Since everyone has access to generative AI, the challenge for recruiters has shifted significantly. They are now inundated with "one-click" applications from under-qualified or unqualified candidates, most of which are robotically screened and discarded as what recruiters now bluntly call "AI slop". The danger is that relying too heavily on AI-generated applications can also send unwary but genuinely qualified applicants straight to the recycle bin.
The risk to your credibility
Relying too heavily on generative AI not only strips out the personal touch and strategic alignment recruiters look for, it also risks making you appear inauthentic. Senior appointments are judged as much on cultural fit and leadership signals as on technical skills. Yet many executive candidates fall into the same trap as general applicants, sending a generic CV with a partly tailored cover letter. At this level, such an approach does not just fail to impress, it can actively damage your credibility. Using AI should be a collaboration, not an abdication of responsibility. To be taken seriously, you must balance the efficiencies AI provides with your own insight, judgement, and a carefully tailored response to the company’s specific needs and culture.
Look at this from the recruiter’s perspective. They are searching for needles in a haystack of applications. It is now common for a single vacancy to attract thousands of responses, so you must ensure yours gets through the first round, the ATS screen.
Here’s what you need to be aware of:
- Alignment with Selection Criteria - Recruiters now place greater emphasis on applications that deeply align with both the explicit and implicit selection criteria. They are looking for content that reflects strategic leadership, financial management, and stakeholder engagement in ways that go beyond generic AI outputs. Without genuine personal insights, your application may fall flat.
- Cultural and Organisational Fit - Applications must reflect the company's culture, mission, and values accurately. Recruiters are tuned in to whether the tone of voice and communication style matches the organisation’s own, and AI-generated content often lacks this nuanced understanding.
- Tailoring and Personalisation - Since AI tends to produce generic results, recruiters favour applications that are precisely tailored to address the employer's unique needs, including insights into market position, competitive landscape, and specific challenges. Failing to add a personal touch risks your application being dismissed as formulaic.
- Unique Value Proposition and Differentiators - Recruiters are searching for clearly articulated accomplishments that demonstrate your ability to solve specific organisational challenges and add measurable value. Relying on AI could mean missing the opportunity to highlight what truly sets you apart.
- Active LinkedIn presence and business network - Recruiters will look beyond your CV and cover letter to assess your LinkedIn profile. At executive level, a strong business network is highly prized by employers and can be one of your most valuable assets and differentiators.
AI lacks your three-dimensional perspective. It cannot weigh human factors such as a recruiter’s preferences or wider political, economic, social, and technological shifts. What sets you apart is your credibility and distinctiveness, and that must come through in your application.
You’ve passed the ATS, what next?
Once you clear the first hurdle and your CV reaches human review, expect your application to be tested rigorously, much like a viva voce for a dissertation or thesis. Recruiters will use a range of techniques to check your authenticity, and you should be prepared for that scrutiny:
- Interviews for Authenticity and Depth - With AI-generated applications becoming the norm, interviews have become critical for assessing the authenticity of a candidate’s experience. Recruiters are probing for detailed examples and stories that provide depth and context. If your application is clumsily AI-generated, it will be obvious in the interview.
- Behavioural and Situational Assessments - To counter the limitations of AI, recruiters are incorporating assessments that test real-time decision-making, leadership style, and problem-solving skills. This helps them gauge how candidates handle challenges specific to the organisation.
How do I prepare effectively?
As I explain in The C-Suite Interview Playbook, relevance to both the explicit and implicit selection criteria is the defining measure of a successful executive application. Building and maintaining a Master CV supports a strategic and well-prepared approach to presenting your accomplishments, both in writing and in person. It also provides your AI assistant with genuine, comprehensive, and personal source material to draw on when tailoring applications and preparing for interviews.
The Master CV is the antidote to what recruiters dismiss as “AI slop”. AI itself is not to blame when applicants fail to provide context, but without authentic source material it has nothing credible to work with. A well-prepared Master CV ensures every tailored application reflects your achievements with accuracy and authority.
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~ Elle Bradshaw