CharityJob

Perspectives on
AI in Charity Sector
Recruitment
2025
2 Perspectives on AI in Charity Sector Recruitment 2025

Introduction
Artificial intelligence (AI) has a long history, CharityJob is the largest specialised job
dating back to the early days of computing site dedicated to the UK charity sector. We
in the 1950s. While early AI capabilities were help charities find people who share their
relatively simple, they laid the foundation purpose quickly, easily and fairly. To explore
for the more sophisticated AI we see today. AI’s impact on the recruitment process in the
In the past two decades, AI has become charity sector, we conducted two surveys
increasingly integrated into various aspects in May 2024: one of candidates and one
of our lives, from voice assistants, like Siri of recruiters. This report presents the data
and Alexa, and facial recognition devices, gathered from the surveys, examining the
to recommendation algorithms on job sites, usage and perspectives of AI throughout the
shopping sites and more. hiring process, from the perspective of both
candidates and recruiters.
The recent surge in the development of
generative AI, exemplified by large language For the purpose of this report, AI is defined as
models like ChatGPT, has accelerated a computer system that can think and perform
the pace of AI development and garnered tasks like humans, such as reasoning, decision-
significant attention. As AI capabilities making and problem-solving.
continue to advance, it’s becoming
increasingly clear that it will play a crucial role
in shaping the future of work.
3 Perspectives on AI in Charity Sector Recruitment 2025

Contents
CANDIDATE AI SURVEY
Demographics of respondents �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 5
Employment profile of respondents���������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 6
Candidate perceptions and AI usage ������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 7
AI in the job application process ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 11
Do candidates think it’s fair to use AI?����������������������������������������������������������������������� 12
AI at work ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 13
Interest in developing AI skills������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 13
Final comments from candidates ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 14

RECRUITER AI SURVEY
Size and cause of charity respondents����������������������������������������������������������������������� 16
Recruiter perceptions and AI usage ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������17
AI as a tool in recruitment�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 20
Do recruiters trust AI’s decisions?������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 22
Recruiter perspective on AI usage by candidates ���������������������������������� 22
Final comments from recruiters ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 25

OVERALL CONCLUSION���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 26
4 Perspectives on AI in Charity Sector Recruitment 2025 CANDIDATE PERSPECTIVES

Candidate
Perspectives
In May 2024, we sent out a survey to
candidates who had been active on
the CharityJob website in the last two
years. The survey asked about their
AI usage during the job application
process and perspectives on AI.

We then analysed the data of the

2,309 candidates who responded.
 5 Perspectives on AI in Charity Sector Recruitment 2025 CANDIDATE PERSPECTIVES

Demographics of respondents
Age Ethnicity
40 60

35 37 55
50
30
30
40
25
24
20 30

15
20
10
10 13
5 6 10
1 2 8 3
0 6 5
% 0 % 0
16-24 25-34 35-49 50-64 65-74 75 or Prefer White White Black/ Asian/ Mixed/ Other Prefer
older not to British not African/ Asian Multiple not to
say British Caribbean/ British ethnic say
Black groups
British
Base: all respondents (2,223, 86 skipped)
Base: all respondents (2,215, 94 skipped)
67% of our respondents were between the
ages of 25 to 49. Over half of respondents were White British,
which was then followed by Black/African/
Caribbean/Black British with 13%.

Gender
Almost two thirds of respondents, 66%,
identified as female and 28% as male. 3%
identified as non-binary and another 3%
selected ‘prefer not to say’.
6 Perspectives on AI in Charity Sector Recruitment 2025 CANDIDATE PERSPECTIVES

