New Delhi, Feb 3 (NationPress) In the face of increasing difficulty in identifying the right talent, a remarkable 71 percent of recruiters in India have reported that artificial intelligence (AI) has been instrumental in revealing candidates with skills that may have gone unnoticed previously, according to a fresh report released on Tuesday.

The study, conducted by the professional networking platform LinkedIn, involved a survey of 6,554 global HR professionals, highlighting how recruiters are leveraging AI to identify the right skills and expedite the hiring process.

Approximately 80 percent of recruiters acknowledged that AI simplifies the process of understanding a candidate's skills. Additionally, over three-quarters (76 percent) believe that AI is already accelerating the hiring timeline.

Nearly 80 percent of Indian recruiters expressed intentions to broaden their AI usage to aid in achieving hiring targets, evaluating candidates, and sourcing top-notch talent.

A significant proportion also aims to enhance AI utilization for pre-screening interviews by 2026. They anticipate it will foster more meaningful interactions between recruiters and candidates (83 percent), expedite the hiring journey (83 percent), and yield improved candidate insights (82 percent).

“We’re witnessing a transformative shift in recruitment where emphasis is placed on skills and competencies rather than pedigree and previous job titles. This transition is challenging to implement effectively without the aid of AI. When used responsibly, AI aids recruiters in identifying the right skills sooner, minimizing screening challenges, and establishing a more consistent and equitable evaluation process,” stated Ruchee Anand, APAC VP at LinkedIn Talent Solutions.

The research indicated that 74 percent of recruiters currently face challenges in locating qualified candidates, despite hiring activity being 40 percent higher than pre-pandemic levels in India.

This predicament arises from a mismatch between the volume of candidates and the quality of applications. Among those who find hiring increasingly challenging, more than half attribute it to a rise in AI-generated applications (53 percent), while many point to ongoing shortages in high-demand skills (47 percent).

Moreover, as AI becomes further integrated into the hiring process, candidate expectations are simultaneously rising. Professionals are increasingly seeking transparency regarding how hiring decisions are made, indicating a strong demand for clear processes.

Half of the recruiters (50 percent) in India now report feeling pressured to clarify how AI is being utilized in their hiring workflows, especially regarding the screening and shortlisting of candidates.

“At LinkedIn, our focus is on developing AI tools like Hiring Assistant that act as a supportive layer in the hiring process, enabling recruiters to swiftly and confidently identify the right talent without compromising on quality or the candidate experience,” Anand concluded.