RECRUITMENT & RETENTION

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Would it surprise you to learn your talent acquisition (TA) team spends more than one day a week sifting through AI slop applications?

Many job seekers are increasingly using AI tools in an attempt to get their foot in the door with employers. It’s affecting recruiters’ workloads: 74% of TA leaders believe that at least one-quarter of applications contain AI-generated or AI-assisted content, according to a new report from AI-powered TA platform Recruitics based on a survey of more than 150 TA leaders at companies with 5,000 or more employees.

That’s created a rise in poor-quality (and sometimes false) applications: 77% of TA leaders surveyed reported an increase in applications overstating candidates’ skills; 52% reported candidates using AI during live interviews; and 40% saw an increase in fraudulent or identity fraud applications.

These knockoff applications cost TA teams a lot of their time: 70% of respondents said recruiters spend six or more hours weekly screening candidates who turn out to be unqualified, duplicates, or misrepresenting themselves. On average, TA teams are spending 9 hours weekly sifting through such applications, the report estimated.

For more on how TA teams can take back their time, keep reading here.—PM

      

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HR STRATEGY

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Tech workers are no stranger to the unfortunate reality of layoffs. Amazon has laid off 59,560 employees since March 2020, more than any other tech giant, followed by Intel with 43,167; Meta with 35,700; and Microsoft with 35,355, according to the layoff database Layoffs.fyi.

Microsoft has also made headlines for another headcount-cutting strategy: voluntary buyouts. This week, it offered its largest-ever voluntary buyouts to 60,000 employees, or one-quarter of its workforce, the Wall Street Journal reported. In April, Microsoft offered its first-ever voluntary buyouts to 8,600 employees, CNBC reported.

“Companies, with reputations to protect, are looking at incentives for employees to exit instead of doing mass layoffs,” John Frehse, global head of labor strategy at consulting firm Ankura, told HR Brew. “It’s expensive, but it’s the kinder way to reduce headcount.”

But any reduction in force can damage workforce stability and employee morale, Joe Mull, employee commitment expert and author of Employalty, told HR Brew.

For more on the risks associated with buyout offers, keep reading here.—MC

      

HR STRATEGY

Morning Brew

The Dutch government employs a record 160,000 workers, but that number is set to drop as the result of new plans to pivot to AI.

Where in the world? Dutch officials said the government has become too complicated and over-regulated, so it will simplify operations and cut regulations and advisory bodies by 2035 in favor of AI-led efficiencies.

In doing so, the country will cut 25,000 jobs, saving it roughly 3.5 billion euros ($3.9 US dollars) by 2035, and costing some agencies an estimated 60% of their workforce, according to Bloomberg. The Netherlands will announce a rollout plan in early 2027, but officials expect technology to increase productivity by 20%.

Satellite view. As some governments introduce AI to mitigate costs, many US companies are doing the same, with more than 112,000 mentioning AI in layoff announcements so far this year, the Guardian reported. Goldman Sachs analysts estimate that the US economy is losing 10,000 jobs a month, and 9% of workers could be “temporarily displaced” as the economy transitions to AI.

For more on how employers around the world are embracing AI, keep reading here.—KP

      

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Today’s top HR reads.

Stat: Employee engagement has been declining since 2020 to 29%, a 15-year low. (Gallup)

Quote: “We’re using AI to remove unnecessary friction for candidates and our teams so they can connect faster. Technology can help manage the repetitive coordination behind hiring, while our people stay focused on the conversations and decisions that build great teams.”—Amy Thompson, CPO at Gap, on Bridgette, a new AI-enabled career tool the company is using to help it recruit 200,000 seasonal workers (RetailDive)

Read: Anthropic is rolling out a new way for employers to compare workers’ Claude use with their productivity and output. (Mashable)

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