Five ways to stand out in 2026's AI-driven hiring

AI is now present across recruitment, with research noting almost two-thirds (65%) of organisations using or planning to use it in hiring within the next 24 months. At the same time, candidates are using emerging tools to polish CVs, creating confusion as algorithms try to separate genuine talent from enhanced applications.

Communication and personal fit matter more than ever. Richard Corbridge, CIO at Segro, says meeting people face to face helps reveal how they talk, engage and fit with a team, and he warns candidates should supervise any AI help rather than let it write about them without oversight.

Employers also value resilience and reflection. Joel Hron, CTO at Thomson Reuters, looks for people who have succeeded in varied settings and can thoughtfully dissect failures to show what they learned and how they will approach problems differently. Practical AI fluency, curiosity and human connection set candidates apart.

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