The traditional CV is losing its grip on hiring decisions, with just four-in-ten employers now rating them among the most reliable indicators of talent in an age of AI-generated applications, according to a new global study from candidate screening platform Willo.

The Hiring Trends Report 2026, published today by Glasgow-founded global recruitment technology firm Willo – which works with some of the biggest employers in the world, including Toyota, easyJet, DPD Group and the NHS – shows that while CVs remain the starting point for most hiring processes, their dominance is weakening fast.

The study found just 37% of employers rate credentials and learning history – as typically outlined in CVs – among the most reliable indicators of talent. Four-in-ten (41%) respondents are actively moving away from CV-first hiring, while 10% of respondents said they have largely replaced CVs with skills-based and scenario-driven assessments. Around 15% of respondents said they are exploring alternatives to CVs.

The annual report, now in its third edition, tracks how hiring attitudes have shifted each year. In 2024, the CV was still the unquestioned default, while by 2025, its credibility had begun to erode with employers as AI-assisted CV became more common. However, the 2026 report has shown a significant shift, with employers now increasingly favouring behavioural interviews, skills tests, and assessments over polished written submissions.

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Drawing on responses from more than 100 hiring professionals worldwide, alongside insights from 2.5 million candidate interviews on Willo’s platform, and analysis from hiring experts at major employers including Toyota (GB) and Microsoft, the study has become a widely watched barometer for hiring and talent trends.

“The CV used to tell a story of effort, experience, and aptitude, now it often tells us how well someone can prompt a large language model,” Willo’s CEO and Co-founder Euan Cameron believes the shift in attitudes towards the CVs reflects growing scepticism about what the documents now represent.

“Great candidates are getting lost in a wall of near identical applications, and the best hiring teams are catching on to that. AI is not the end of hiring, what it does mean is the end of hiring based on summaries of experience alone. Employers are looking for real signals of capability, which means moving beyond a single document into skills, scenarios and verified credentials.”