Approximately 30% of job changers declined selection due to interview schedule conflicts; about one in three responded positively to AI for first interviews

Leverages Co., Ltd., which operates the AI HR platform "NALYSYS" (https://nalysys.jp/service/), conducted a "Survey on Job Hunting in the AI Era" targeting 515 individuals who had experience with full-time job changes within the past three years.

〈Survey Summary〉

Over 80% of job changers reported difficulties in their job search, with balancing and coordinating with their current job being a challenge.

AI usage experience in job hunting within the past three years remains at approximately 30%.

About 30% declined selection due to interview schedule conflicts, leading to job search interruptions.

Approximately one in three responded "positively" to the replacement of the first interview with an AI interview, exceeding the number who responded "negatively."

1. Over 80% of job changers reported difficulties in their job search, with balancing and coordinating with their current job being a challenge.

When asked if they had experienced difficulties while proceeding with their job search within the past three years as a full-time employee, 39.6% answered "Very much so" and 42.7% answered "Somewhat," indicating that over 80% felt difficulties.

Specific reasons cited included "Time and effort required to create resumes and work histories" (55.4%) and "Difficulty securing and coordinating interview times due to a busy workload at the previous company" (42.7%).

Regarding their situation during the job search, 78.6% of respondents were "currently employed," highlighting the challenges in preparing for and securing interview times outside of or during work hours.

2. AI usage experience in job hunting within the past three years remains at approximately 30%.

In job hunting within the past three years, approximately 30% of full-time employees responded that they had "used AI" (28.5%). By age group, 34.3% of those in their 20s and 30s and 25.4% of those in their 40s and 50s reported usage, indicating a certain level of adoption across all age groups.

The primary use was "writing resumes and work histories" (81.0%). While there is an effort to streamline the time and effort involved in document creation, which is a significant burden in job hunting, through AI, its usage rate is still limited.

3. Approximately 30% declined selection due to interview schedule conflicts, leading to job search interruptions.

Regarding experience with temporarily pausing job search activities due to a busy workload at their then-current company, over half responded "Several times" (30.6%) or "Once or twice" (25.7%).

Furthermore, approximately 30% responded that they had "declined selection for a company because the interview schedule did not align" (29.9%), indicating that the difficulty in scheduling interviews narrows down the choices of companies to apply to.

Regarding experience considering declining selection for a company due to "interview content" or "interviewer's response," approximately half responded "Yes" (46.1%). The top reasons cited were "The interviewer's high-handed attitude or unpleasant remarks" (58.2%) and "A lack of effort to understand my background and skills" (33.0%).

4. Approximately one in three responded "positively" to the replacement of the first interview with an AI interview, exceeding the number who responded "negatively."

Only 7.8% of full-time employees responded that they had "experience taking an AI interview," which is being increasingly introduced by companies in recent years.

When asked about their stance on replacing company interviews with AI interviews, approximately 30% responded "positively" (*1 29.7%) for the first interview, exceeding the proportion who responded "negatively" (*2 18.2%).

The most common reason for a positive response was "Fair evaluation without being influenced by the interviewer's attitude or compatibility" (54.2%). Other responses included "Can be taken anytime, 24 hours a day" (31.4%), indicating expectations for the fairness and convenience of AI interviews.

On the other hand, for the AI replacement of final interviews, over 30% responded "negatively" (33.0%), exceeding the proportion of "positive" responses (18.2%). The top reasons for feeling negative were "My enthusiasm and personality may not be accurately conveyed" (47.6%) and "Lack of interviewer reaction makes it difficult to gauge progress" (41.8%).

While the "convenience" of being able to take the first interview without being bound by time or location, and the "fairness" that prevents variations in evaluation by interviewers are appreciated, the final interview shows a strong need to convey one's enthusiasm and personality directly, with a tendency to emphasize dialogue and mutual understanding between people.

*1 Total of "Positive" and "Somewhat positive"

*2 Total of "Negative" and "Somewhat negative"

<Comment from Keishu Otaki, General Manager of HR Tech Business Department / NALYSYS Business Manager>

This survey revealed that many job seekers feel a significant burden in creating documents and coordinating interview schedules while employed. In particular, the fact that about one in three decline selection due to interview schedule mismatches is a critical issue not only for job seekers but also for companies. Companies may be losing touch with talented individuals, and job seekers may be missing out on potential career opportunities.

The finding that approximately half of respondents have considered declining selection due to the interviewer's response further suggests that the experience value and fairness of evaluation in the recruitment process are becoming more important than ever.

Against this backdrop, the fact that AI utilization in first interviews has gained a certain level of support is a noteworthy result. AI interviews can realize an environment where interviews can be taken 24 hours a day, reducing the burden of schedule coordination and also helping to mitigate variations in evaluation among interviewers.

On the other hand, many voices emphasized the importance of human dialogue in final interviews. Moving forward, it will be crucial to appropriately separate "processes that should be handled by AI" and "processes that should be handled by humans" to create a recruitment process that offers a high degree of satisfaction for both job seekers and companies.

◆Profile of Keishu Otaki

General Manager, HR Tech Business Department NALYSYS Service Manager

Graduated from the Graduate School of Integrated Science and Technology, Chiba University. Joined Leverages in 2019, transitioned to engineering after working in corporate sales. Involved in launching services as a development leader for new businesses.

Since October 2023, he has been the business manager of the AI platform "NALYSYS (Narisys)" for organizational improvement, overseeing everything from product strategy to organizational management.

<Survey Overview>

Target Audience: Individuals with experience in full-time job changes within the past three years.

Survey Period: June 5-8, 2026

Survey Method: Internet survey

Number of Respondents: 515

Survey Sponsor: Leverages Co., Ltd.

Contracted Research Agency: Macromill, Inc.

NALYSYS (https://nalysys.jp/)

NALYSYS is an AI platform that comprehensively supports organizational development, from recruitment to labor DX. AI, equipped with HR expertise and performance-linked data, enhances all operations such as recruitment, placement, management, and labor, powerfully supporting organizational improvement. It realizes optimal organizational development tailored to the characteristics and WILL of each employee, leading to an "organization where employees thrive and do not leave."

Leverages Co., Ltd. (https://leverages.jp/)

Head Office Location: Shibuya Scramble Square 24F/25F, 2-24-12 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Representative Director: Tomohide Iwatsuki

Capital: 50,000,000 yen

Established: April 2005

Business Activities: Human resources business, SaaS business, M&A consulting business, etc., in fields including IT and medical/healthcare.

With a focus on "solving social issues," the company operates over 60 services in various fields across countries and industries, including human resources, SaaS, and M&A consulting in IT and medical/healthcare. Since its founding in 2005, it has maintained profitability and exceeded 170 billion yen in annual sales in fiscal year 2025. Aiming to become a global company representing the era through portfolio management that does not focus on a single industry and an in-house organizational structure composed of specialists in each field. *After accounting standard changes.