The findings come from a Censuswide survey conducted in November 2025, spanning 19,113 consumers and 6,554 HR professionals across multiple markets, ESOMAR-compliant.

The recruitment paradigm is shifting from credential- and keyword-based hiring to skills-based recruitment, focusing on demonstrable abilities and continuous learning rather than resume optimization.

India’s hiring scene is increasingly deploying AI to manage a surge of applications and talent shortages, with about seven in ten recruiters using AI to uncover hidden skills, speed up hiring, and filter out low-quality or AI-generated resumes.

Most recruiters expect to use AI for pre-screening interviews in 2026, aiming for more meaningful recruiter‑candidate conversations, faster hires, and better candidate insights.

Transparency is rising in importance, as roughly half of candidates pressure recruiters to explain how AI tools influence shortlisting and hiring decisions.

Overall, the market signals AI will play a more central role in recruitment, prioritizing skill identification over traditional branding and job titles.

The market sits at an inflection point: strong demand for talent meets a more complex path from applicants to employers, with AI acting as a stabilizing force to reduce noise and improve talent identification.

Noise from low-quality or misleading applications is slowing hiring timelines and hindering speed to hire.

Authenticity and real-world skills are becoming key differentiators for candidates as AI-generated applications increase volume and competition.

Future developments may bring salary and notice-period filters, AI-based interviews, and conversational hiring interfaces to further speed and quality in recruitment.