Outdated vs Modern IT Recruitment: What Actually Works - Part 1

Why Old Hiring Fails & How to Boost Efficiency with AI 

Recruiting in IT used to rely on CVs and job boards—but those methods are no longer enough. In this article, we explore what still works, what’s obsolete, and how new tools streamline hiring to win top talent.

Why traditional methods of IT recruitment are failing

Resume and job-board overload

In the digital recruitment age, especially for IT roles, platforms like LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor have made it incredibly easy for candidates to apply for jobs—sometimes with just a single click. This “easy apply” culture leads to an overwhelming flood of applications for every open position. For example, a mid-level developer role in London can easily receive over 500 applications within a week (Business Insider, 2024).

To manage this volume, companies have come to rely heavily on applicant tracking systems (ATS) and CV parsers. While these tools can reduce recruiter workload, they also have significant downsides:

• Automated rejection: Most ATSs are programmed to filter CVs based on keywords and rigid criteria. As a result, more than 70% of applications are rejected before a human ever reviews them (Business Insider, 2024).

  
  

• False negatives: Qualified candidates are often screened out due to non-standard CV formats, missing keywords, or unconventional career paths. This issue is especially acute in IT, where valuable skills and experience don’t always align with standardised job descriptions.

  
  

• “Spray and pray” applications: Job seekers, aware that systems are rejecting them without review, send out hundreds of applications, further increasing the noise and diminishing the overall quality of candidate pools.

  
  

Over-reliance on educational pedigree

Traditionally, IT hiring in the UK—and across Europe—prioritised formal qualifications, particularly university degrees from prestigious institutions. However, the rapid evolution of technology has shifted the focus toward hands-on skills and up-to-date technical knowledge.

A major report analyzing 11 million UK job postings found that the requirement for formal qualifications in AI and software roles dropped by 15% between 2018 and 2024. Employers are realizing that degrees often fail to reflect current industry demands, especially in fast-moving areas such as artificial intelligence, DevOps, and cybersecurity. Instead, companies are increasingly evaluating candidates on their ability to solve real-world problems, participate in open-source projects, and complete technical assessments.

This trend is reinforced by global tech giants—such as Google and IBM—who have publicly dropped degree requirements for many roles, citing the importance of practical skills and portfolio work over academic pedigree (Business Insider, 2023).

Bias and inefficiency

Legacy recruitment methods are also plagued by inefficiency and bias:

• Manual screening: Human recruiters, under time pressure, spend only a few seconds reviewing each CV. With high volumes, this results in rushed decisions, overlooked talent, and ultimately poor hires.

  
  

• Referral systems: While referrals can bring in trusted candidates, they also risk perpetuating a lack of diversity. Employees are likely to recommend individuals who resemble themselves in background and experience, reinforcing existing groupthink and homogeneity.

  
  

• Unconscious bias: Studies show that traditional recruitment processes can unconsciously favour certain demographics based on name, gender, or educational background. This not only narrows the talent pipeline but can also expose organisations to reputational and legal risks.

  
  

• Cost and time: According to a Business Insider feature, many IT companies report a time-to-hire exceeding 50 days for technical roles—a critical disadvantage in a market where top candidates are off the market in less than 10 days.

  
  

In summary, the old ways—paper qualifications, high-volume job boards, manual review, and closed referral loops—are failing to deliver diverse, skilled, and agile IT talent. The industry is moving toward smarter, skills-first and technology-enabled processes to win the talent war.

So what are methods that still deliver?

We will explore them in the second part of the article soon. Don’t miss it!