Job application is broken

We are in the midst of a system that is creaking. Candidates are inundated with expectations, recruiters with resumes that - let's face it - don't always tell the truth. According to research by Remote, as many as 73% ofAI-generated resumes contain false or misleading information. Yet we continue to treat those resumes as if they are sacred.

But what are we actually reading? An education, a job listing, maybe a hobby. Sometimes there's a nice profile sentence, sometimes a cliché. What you don't read: someone's true motivations, actual skills or learning curve.

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Resumes are bias machines

Resumes not only tell a limited story, they reinforce existing biases. They favor candidates who know the right language, attended well-known schools or have the right names on their resumes. Instead of choosing the best potential, we often unconsciously choose what feels familiar. The use of AI has only compounded that problem. Tools like ChatGPT make it easy to make your work experience just a little more impressive - or completely made up.

As Job van der Voort says in the podcast, "It's easier than ever to lie on your resume, and AI cheerfully helps with that."

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So what does work?

The future of application processes lies in skills-based hiring. And that doesn't have to be vague or complicated. There are already plenty of alternatives to traditional resume screening:

• Case studies: Have candidates create or solve something that really belongs to the role.
  
  
• Portfolios: From a GitHub profile to a written article or finished project.
     
• AI-driven interviews: Tools that ask questions based on competencies rather than experience.
  
• Objective assessments: measure what someone can do, not what they write down that they can do.
         

If you use AI intelligently - for example, through dynamic assessments, real-time feedback or interview bots that test skills - you can make scalable and less biased selections. The trick is in setting up those systems properly: clear assessment criteria, transparent data points, and room for human interpretation where needed.

But no matter how well your selection process is set up, the real learning often begins on the shop floor. Only there can you see how someone cooperates, takes feedback, adapts to change and shows initiative. A trial period - if properly supervised and evaluated - gives you much more insight into someone's potential than an interview or test can ever provide.

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Our vision atVIE

At VIE People, we believe that true acquaintance begins with curiosity. Not about lists and labels, but about behavior, thinking skills, inquisitiveness. We want to know: how do you tackle something new? What makes you grow? What gives you energy?

Therefore, we are experimenting with:

• assessments that really challenge you
• interviews where behavior is more important than the resume
• selection interviews where we look at contributions, not papers

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And now?

Next time you read a resume, ask yourself this question:

Would I also invite this person without this document?

If yes, great. If no? Then it's time to look differently. At behavior, potential and skills. Because the real value is not on paper.

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