AI broke the job application. What replaces it?

The resume is "broken," according to Barb Hyman, London-based founder and CEO of recruitment platform Sapia.ai.

"How many people are you missing out on because you're relying on an artefact?" Hyman said, adding that AI can now tailor a resume — or CV, as it's known in the U.K. — to any role.

U.K. graduate employers received an average of 140 applications per vacancy in 2025, the highest level recorded in three decades, according to data from the Institute of Student Employers. In a crowded market where candidates can use AI to create endless resumes and cover letters, finding the right person may be harder than ever. 

Westend61 | Westend61 | Getty Images

Skills, rather than employment history, will increasingly determine who gets hired, according to Hyman. A hairdresser, for example, might not look like an obvious fit for a contact center job on paper, she told CNBC, but could excel in the role because hairdressers tend to have high levels of empathy, listen to people all day and spend hours solving complex problems.

Assessing skills directly can reveal strengths and weaknesses that a traditional resume hides, according to Hyman — sometimes painting a picture even the candidates themselves weren't sure of.

Skills-based hiring on the rise

Hyman isn't alone in seeing hiring move in this direction. Around two-thirds of U.K. organizations have adopted skills-based hiring, according to 2026 research from Michael Page, a recruitment firm headquartered in Surrey, England. Almost 60% of candidates said they were more likely to apply for roles defined by skills rather than traditional qualifications or career history.

It's leading employers to think carefully about which skills they actually value. James Broadhead, the Dublin-based CTO of AI decision-making company Taktile, told CNBC that a prototype that might once have taken an engineer three weeks to build can now be one of 10 generated in a single afternoon, thanks to AI.

Rudi_suardi | E+ | Getty Images