The founder of a recruitment software firm used by NHS trusts and police forces has challenged Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s call for employers to rethink AI screening, arguing that stepping back from the technology would leave recruiters facing 2.5 unemployed people for every vacancy with fewer tools to manage applications.
“Andy Burnham is right to ask whether young people are getting a fair chance in recruitment. I do not agree, though, that stepping back from AI screening would solve that,” said Charles Hipps, founder and chief executive of Oleeo, which develops AI-powered applicant tracking software.
Burnham criticised AI screening and remote interviews on the Jimmy’s Jobs of the Future podcast last week, saying recruitment had “changed post-pandemic, not necessarily for the better” and asking of video interviews: “How does a young person shine in that situation?” His comments came amid official figures showing nearly one million young people out of work or education.
Hipps said manual sifting was not automatically fairer. “Recruiters were making quick decisions about candidates long before AI came along. When a large employer receives hundreds or thousands of applications, people are already being sifted according to qualifications, previous employers, job titles and the wording used in their CVs. Having a person carry out that process manually does not automatically make it more considered or inclusive.”
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show there were 2.5 unemployed people for every vacancy in the UK in March to May 2026, up from 2.3 a year earlier, while the number of vacancies has continued to fall, reaching 712,000 in April to June.
Support authors and subscribe to content
This is premium stuff. Subscribe to read the entire article.
