UK Recruiters Catch Record Number of Candidates Using AI in Interviews

UK recruiters report rise in AI assisted interview cheating as graduate hiring rebounds

Attempts by job candidates to use artificial intelligence tools during virtual interviews have reached record levels, but British recruiters say the practice is easy to spot.

According to a survey by the Institute of Student Employers, which represents leading graduate recruiters in the UK, 92 per cent of surveyed employers suspected or confirmed candidate misconduct during selection processes. That figure is up from 85 per cent last year and 78 per cent two years ago.

The unauthorised use of AI during live interviews and online assessments emerged as the most frequent form of misconduct, with 66 per cent of employers reporting at least one incident of graduates misusing AI in an interview setting.

Chris Morrow, founder of Manchester recruitment agency Digitalent, said job applicants using AI apps that listen to questions and generate real time answers often give themselves away immediately.

"It’s like they are reading off an Autocue," Morrow said, noting that applicants tend to stall while waiting for the tool to process a response. "There is a delay. The candidate tends to use filler phrases like 'That’s a good question.' The other tell is that a lot of the language they use is not necessarily natural and is super-formal."

Morrow, whose agency recruits for the AI sector, added that candidates caught using live AI assistance are disqualified from the recruitment process. "Whenever it happens to us, we tend to end the interview. It’s cheating," he said.

Misconduct types and hiring outlook

The survey from the Institute of Student Employers, which includes 290 corporate members such as Marks and Spencer, Rolls Royce, and Accenture, outlined several ways applicants rely on automated software during the application process:

Unauthorised use of AI during live interviews (66%)

Using AI to complete online assessments (47%)

Using AI to complete online application questions, CVs, or covering letters (10%)

Stephen Isherwood, chief executive of the Institute of Student Employers, warned that relying on generative software during interviews poses long term risks for job seekers.

"If you misrepresent yourself, you could end up doing the wrong job," Isherwood said, encouraging applicants to focus on genuine research and understanding the position they want.

Despite concerns regarding interview integrity, the organization's 2026 survey indicates that the graduate recruitment market has stabilized following an 8 per cent drop last year. Overall graduate hiring rose 4 per cent in 2026, with employers projecting a further 7 per cent increase over the coming 12 months.

Individual business responses remain mixed, however. Around 45 per cent of surveyed employers increased their graduate intake this year, 40 per cent reduced intake, and 15 per cent kept hiring levels unchanged.

Addressing broader industry fears that automation might eliminate entry level positions, Isherwood clarified that recent hiring adjustments stem from wider commercial pressure rather than corporate AI adoption.

"They are not managing down graduate recruitment because of AI. It’s because of economic uncertainty. It’s a tough economic environment," Isherwood said, noting that potential disruption from AI on graduate employment remains two or three years down the line.

Source: The Guardian