%). The tool was also used to do research (75%) and generate mathematical answers (47%).
For written responses, the majority of respondents say they made changes to what ChatGPT produced. In fact, 34% say they made a great deal of changes, and 35% say they made a lot of changes. On the other hand, 28% say they only made a few changes, while 4% didn’t make many or any changes.
“From an ethical standpoint, I would assert that the assessment instructions should always be adhered to,” says ResumeTemplates’ Executive Resume Writer Andrew Stoner. “However, this is a new gray area that is likely to become more defined in the near future, as employers are increasingly likely to specify whether ChatGPT or other technology is acceptable to use for skill assessments. If they do not, I think an argument can be made for either side of the ChatGPT debate.”
Nearly all (96%) respondents who used ChatGPT on the assessment in their latest job search say they got the job compared to 62% of respondents who say they didn’t use ChatGPT.
However, those who were hired who used ChatGPT are more likely to find the role very or extremely challenging compared to those who did not use ChatGPT (38% vs. 18% respectively).
“Since many written skills assessments are probably evaluated by computer technology, it seems logical that those who used ChatGPT were more likely to get the job. The ChatGPT knowledge base is certainly more robust than any individual human mind and frequently more accurate too,” says Stoner.
“Those who used ChatGPT assistance might have done so for jobs that were relatively more challenging to begin with. Conversely, the ChatGPT users might have qualified themselves for jobs that exceeded their natural capabilities and find the job more challenging as a result.”
“I think the use of ChatGPT raises some concerns about accurately predicting a candidate’s success in the role,” says Melissa Terry, human resources professional at VEM Tooling.
“On one hand, it could be argued that the ability to effectively make use of tools like ChatGPT shows the candidate is technologically savvy and resourceful. Remember, these are valuable skills in many roles. However, relying too heavily on AI assistance during assessments may obscure the candidate’s true writing abilities, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
“Also, I have concerns about the potential for plagiarism or misrepresentation of one’s abilities if the AI-generated content is not properly disclosed. This could undermine the integrity of the assessment process and lead to hiring decisions based on an incomplete or inaccurate understanding of the candidate’s capabilities.”
The survey was conducted in March 2024. In total, 887 U.S. respondents were surveyed. To take the survey respondents had to answer that they applied to at least one job within the past year and as part of the hiring process they had to complete an online assessment.
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