# AI Made Hiring… Weird(er)
**URL:** https://forum.zurb.com/t/ai-made-hiring-weird-er/656
**Category:** Growing your career
**Created:** [February 19, 2026, 7:57pm UTC](https://forum.zurb.com/t/ai-made-hiring-weird-er/656 "2026-02-19T19:57:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@nathaliesmith](https://forum.zurb.com/u/nathaliesmith)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2026, 7:57pm UTC](https://forum.zurb.com/t/ai-made-hiring-weird-er/656/1 "2026-02-19T19:57:04Z")
AI over here, AI over there… AI everywhere?! No, but really, lets talk about AI + hiring.
This is something I’ve been keeping my pulse on as we’ve seen the hiring practices and expectations shifting so much (and so fast)! Here’s the dilemma I see, **candidates use AI to polish everything and companies use AI to filter everything** … leaving everything too perfect and at the end, knowing far less than you should about the person. 😅
Here are a few practices I think count now more than ever:
**1. Show your thinking, not just your output** - Everyone can generate a polished resume or portfolio now. Document everything. How you made decisions, tradeoffs your considered, your decision making matrix (or scribbles that resemble such) 😉
**2. Familiarity beats volume -** Mass applying can feel like noise. You’re better off commenting on likeminded folks work, sharing your thoughts and observations.. asking questions or participating in communities (like ours \<3 ) hehe.
**3. Make it easy for someone to recommend you** - be explicit about what problems you like solving, environments you prefer / enjoy, crisp example of impact you’ve created and what you want to kick ass at next.
**4.** **Show receipts of what makes you special -** With so much AI noise, your authenticity becomes a differentiator (DON’T FORGET IT 🎉 ) Share your unfinished work, talk about roadblocks, showcase your sketches and notes. We’re human, and people appreciate human, now more than ever.
**5. Think relationships, not applications** - Lean on a network that you trust. Share your work with people who can vouch for you and your processes. People rely on good memories & moments (or wins) shared together!
The ground is moving quickly and I’m sure in the next month, I’ll have something to add or change here. But figured its a start 💖 If I’m missing anything, let me know!
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### Author:  [@ben](https://forum.zurb.com/u/ben)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2026, 8:37pm UTC](https://forum.zurb.com/t/ai-made-hiring-weird-er/656/2 "2026-02-19T20:37:33Z")
> [@nathaliesmith](#):
>
> **1. Show your thinking, not just your output** - Everyone can generate a polished resume or portfolio now. Document everything. How you made decisions, tradeoffs your considered, your decision making matrix (or scribbles that resemble such) 😉
I also think that this pertains to your #4 . Documentation is PROOF. People want to know that you’re not just hiding behind an AI doing all of your work for you
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### Author:  [@nathaliesmith](https://forum.zurb.com/u/nathaliesmith)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2026, 9:59pm UTC](https://forum.zurb.com/t/ai-made-hiring-weird-er/656/3 "2026-02-19T21:59:20Z")
100000% agree! From a developer standpoint, what are some good ways to document these pieces?
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### Author:  [@Bryan](https://forum.zurb.com/u/Bryan)
#### Post date: [February 21, 2026, 3:42pm UTC](https://forum.zurb.com/t/ai-made-hiring-weird-er/656/4 "2026-02-21T15:42:37Z")
> [@nathaliesmith](#):
>
> **candidates use AI to polish everything and companies use AI to filter everything** … leaving everything too perfect and at the end, knowing far less than you should about the person. 😅
I think this is where people get it wrong. There is no “perfect” in hiring.
It goes both ways. When candidates present themselves like everyone else, nothing stands out. When companies chase a “perfect” candidate, they miss the upside of someone who could grow, stretch, and create unexpected value.
I was talking with a recruiter last night. After a few minutes of back and forth about AI, expectations, and all of that, she politely said she did not want to talk about it anymore. We switched to vacations. You could see the frustration on her face.
These challenges are real. They add a lot of noise to a hiring process that already depends on judgment, trust, and human nuance.
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### Author:  [@nathaliesmith](https://forum.zurb.com/u/nathaliesmith)
#### Post date: [February 21, 2026, 5:47pm UTC](https://forum.zurb.com/t/ai-made-hiring-weird-er/656/5 "2026-02-21T17:47:00Z")
I totally agree with you! Soooo much noise. I think people see using AI as the only way to tailor their resumes to get their foot in the door (or past the bots that are scanning them)
Just proof that relationship building is most important moving forward as a way to differentiate yourself in a pool of applicants.
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### Author:  [@ben](https://forum.zurb.com/u/ben)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2026, 7:25pm UTC](https://forum.zurb.com/t/ai-made-hiring-weird-er/656/6 "2026-02-23T19:25:40Z")
> [@Bryan](#):
>
> I was talking with a recruiter last night. After a few minutes of back and forth about AI, expectations, and all of that, she politely said she did not want to talk about it anymore. We switched to vacations. You could see the frustration on her face.
I think this is how a lot of people feel. Change is painful.
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### Author:  [@nathaliesmith](https://forum.zurb.com/u/nathaliesmith)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2026, 6:55pm UTC](https://forum.zurb.com/t/ai-made-hiring-weird-er/656/7 "2026-02-25T18:55:36Z")
BUUUUUTTTTT…. sometimes the things worth having come from intentional change. So, we shall see what the horizon holds!