Employment profile of respondents

We asked respondents about their employment Industry
profile. This included their employment status,
experience level, work industry and more. Those working outside the charity sector were
asked what type of industry they worked in.
73% of respondents were in some form of Teacher training and education was the highest
employment, whether this was full-time, part- with 19%, followed by healthcare with 13% and 9%
time, or with a combination of education and worked in public services and administration.
work, self-employed or freelance. 21% were
unemployed, 2% were in education and not The other industries were then as follows:
working and 4% selected ‘other’.
• accountancy, banking and finance
63% of respondents worked at ‘experienced • business, consulting and management
non-manager’ or ‘manager’ level, whilst 23% of • creative arts and design
respondents were either in junior/entry-level/ • energy and utilities
graduate positions. 9% held more senior positions • engineering and manufacturing
and 5% selected ‘other’. • environment and agriculture
• hospitality and events management
Work sector • information technology
• law
44% of respondents worked in the charity sector, • law enforcement and security
followed by 28% who worked in the public sector. • Leisure, sports and tourism
24% worked in the private sector and 4% selected • marketing, advertising and PR
‘other’. • media and internet
• property and construction
Charity sector cause • recruitment and HR
• retail
Those who work in the charity sector were asked • sales
which cause their charity supported. Health & • science and pharmaceuticals
medical had the highest percentage with 15%, • social care
which was followed by youth/children with 11% • transport and logistics.
and then education with 10%.
7 Perspectives on AI in Charity Sector Recruitment 2025 CANDIDATE PERSPECTIVES

Candidate perceptions and AI usage

The following sections of this report explore
Familiarity with AI
candidates’ attitudes towards AI and the
ways in which they are using AI tools within
How familiar are you with AI?
the recruitment process. As AI continues to

How familiar are you with AI?

shape the job market, understanding these
behaviours is crucial for recruiters seeking to Extremely familiar 6
attract and select the best quality candidates.
How can you determine a candidate’s genuine Very familiar 26
abilities and ensure they’re using AI to
enhance their application rather than to mask Somewhat familiar 50
weaknesses? Understanding how candidates
use AI and then implementing appropriate Not very familiar 14
systems or procedures is very important.
Additionally, recruiters should consider Not at all familiar 4
candidate concerns around AI’s potential
0 10 20 30 40 50
impact on their discoverability and determine %
when to use it and when it’s best to use human
judgment. Base: all respondents (2,308, 1 skipped)

We asked respondents how familiar they were

with AI. 82% of respondents said they were either
‘somewhat familiar’, ‘very familiar’ or ‘extremely
familiar’.
 8 Perspectives on AI in Charity Sector Recruitment 2025 CANDIDATE PERSPECTIVES

Views on AI
We asked respondents to rank how much they agreed or disagreed with statements
about the future of AI and its role in the application process. The graph below shows
pectives/the breakdown:
views on AI

How much do you agree with the following statements?

25 Strongly agree
I’m concerned about 43 Agree
19
the future of AI 10 Neither agree nor disagree
3 Disagree
Strongly disagree
47
I’d prefer a recruiter to check 33
my application rather than it 15
being checked by AI 4
1

I feel it’s harder to stand out on 24

job applications because there’s 36
26
an increase in people using AI to 12
tailor their job applications 2

10
Using AI increases my 33
chances to do better in the 36
job application process 15
6

6
I feel there are a lack of job 26
opportunities due to an 35
increase in AI taking over jobs 23
10
Base: all respondents
% 0 10 20 30 40 50 (2,237, 72 skipped)

More than two thirds of respondents agreed that they were concerned about
the future of AI. Although we can’t pinpoint exactly what these concerns are,
they could be related to fears around it not being used properly or ‘taking over’,
as mentioned by some respondents at the end of the survey.

A staggering 80% agreed that they would prefer a recruiter to check their job
application rather than it being checked by AI. This suggests that candidates
might not trust AI to make accurate decisions about their applications.

We also saw that 60% of respondents felt that an increase in AI usage to tailor
job applications has made it harder to stand out. This could be because they feel
that an application using AI is no longer unique. On the other hand, candidates
not using AI to tailor their CV or cover letter may feel it’s harder to be seen by
recruiters. And the data reflects this, as 43% of respondents said that using AI
increases their chances of success in the job application process.
9 Perspectives on AI in Charity Sector Recruitment 2025 CANDIDATE PERSPECTIVES

