AI-assisted applications make it harder for small firms to see attitude
LSE research published 5 November 2026 interviewed 30 English SMEs between August and October 2026. They want adaptability, appetite to learn, accountability and attitude — the “4 As” — but AI-assisted applications obscure them. All 30 employers named at least one without prompting; 17 named three or all four. Once technical requirements were met, these behaviours often outweighed qualifications: “Recruit for attitude, train for skill.” One chief people officer estimated 60 to 70 per cent of applications used ChatGPT or Claude; another called recruitment “AI playing with AI”. Some firms received 100 to 500 applications within days; one employer spent five to ten seconds per CV. Dr Grace Lordan led the study, Nowhere to Hide: The 4 A's that SMEs need from the people they hire.