LinkedIn Poll of 1,039 People Finds 66% Prefer No Response Over a Chatbot After Applying for a Job
Applicant volumes are surging, but recruiting leaders say automation is the wrong tool for delivering bad news If a
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Applicant volumes are surging, but recruiting leaders say automation is the wrong tool for delivering bad news
CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA, October 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — According to a LinkedIn poll of 1,039 respondents, 66 percent would rather hear nothing after applying for a job, unless called in for an interview, than interact with a chatbot. Shelley Billinghurst, CEO of Calgary-based Hire Value Inc., says candidates object less to AI itself than to being ignored.
The poll was run by Hire Value’s research partner, Kim Wilkinson, founder of Verve Recruitment Group.
“I think candidates are tired of having their time wasted,” Wilkinson said. According to the poll, 33 percent chose the chatbot, a result she said she did not expect. “I thought that would have been zero.”
Billinghurst says some organizations are reporting around 300 applicants per posting, up from 30 to 70, as employers adopt automation to handle heavier applicant loads. She sees automation as the wrong tool for delivering bad news to people who have interviewed. “If a human cannot take the time to give me an answer, especially if you’ve interviewed, that to me is the most misplaced and misguided use of conversational AI,” she said.
She considers candidate nurturing the most promising use of AI in hiring: campaigns that keep candidates who were not selected informed about an employer’s news and flag them when a similar role opens. “Imagine if you treated your job applicants like you treat your sales leads,” she said. “If your salespeople didn’t follow up on that lead in six months, they’d probably get fired.”
Wilkinson estimates that poor candidate experiences carry a cost to employer brand, with a candidate who has a bad experience telling 10 to 20 people in their network.
“When we forget what it feels like to be looking for work is the day we probably shouldn’t be in recruitment,” said Billinghurst.
About Hire Value Inc.
Hire Value Inc. is a Canadian talent solutions firm specializing in workforce strategy, recruitment consulting, and employment branding.
About Verve Recruitment Group
Verve Recruitment Group is a Canadian recruitment firm founded by Kim Wilkinson, focused on connecting top candidates with employers across a range of industries.
Ryan O’Donnell
CIPR Communications
+1 403-978-6000
ryan@ciprcommunications.com
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