Perceptions of AI vs usage of Perceptions of AI for those who

it in current role have and haven’t used AI at work
We compared the data above on perceptions Have previously used AI at work
of AI with those who currently use AI in their Have never used AI at work

job and those who don’t. We found that 57% of % agreed

80
those who use it in their current role said they
77
were concerned about the future of AI. And 58% 70

agreed that ‘Using AI increases my chances to 60

57 58
do better in the job application process’. Only 50
23% of candidates who use AI in their current
40
role agreed that they feel there’s a lack of job
30 36
34
opportunities due to AI taking over.
20 23
For those who hadn’t used AI in their current 10
role, 77% said that they were concerned about
0
the future of AI and only 34% agreed that ‘Using
I’m concerned Using AI I feel there are
AI increases my chances to do better in the about the future increases my a lack of job
of AI chances to do opportunities
job application process’. We also found that better in the due to an
candidates who haven’t previously used AI in job application increase in AI
process taking over jobs
their role were more likely to agree that there’s
a lack of job opportunities due to AI taking over
(36%).

It seems those who are more familiar with AI,

through using it in their current role, are more
likely to understand its impact and limitations
and how it can enhance performance. Therefore,
they have a more positive view than those not
using it in their current role.
10 Perspectives on AI in Charity Sector Recruitment 2025 CANDIDATE PERSPECTIVES

Perception of AI vs age Perception of AI vs gender

Those aged 16-24 were significantly more likely When cross-checking with gender, we saw
to agree that there is a lack of job opportunities that 82% of females agreed or strongly
due to an increase in AI taking over jobs. 61% agreed that they’d prefer a recruiter to check
of this age group agreed or strongly agreed, their application to it being checked by AI,
compared to an average of 32% across all compared to 77% of males.
other age categories. Although we can’t be
certain, this might be because AI is being This could be related to concerns around
used to fulfil more admin or procedure-based biases in AI. For example, research by
responsibilities, which are usually associated University of Washington revealed that there
with entry-level, or more junior roles. were racial and gender biases in AI screening
tools, with AI models favouring resumés
correlating with white male names.
 11 Perspectives on AI in Charity Sector Recruitment 2025 CANDIDATE PERSPECTIVES

AI in the job application process

Respondents were asked if they’ve ever used For those who answered ‘yes’, we asked them
AI to help them with any parts of their job what specific tasks they have used AI to help
application process. 52% said ‘no’, 46% said them with.
‘yes’ and 2% said ‘don’t know’.
What aspects of the job application process
Those who answered ‘no’ or ‘don’t know’ have you used AI to help you with? I use it to
were asked how likely they were to use it in help me...
future applications. We saw that nearly half of
respondents said they were either unlikely or Create my CV 22
very unlikely to use it.
Create my 41
How likely are you to use AI in the future to cover letter
help you with your job application process?
How likely are you to use AI in the future to help you with your job application process?
With my interview
preparation e.g., 25
25 26 generating sample
25 questions and answers
23
20 21 Complete any
pre-assessments 11
or work samples
15

Other 6
10

0 10 20 30 40
5
5 %

% 0 Base: respondents who said ‘yes’ to using AI to help them

Very Likely Neither Unlikely Very with their job application (1,014, 1,295 skipped)
likely likely or unlikely
unlikely

Base: respondents who said ‘no’ or ‘don’t know’ to using AI

41% of respondents used AI to help them
to help them with their job application (1,228, 1,081 skipped) create their cover letter and a quarter used it
to help them with their interview preparation.

Some of the ‘other’ uses mentioned included

checking spelling and grammar, summarising
more concisely and writing in a more coherent
way.
12 Perspectives on AI in Charity Sector Recruitment 2025 CANDIDATE PERSPECTIVES

Researching the role and Do candidates think it’s fair to

organisation use AI?

How much do you agree or disagree with the following statement:'It's fair to use AI to help with the job application process'
Respondents were also asked whether they How much do you agree or disagree with the
used AI to help them research the role or following statement: ‘It’s fair to use AI to help
organisation they’re applying to. with the job application process’

18% of candidates who use AI reported that

Strongly agree 14
they always or usually use AI to research the
role they’re applying for. Slightly fewer, 13%, Agree 35
reported that they always or usually use AI
to research the organisation they’re applying Neither agree 23
nor disagree
to. One reason that candidates may prefer
Disagree 16
not to use AI for research is that it’s likely
they can gain a better overview by using the Strongly disagree 12
organisation’s website. Furthermore, some AI
tools may not have much information about % 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
smaller, less well-known organisations. Base: all respondents (2,266, 43 skipped)

We also asked candidates how much they

agree or disagree with the statement ‘It’s fair to
use AI to help with the job application process’.
Half of respondents agreed that it was fair, but
28% disagreed or strongly disagreed.

