Two out of three applications created with the help of AI - recruiters are missing individuality

Press release
Study: Two out of three applications created with the help of AI - recruiters are missing individuality

• 80% of recruiters rate incoming applications as mediocre at best
• Applications are often sent out on the off chance: skills and professional experience frequently do not match the job
• Almost two thirds (61%) use AI in job searches and applications, but do not fully utilize its potential

DUESSELDORF, May 27^th, 2025 — Job applications fail because job seekers often apply as a shot in the dark and do not match their documents with the employer's requirements. This is the result of a new Stepstone study, for which 3,500 employees and 700 recruiters were surveyed.

Artificial intelligence promises a remedy - but its potential is not yet being fully utilized. “AI can be a real game changer. Job seekers can create high-quality and personalized application documents faster than ever before. Technology provides guidance when changing jobs, helps with research, self-assessment and much more,” says Dr Tobias Zimmermann, labor market expert at The Stepstone Group. “But if applicants don't use AI correctly, the technology is of little help. Anyone who sends out masses of poorly optimized applications will also receive masses of rejections and miss out on the chance of potentially exciting jobs.”

Applications often unsuccessful due to lack of skills
Four out of five recruiters (80 percent) rate the applications they receive as medium or low quality. Applications are most often rejected immediately because they lack skills relevant to the position (60 percent) or specific professional experience (42 percent). Candidates often apply blindly: two thirds of applicants (63 percent) assume that the requirements in job advertisements can be interpreted flexibly and 42 percent state that they have simply applied ‘on the off-chance’.

“Recruiters often receive many applications - with very different levels of quality. Applicants should focus on quality rather than quantity and make sure to convincingly explain why their skills match the job in question,” says Zimmermann. “The keyword is matching. Here AI helps searching for the right job: with tools such as Stepstone CV Match, candidates can see whether their CV matches the job ad.’

Potential of AI in job applications not yet fully utilized
Applicants are already using it: around two thirds of those surveyed use AI to optimize documents such as the cover letter for the respective job advertisement (61 percent).

Three out of four recruiters (74 percent) praise the more professional appearance of documents thanks to the use of AI. At the same time, however, 69 percent of recruiters say that application documents in the age of AI are less tailored to the positions advertised. Three out of four find applications less authentic (73 percent) – qualifications are too often exaggerated (75 percent).

“AI is a powerful tool - but perfect is not always authentic,” says Tobias Zimmermann. “The key is to use AI for research and to optimize the documents. AI-generated formulations need to be scrutinized and critically reviewed. This applies to cover letters, but also to the presentation of skills and qualifications. Recruiters expect more than just well-formatted documents. Authenticity, relevant experience and clear motivation remain crucial - especially in the age of artificial intelligence.’

About the study
How do German recruiters assess the quality of applications, for what reasons do candidates drop out of the application process? What role does the use of AI play in the quality of applications and what hurdles do job seekers face during the application process? As part of Stepstone's Application Quality Study, 704 recruiters who are responsible for hiring new employees in their companies were surveyed between 20 March and 9 April 2025. In addition, 3,495 candidates were surveyed between 20 March and 30 March 2025. The candidate results are representative of the German labor force in terms of age, gender and education.

About The Stepstone Group 
The Stepstone Group is a leading global digital recruitment platform that connects companies with the right talent and helps people find the right job. AI-driven job marketplaces and programmatic-powered marketing solutions connect about 140 million job applications with more than 130,000 employers every year. In 2024, The Stepstone Group generated revenue of over €900 million. The Stepstone Group operates in more than 30 countries - including Stepstone in Germany, Appcast in the USA and Totaljobs in the UK. The company is headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany and employs more than 3,000 people worldwide. For more information: www.thestepstonegroup.com/english

Contact
The Stepstone Group Media Relations
press@stepstone.com