Survey of 1,056 U.S. HR professionals reveals a gap between the hiring evidence organizations use and the methods they trust
San Antonio, TX, November 12, 2026 — Resumes remain the most widely used hiring signal, even as HR professionals question their reliability, according to eSkill’s 2026 Hiring Signals Report. While 77.8% of respondents say their organizations use resumes in hiring, 52% identify them as the single signal most likely to be exaggerated, embellished, or misleading.
Based on a survey completed in August 2026 of 1,056 U.S. HR and people operations professionals involved in hiring, the report examines how HR professionals evaluate candidates as application volumes grow and concerns about AI-assisted misrepresentation spread, while also measuring which hiring methods they currently use versus the ones they trust.
Nearly half of respondents (47.9%) say they trust candidate-provided information less than they did two years ago. Meanwhile, 78.8% are at least somewhat concerned about candidates using AI to misrepresent their qualifications or abilities.
“Hiring managers still overly rely on traditional hiring flows, even as they become less and less predictive of success on the job,” said Thomas Marks, VP of Marketing at eSkill. “At eSkill, we’re educating organizations on how to shift to signals that actually work, skills assessments and work simulations among them.”
Among the report’s key findings:
- Compared with 12 months earlier, 56.6% report more applications per open role, and 52.2% say their teams spend more time screening.
- Skills assessments and structured interviews lead on trust. Both were selected among respondents’ most-trusted hiring signals by 43.9%, ahead of resumes at 35.0%.
- Work samples remain relatively underused. While 52.4% rate work samples or simulations as extremely or very predictive of job performance, only 19.1% say their organizations use them.
- AI-assisted misrepresentation is, ironically, shaping interest in AI hiring technology. Fraud or misrepresentation detection is the most frequently selected AI-enabled hiring experience respondents want, at 49.6%.
- Skills validation is expected to expand. Over the 12 months following the survey, 58.2% expect their organizations’ use of formal skills validation to increase. Slower time-to-hire is the most frequently cited barrier to verifying skills more often.
Trusted hiring evidence also varies by role. Skills assessments lead among respondents primarily hiring for skilled trades or technical field roles, while structured interviews lead for professional or knowledge roles. Certification or license verification is the leading trusted signal for clinical or licensed healthcare hiring.
To access the 2026 Hiring Signals Report, visit https://www.eskill.com/hiring-resources/hiring-signals-report-2026-27
About eSkill
eSkill is a pre-employment assessment platform that helps hiring teams evaluate candidates’ job knowledge, skills, and behavioral fit. Its offerings include customizable assessments, job-relevant simulations, and work samples, supported by a library covering more than 600 subject areas. Learn more at eskill.com.
Media contact
Thomas Marks
eSkill Corporation
122 E Houston St, Suite 105,
San Antonio, TX 78205
(978) 649-8010
www.eskill.com
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