Those who have previously

used AI in the job application
process were more likely to
agree it’s fair to use it to
help with a job application,
compared to those who
haven’t, with 75% versus
28% respectively.
 13 Perspectives on AI in Charity Sector Recruitment 2025 CANDIDATE PERSPECTIVES

AI at work Interest in developing

Do you use AI for any part of your job? AI skills
Do you use AI for any part of your job?
2
How interested are you in developing your
skills in AI?

40 Yes Extremely interested 15

No
%
D
 on’t know Very interested 28
58
Somewhat interested 36

Not so interested 13

Base: respondents who said they were in some form of Not at all interested 8
employment (1,621, 688 skipped)
% 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
We asked respondents if they use AI for their
Base: all respondents (2,232, 77 skipped)
current role and 58% said they didn’t.
We asked all candidates how interested they were
Those working in the private sector were more
in developing their skills in AI. We saw that 79%
likely to use it in their current role (45%), closely
of respondents were either extremely interested,
followed by the charity sector (43%). However,
very interested or somewhat interested.
only 26% of those working in the public sector
used AI in their current role.
Interest in AI and gender
Those in more senior roles were more likely to
use AI than those in more junior roles. When cross-checking the findings with
gender, we found that only 39% of females
Looking at age breakdowns, those in the 35-49 were interested in developing their skills in AI,
age category were more likely to use AI in their compared with 54% of males.
current role, with 43%, followed by 25-34 year
olds with 42%. Interest in AI and work sector
There were also differences in interest in
developing AI skills amongst different work
sectors. 50% of those in the private sector
were either ‘extremely interested’ or ‘very
interested’ in developing their AI skills,
compared with 42% of those in the charity
sector, and 35% of those in the public sector.
14 Perspectives on AI in Charity Sector Recruitment 2025 CANDIDATE PERSPECTIVES

Final comments
from candidates
We asked candidates if they had any last thoughts or
comments about the usage of AI for job applications.
Responses varied in terms of sentiment, with some
participants sharing positive views and others expressing
negative concerns.

Positive comments referred to how AI simplifies work

processes. Respondents mentioned that AI complements
human capabilities rather than replacing them, leading to
improved efficiency and time savings. They also mentioned
how AI can spark ideas, helping them to communicate their
skills and experiences more effectively in job applications,
when used appropriately. A few comments also expressed
how AI can be helpful to neurodivergent individuals,
including those with dyslexia.

However, there were some concerns for the growing use

of AI in job applications. Some respondents expressed
apprehensions about AI’s susceptibility to errors and biases,
which could be detrimental to candidates being assessed
by it. There were also concerns about how AI will be used
in future, with suggestions of it taking jobs currently carried
out by humans. Furthermore, a few respondents raised
ethical questions about using AI for cover letters or CVs,
explaining that it feels like cheating if they aren’t writing it
themselves.
15 Perspectives on AI in Charity Sector Recruitment 2025 RECRUITER PERSPECTIVES

Recruiter
Perspectives
This survey looked at if and how
recruiters use AI to support them in the
hiring process. In May 2024, we shared
the survey with all our recruiters who
had logged in to their account at least
once within the last four years.

In total we had 97 responses from

recruiters. Due to the small number
of respondents, the results should be
interpreted with caution.
16 Perspectives on AI in Charity Sector Recruitment 2025 RECRUITER PERSPECTIVES

Size and cause of charity respondents

We have classified charity size based on Other causes included: animal; arts, culture
headcount as follows: & heritage; charity suppliers; disability;
faith-based; human rights; international
• Small charities: 20 or fewer employees development; social welfare and youth/
• Medium charities: 21-100 employees children.
• Large charities: 101+ employees.

Half of the recruiters who responded to our

survey worked in medium sized charities, 33%
worked in small charities and 17% worked in
large charities.

