The traditional job application is being disrupted by AI, and many employers are responding by shifting to skills-based hiring. According to 2026 research from recruitment firm Michael Page, roughly two-thirds of UK organisations have already made this change. The same research found that almost 60% of candidates prefer applying for roles described in terms of skills rather than formal qualifications or career history.
AI is a key driver of this shift. James Broadhead, CTO of AI decision-making company Taktile, notes that a prototype that once took an engineer three weeks to build can now be one of ten generated in a single afternoon. That abundance of AI-produced work makes it harder to judge candidates by traditional résumés, so employers are focusing more on the specific abilities they actually need.
The move is not without friction. Deciding which skills are truly valuable requires careful thought, and the research suggests both employers and candidates are still adapting. Still, the trend is clear: as AI changes how work gets done, the way people are hired is changing with it.