The rise of generative AI has transformed the job application process. Candidates can now use AI tools to rewrite resumes, improve keyword matching to optimise Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), and customise applications for specific roles in a matter of minutes. While this has helped many jobseekers present themselves more effectively, it has also created a new challenge for recruiters trying to distinguish genuinely qualified candidates from those whose profiles have simply been polished by AI…
That’s why recruiters are placing greater emphasis on interviews, work samples and human validation, said Devashish Sharma, CEO and co-founder of Taggd, an AI-powered hiring platform headquartered in Gurgaon.
“AI is helping genuinely strong candidates who aren’t strong resume-writers present themselves better,” Sharma told Moneycontrol. He, however, cautioned that the same tools are also being used by candidates whose experience may not align with job requirements.
“Candidates without relevant experience are also using AI to make profiles look more credible or better-matched than they are,” he said.
AI-polished resumes are becoming harder to differentiate
Speaking about an unintended consequence of widespread AI adoption, Sharma told Moneycontrol that resumes are becoming less useful as standalone indicators of a candidate’s suitability. When applicants use AI to optimise wording, highlight achievements and mirror job descriptions, recruiters are finding it increasingly difficult to separate signal from noise.
“The net effect is that AI-polished resumes reduce differentiation, making resumes less reliable as standalone signals,” Sharma said.
The shift marks a new phase in recruitment. Earlier, candidates focused on adding keywords to pass ATS filters. Today, AI can rewrite an entire resume, create tailored cover letters and position candidates as strong matches for multiple roles.
As a result, recruiters are changing how they evaluate talent, the Taggd CEO said.
Interviews and work samples are gaining importance
To counter the rise of AI-enhanced applications, the AI-powered hiring platform is placing greater emphasis on structured interviews, evidence of work and recruiter-led verification.
“Taggd’s countermeasure is shifting weight to structured interviews, evidence of work, and FDR-led validation,” Sharma said.
FDR refers to Taggd’s “Forward Deployed Recruiters”, human recruiters who review candidate profiles, validate experience claims and assess depth of expertise beyond what appears on a resume.
According to Sharma, AI does not make final hiring decisions. Even if Taggd’s AI platform does not recommend a candidate, recruiters can still review the profile and move the applicant forward based on their judgement.
Betting on human-AI hiring model
Sharma’s comments come weeks after Taggd launched TARA, an agentic AI recruitment assistant designed to support enterprise hiring at scale.
The company, which describes itself as India’s largest AI-powered talent fulfilment partner, said TARA works alongside human recruiters to improve hiring speed, talent matching and recruitment efficiency.
According to the company, nearly 80 percent of enterprise organisations today use AI tools in at least one part of the recruitment process. But, only about 20 percent report seeing measurable impact from those investments.
Sharma said the company’s approach is not fully automated.
“Our model is ‘humantic,’ not fully automated. AI drives volume and speed, humans stay in charge of relationships, governance, and guardrails,” he said.
The company uses AI for functions such as candidate outreach and screening, while recruiters remain responsible for trust-building, answering questions and making judgement calls.
Human recruiters still have the final say
Elaborating on the company’s hiring process, Sharma said it includes multiple human checkpoints.
If a candidate does not respond to initial AI-led outreach, a recruiter steps in to explain the process, address concerns and build trust, he said. Human recruiters also review AI-generated recommendations later in the hiring funnel and conduct deeper assessments of shortlisted candidates.
The company also allows candidates to request a human review if they believe they were screened out incorrectly. Such requests can be raised through a WhatsApp support channel and are routed to recruiters for reassessment.
For Sharma, the future of hiring is unlikely to be an AI-only process. Instead, he sees recruitment evolving into an AI-versus-AI environment, where candidates use artificial intelligence to optimise applications and employers use AI to screen at scale, with human recruiters stepping in to verify skills, experience and fit before making hiring decisions.
“The net effect is that AI-polished resumes reduce differentiation,” Sharma said. “Making resumes less reliable as standalone signals.”