Recruiters were also asked which cause their

charity supported. Health and medical had
the highest percentage with 14%, which was
followed by housing and homelessness with
10%, then education, and environment both
with 9%.
17 Perspectives on AI in Charity Sector Recruitment 2025 RECRUITER PERSPECTIVES

Recruiter perceptions and AI usage

The following sections of this report explore Familiarity with AI
recruiter attitudes towards AI and the ways
in which they are using AI tools within the How familiar are you with AI?
recruitment process. Understanding how AI
How familiar are you with AI?

is being used by recruiters can help charities 50 54

assess the value of these tools and determine 40
when and how to implement them effectively,
30
and when human judgement is necessary.
20 24
Additionally, these findings can also inform 10 7
13
candidates about if and how AI is being used 2
% 0
in the recruitment process. However, given the
Extremely Very Somewhat Not very Not at all
relatively small sample size of recruiters in our familiar familiar familiar familiar familiar
survey, the findings should be interpreted as
Base: all respondents (97)
indicative only. It’s also important to remember
that some recruiters might not realise they’re We asked our recruiters how familiar they are with
already using AI in the form of application AI, and 69% of our respondents said they’re either
tracking systems or other recruitment tools. somewhat, very or extremely familiar with AI.
 18 Perspectives on AI in Charity Sector Recruitment 2025 RECRUITER PERSPECTIVES

AI in recruitment
Have you ever used AI to assist you with
your recruitment?
Have you ever used AI to assist you with your recruitment?

2
6
16

Yes
No
% D
 on’t know
N
 o but I plan
to in future

76

Base: all respondents (94, 3 skipped)

76% of respondents told us they have never used

AI in their recruitment.

Are you open to using AI in your

charity’s recruitment process?
Are you open to using AI in your charity's recruitment process?

15

41 Yes
No
%
S
 omewhat

44

Base: all respondents except those who answered ‘yes’

to having previously used AI in their recruitment (80, 17
skipped)

Those who answered ‘no’, ‘don’t know’ or ‘no but

I plan to in future’ to the previous question were
also asked if they were open to using AI in their
charity’s recruitment process. ‘44%, said ‘no’, 41%
said ‘somewhat’ and 15% said ‘yes’ they were open
to using AI.
19 Perspectives on AI in Charity Sector Recruitment 2025 RECRUITER PERSPECTIVES

Opinions about AI
Respondents were also asked the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with
statements about the impact that AI could have on recruitment.

How much do you agree with the following statements?

1 Strongly agree
I’m optimistic about the 32
34 Agree
potential of AI in recruitment 24 Neither agree nor disagree
9
Disagree
2 Strongly disagree
AI improves the 21
42
hiring process 22
13

AI will revolutionise 21
37
how charities hire 32
10
4

77%
12
The impact of AI on charity 33
recruitment will be minimal 43
8
25
agree AI could
AI could have negative 13
52 have negative
consequences for recruitment
4
6 consequences
1
for recruitment
AI creates more job 7
40
opportunities 37
15
Base: all respondents
% 0 10 20 30 40 50 (95, 2 skipped)

Based on the responses to the set of questions outlined in the graph, recruiters hold
varied opinions on the impact of AI in the recruitment process. There was mixed
agreement and disagreement in response to the statements, ‘I’m optimistic about the
potential of AI in recruitment’ and ‘AI improves the hiring process’. However, only a
small minority of respondents selected ‘strongly agree’ to these statements.

When asked about the impact AI would have on charity recruitment —

revolutionising it or having a minimal effect — the majority of respondents selected
‘neither agree nor disagree’ or ‘disagree’. This indicates that while recruiters expect
AI to influence their work, they don’t anticipate drastic changes.

However, a significant concern emerged, with a staggering 77% agreeing or

strongly agreeing that AI could have negative consequences for recruitment.
And only 10% disagreed or strongly disagreed with this statement. This suggests
that charity recruiters are cautious about AI’s potential in the hiring process,
particularly regarding its possible downsides.
20 Perspectives on AI in Charity Sector Recruitment 2025 RECRUITER PERSPECTIVES

AI as a tool in recruitment
Recruiters were given some statements about using AI as a tool in recruitment
to improve fairness and diversity.

