Recruiters have warned employers not to allow artificial intelligence and automated hiring systems to replace human judgement after Prime Minister Andy Burnham raised concerns about the effect of technology-led recruitment on young jobseekers.
Burnham said the growing use of AI to filter CVs and video platforms to conduct interviews could make it more difficult for young people to demonstrate their personality, enthusiasm and potential.
Speaking on the Jimmy’s Jobs of the Future podcast, the Prime Minister questioned whether recruitment had become fairer since the pandemic. He said young applicants without extensive work experience or professional connections could be particularly disadvantaged by increasingly automated processes.
Burnham criticised what he described as a growing culture of conducting interviews through Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Although convenient for employers, he said remote interviews may encourage formulaic answers and make it harder for young candidates to show what makes them distinctive.
The Prime Minister also encouraged senior professionals to offer work-shadowing opportunities to young people who might not otherwise have access to professional workplaces. He said such experiences could help candidates build confidence, develop contacts and secure valuable experience for their CVs.
Responding to Burnham’s comments, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation said many recruiters would agree that technology must not be introduced at the expense of fairness and transparency.
Maxine Bligh, the REC’s chief membership and innovation officer, said the recruitment industry had reached a turning point as employers and agencies sought to balance the efficiency offered by AI with the importance of personal relationships.
The organisation’s message to recruiters was to “go digital where it matters and human where it counts”.
AI is increasingly being used to write job advertisements, identify potential applicants, screen CVs, match candidates to vacancies and manage large numbers of applications.
These tools can help employers process hundreds or thousands of applications more efficiently. However, concerns remain that rigid automated systems may reject suitable candidates before they have an opportunity to speak to a recruiter.
Applicants may be overlooked because their CV does not contain particular keywords, follows an unusual format or describes transferable experience in language that an automated system does not recognise.
People returning to work after a career break, moving between industries or entering employment through less conventional routes may be particularly vulnerable to being excluded.
The REC said AI could be helpful and sometimes essential when recruiters were handling high volumes of applications. However, selecting the right candidate still required professional knowledge, an understanding of the vacancy and meaningful engagement with applicants.
Video interviews can also provide benefits. They can reduce travel costs, accelerate the early stages of recruitment and improve access for candidates who cannot easily attend an employer’s premises.
Remote interviews may be valuable for disabled applicants, people with caring responsibilities and candidates living a considerable distance from the workplace. The REC therefore stopped short of calling for video interviews to be abandoned.
Instead, it said virtual interviews had a place during the initial stages of recruitment, while maintaining that personal contact remained important when building relationships and making successful placements.
Employers may need to consider offering candidates a choice of interview formats and making clear how AI or automated assessments will be used. Applicants should also be able to request reasonable adjustments without fearing that doing so will harm their chances.
The debate comes as recruitment technology develops rapidly and employers face growing pressure to process applications quickly while keeping costs under control.
The REC said the UK recruitment industry contributed £40.6 billion to the economy in 2024, equivalent to 1.6% of UK gross value added. It argued that the industry’s long-term success would continue to depend on trust, expertise and professional relationships rather than algorithms alone.
Burnham’s intervention has placed candidate experience at the centre of a wider debate about youth employment, social mobility and access to opportunity.
The REC’s response makes clear that recruiters are not opposed to AI or digital interviews. Its warning is that technology should support better decisions rather than become the final judge of a candidate’s ability or potential.
Sources
- Recruitment and Employment Confederation
- The Times
- GOV.UK
- Source verification: Andy Burnham became Prime Minister on 20 July 2026. The REC issued its response on 30 July 2026, while Burnham’s recruitment comments were reported on 29 July 2026.