A new report by Greenhouse, the leading hiring platform, reveals new levels of hiring dysfunction. Candidates are hacking AI filters with prompt injections, recruiters are drowning in application volume, and companies are posting ghost jobs, eroding trust all around. The Greenhouse 2025 AI in Hiring Report, which surveyed over 4,100 job seekers, recruiters, and hiring managers across the U.S., U.K., Ireland, and Germany, shows an escalating AI arms race where authenticity and trust have become the first casualties.

"Our latest data shows that neither side is happy with the hiring process right now," said Daniel Chait, CEO and co-founder of Greenhouse. "Trust is at an all-time low for both job seekers and recruiters. Candidates are doing whatever they can to break through the noise, while talent acquisition teams are drowning in so many applications they're looking for ways to sort through what's real and what's not."

"Unfortunately, although all sides are just trying to do their best, our survey shows that the collective result is worse for everyone," added Chait. "Jobseekers use AI to apply to more and more jobs, while employers use it to filter candidates back out again. It's an AI doom loop that's getting worse, not better. Our vision is to build AI for hiring that is more human and that helps solve systemic problems on both sides."

‍Job Seekers Are Fighting the "AI Doom Loop" with Hacks
Candidate desperation is evident in the U.S., with 69% encountering fake job postings and nearly half (49%) submitting more applications than a year ago; many feel forced to game the system. Over half (54%) have encountered an AI-led interview. In the midst of what they see as opaque AI screening they believe they can't beat, candidates are taking matters into their own hands. Of the 1,200 U.S. job seekers surveyed, 41% admit to using prompt injections, hidden text designed to bypass AI filters, and of those who don't use this tactic, 52% say they are considering it.

Candidate Fraud Fears Are Escalating
While U.S. job seekers consider the use of AI as "leveling the playing field," companies in the U.S. cite an integrity crisis. Over nine in every ten (91%) recruiters have spotted candidate deception, and 34% spend up to half their week filtering spam and junk applications. Two in every three (65%) hiring managers have caught applicants using AI deceptively, like reading from AI-generated scripts (32%), hiding prompt injections in resumes (22%), or showing up as deepfakes (18%). The fraud fears are escalating: 74% of hiring managers say they're more concerned about fake credentials, deepfakes, or misrepresented experience than they were a year ago.

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