How much do you agree with the following statements? Using AI…

Strongly agree
25 Agree
can help increase the 35 Neither agree nor disagree
diversity pipeline 27
13 Disagree
Strongly disagree
can help hire better 23
38
quality candidates 28
11
6
can help make less 40
27
biased decisions 18
9
1
30
can make the recruitment 40
process fairer 19
10
5
makes the recruitment 41
28
process easier 18
8
8
makes the recruitment 48
32
process quicker 9
3
7
makes the recruitment process 37
37
more cost-effective 13
6
Base: all respondents
% 0 10 20 30 40 50 (89, 8 skipped)

56% of recruiters said that AI makes the recruitment process quicker, which
means it’s beneficial in saving them time. We also saw that nearly half of
recruiters, 46%, said they believe using AI can help make less-biased decisions
and 31% agreed that using AI can make the recruitment process fairer. However,
40% disagreed that using AI can help increase the diversity pipeline.
 21 Perspectives on AI in Charity Sector Recruitment 2025 RECRUITER PERSPECTIVES

Where in recruitment can AI be beneficial?

We asked recruiters in which areas of recruitment they think AI could be most helpful, asking
them to select all that apply.

In which areas of recruitment do you think AI could be beneficial? Select all that apply.

Writing job
76 Writing job descriptions was most
descriptions
commonly selected with 76%, followed
Creating interview
68 by creating interview questions with
questions
Interview 58 68%, and more than half selected
scheduling
interview scheduling. From the data
CV/cover letter
44 shown, it seems recruiters think AI
screening
Initial candidate 41 could be most helpful for activities that
screening
take place before the interview stage,
Pre-employment 32
assessments rather than the stages afterwards.
Candidate 20 Please note that 38 respondents
matching
skipped this question, which could
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 imply that they didn’t see a benefit
%
from the list, but we can’t be certain.
Base: all respondents (59, 38 skipped)

Which aspects of the recruitment process do you think AI should not be used for, if any?
Select all that apply.

Final candidate We also asked recruiters which

90
selection areas they think AI shouldn’t be used
Ethical decision
80 for in recruitment. The majority of
making
Offer negotiation 63
recruiters (90%) felt that AI wouldn’t
be beneficial in helping decide the
Initial candidate
52 final candidate, and 80% thought
screening

Candidate matching 48 that AI shouldn’t be used in ethical

CV/cover letter
decision-making.
screening 41
Pre-employment
35
assessments
Writing job 25
descriptions
Creating interview 15
questions
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
%

Base: all respondents (88, 9 skipped)

 22 Perspectives on AI in Charity Sector Recruitment 2025 RECRUITER PERSPECTIVES

Do recruiters trust Recruiter perspective

AI’s decisions? on AI usage by
How likely are you to trust the recommendations candidates
or decisions made by AI in the recruitment
process? We also asked recruiters their opinions on
candidate usage of AI.
40 42
Do recruiters think candidates
30 should be able to use AI in their
job applications?
26
20
21 How much do you agree or disagree with
the following statement: ‘Candidates should
10
be able to use AI to help them with the job
10 application process’?
1
% 0 Strongly agree 6
Very Likely Neither Unlikely Very
likely likely or unlikely
unlikely Agree 26

Neither agree 21
Base: all respondents (88, 9 skipped) nor disagree

Disagree 22
When asked how likely they were to trust the Strongly disagree 25
recommendations made by AI on recruitment
decisions, nearly half of respondents said they 0 5 10 15 20 25
%
wouldn’t trust them.
Base: all respondents (88, 9 skipped)

Nearly half of recruiters disagreed that

candidates should be able to use AI to help
them with their job application process. Some
of their comments indicate this is because they
notice when AI has been heavily relied on and
feel it makes applications seem inauthentic.

We then asked those who selected ‘disagree’,

‘strongly disagree’ or ‘neither agree nor
disagree’ if knowing a candidate had used AI
would affect their decision to progress them to
the next round.
23 Perspectives on AI in Charity Sector Recruitment 2025 RECRUITER PERSPECTIVES

‘If you suspect a candidate had used AI to help them with their job application,
would this influence your decision to put them through to the next stage of the
recruitment process?’

