The popularity of artificial intelligence (AI) tools has created so many “perfect” job applicants that companies in Hong Kong are choosing more in-person interviews and stepping up scrutiny of potential hires, a leading recruitment consultancy has said.

Faye Walshe, global director of innovation and AI at Robert Walters, said its clients were shifting to physical face-to-face interviews to screen candidates, given the rise of AI tools that jobseekers could use.

Citing her interactions with the firm’s clients in the city, Walshe said many of them were more heavily scrutinising applications and would have to decide whether they were “too perfect” and if AI had been employed.

“The trend that we are seeing is that more and more of those companies are putting in-person, face-to-face interviews in place, so that they can actually make sure they are making a connection with a human being,” she said.

According to a Robert Walters Salary Survey released earlier this year, two-thirds of professionals polled in Hong Kong were already using AI in their daily work, with those involved in copywriting or research often leaning on the tool.

Walshe said jobseekers and employers could use many AI tools on the market. For instance, professional networking platform LinkedIn provided tools that allow recruiters to draft job advertisements and messages to candidates using AI.