'Widened the gap' | Is AI eroding trust in hiring? The number of employers extending probation periods suggests so

HR leaders are extending standard probation periods for new hires, research reveals, because AI has made it harder to assess people’s true capabilities at the application stage.

New research from Deel finds 40% of UK HR leaders have already done so to combat the growing trend of AI usage in the candidate process. And with 77% agreeing authenticity is now more difficult to judge before a candidate joins the business, employers are increasingly shifting evaluation into the probation window.

Across the 500 UK HR leaders surveyed, 74% say CVs and cover letters are less reliable than they were two years ago due to AI, and 75% report an increase in AI‑generated applications. That said, they aren’t naive to the uptick in AI generated applications, with 74% saying they are able to spot this clearly.  

This trust gap is pushing organisations to refocus their assessment of talent into the first months of their employment. A substantial 77% say probation reveals more about true capability than interviews, while only 6% disagree.