Yes, it would deter me 35%

It might influence my decision, but I’d still consider their application 57%
I don’t know 6%
No, it wouldn’t deter me 2%

Base: respondents who said ‘neither agree nor disagree’ or disagreed with ‘Candidates should be able
to use AI to help them with the job application process’ (60, 37 skipped)

More than half of recruiters said that it might influence their decision, but they
would still consider the candidate’s application.

We found that 63% of those who ‘strongly disagreed’ that candidates should be
able to use AI, said it would deter them from progressing an application. This is
compared with 32% of those who ‘disagreed’ and 5% of those who said ‘neither
agree nor disagree’.

47%
of recruiters disagreed
that candidates should
be able to use AI in
their applications.
Of these,
92%
said it might influence
their decisions.
24 Perspectives on AI in Charity Sector Recruitment 2025 RECRUITER PERSPECTIVES

We then asked recruiters to put themselves

in the candidates’ shoes and asked how
comfortable they would feel being assessed by
AI for a job application.

Imagine you’re a candidate applying for a job,

and the organisation you’re applying to uses
AI to assess applications and candidates. How
comfortable would you feel being assessed by
AI as part of the application process?

Very comfortable 1

Comfortable 14

Neutral 23

Uncomfortable 42

Very uncomfortable 20

0 10 20 30 40
%

Base: all respondents (88, 9 skipped)

Almost two thirds of respondents, 62%,

said they would be uncomfortable or very
uncomfortable being assessed by AI.

We saw that 30% of those who agreed ‘AI

improves the hiring process’ mentioned they
were uncomfortable being assessed by AI,
compared to 67% of those who disagreed ‘AI
improves the hiring process’. This might be
because they think AI won’t be able to make
accurate hiring decisions.
25 Perspectives on AI in Charity Sector Recruitment 2025 RECRUITER PERSPECTIVES

Final comments
from recruiters
At the end of the survey, recruiters were asked for any
additional comments or thoughts about the use of AI in
recruitment. While opinions were mixed, a prevailing
concern was the potential of AI to become too dominant,
possibly leading to a loss of human judgement.

Concerns were also raised about AI’s ability to assess

candidates objectively and its potential to increase bias, as
it itself may have its own biases. They didn’t think it wise
to rely on AI alone, without human judgement, to review
applications. Some recruiters noted that they can quickly
identify applications where AI has been used, as they lack
personality. This can be off-putting and influence their
decision about a candidate.

On a more positive note, recruiters mentioned that

AI helps with administrative tasks. This allows recruiters
to spend more time reviewing each application. This
is reflected in our data, as 58% of recruiters said AI is
beneficial for scheduling interviews.
26 Perspectives on AI in Charity Sector Recruitment 2025

Conclusion
In the past few years AI has emerged as a widely adopted technology, gaining
significant attention in both the candidate and recruiter worlds. Our research
shows that there’s a mix of opinions on its use within job applications and for
recruitment.

Although candidates had no objections to using AI to help with their job

applications, they believed it was unfair to be assessed by AI. And despite
recruiters thinking AI is useful to help make the recruitment process quicker,
easier and more cost effective, they still think that it could have negative
consequences.

For some candidates, AI is a powerful tool to help tailor CVs and cover
letters, allowing them to write in a clearer and more structured style to
communicate their skills and qualities. Despite 52% of candidate respondents
stating that they’ve never used AI in a job application, more than a quarter of
these respondents said they might use it in the future.

Our recruiter survey highlighted the importance of AI as a tool to help

with administrative tasks, like organising and scheduling interviews, with
33% saying they are optimistic about the potential of AI in recruitment.
Although some have concerns about whether it can make accurate, informed
decisions, with 46% saying they are unlikely to trust the recommendations or
decisions made by AI.

As a technology that’s evolving rapidly, both in our working and personal

lives, AI has presented both opportunities and risks. We’re still learning about
it, but, when used appropriately, it can be a tool to enhance the experience
for both recruiters and candidates.
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