51%
say their trust in recruitment has dropped in the last 12 months
47%
have walked away from a hiring process because of poor communication
92%
are more likely to apply when the salary range is listed
Candidates and hiring managers are describing two different processes.
Hiring managers think they’re doing well. Candidates disagree. Here’s where the biggest gaps show up.
- Job ads: 97% of hiring managers say their ads are usually or always accurate. 48% of candidates agree.
- Interview outcomes: 60% of hiring managers say they give the real reason after an interview. 21% of candidates say they usually get it.
- Feedback: 90% of candidates say personalised feedback matters. 53% of hiring managers usually give it.
- AI screening: 42% of candidates trust it to be fair. Only 7% of hiring managers think they do.
What’s inside
- The biggest gaps in hiring. Where hiring managers and candidates disagree, and by how much.
- Inside the candidate experience. Job ads, salary transparency, silence after applying, feedback and how many interviews feel reasonable.
- The 2027 candidate. How people use AI to apply, and what they think about you using it.
- Six steps to a hiring process that sees people first. Practical changes, most of which you can make with the tools you already have.
- Commentary from our team. Andrea Tjoeng-Davey, Helen Dwyer, Carlos Amador and Dean Medwid share what they’re seeing with clients and in their own recruiting.
Who this guide is for
Built for HR professionals who hire as one of several jobs.
You’re juggling volume, small teams and pressure to move fast, and you want candidates to come away feeling looked after. The report shows you what candidates actually want and where AI helps and where it gets in the way. Only 6% are comfortable with AI making the final call, and 58% want a real person to talk to at some point.
Why Scout Talent
We’ve spent 20 years building recruitment expertise for in-house teams, and today that includes navigating exactly this shift. Our own AI, Felix, lives inside :Recruit, and we’ve had to work through the same questions this guide covers: what does AI-native actually mean for a role, how do you screen for it honestly, and where does it not apply at all.
This guide draws directly on how our CEO, Andrea Davey, thinks about and screens for AI-native hiring inside Scout Talent itself.
