CV vs LinkedIn: Which One Really Matters in 2026?

Recruiters tell us why both still matter — but for different things.

---

Every few years, someone declares the CV dead. They said it in 2015, again in 2019, and by 2023 it had apparently been buried, mourned, and replaced entirely by LinkedIn profiles and skills-based hiring. Yet here we are in 2026, and recruiters across the UK are still asking candidates to send over their CV. Funny, that.

The truth isn't as tidy as the headlines suggest. The CV hasn't died — but it has changed. And LinkedIn hasn't replaced it — but it's doing things a CV never could. The real question isn't which one matters. It's understanding what each one actually does, and why you're shooting yourself in the foot if you neglect either.

I've spent the past two months talking to UK recruiters, HR directors, and hiring managers about how they actually use CVs and LinkedIn profiles in their day-to-day work. Not what the thought-leadership posts say they should be doing. What they're actually doing, in practice, right now.

Here's what I found.

The "Death of the CV" Is Greatly Exaggerated

Let's put this one to bed. The CV is not dead in the UK. Not even close.

According to the CIPD's Resourcing and Talent Planning Report 2024, 84% of UK organisations attempted to fill vacancies in the previous year, and the overwhelming majority still required a CV or application form as part of the process. Yes, skills-based hiring is on the rise — around 85% of companies globally used some form of skills-based assessment in 2025 (according to TestGorilla's annual survey), up from 56% in 2022, with UK adoption following a similar trend — but these methods supplement the CV rather than replace it.

The Hiring Trends Report 2026 from Willo found that four in ten employers no longer rate CVs as "one of the most dependable ways to judge talent." That sounds dramatic until you read the rest: 41% are moving away from CV-first hiring, while only 10% said CVs have been largely replaced by skills-based and scenario-driven tests. That means 90% still use CVs in some form.

"The CV is the skeleton key," says Sarah Kessler, a talent acquisition director at a mid-sized London recruitment agency (a composite based on interviews with several UK recruiters; name used for illustration). "It gets you through the door. LinkedIn is what tells me whether I want to open the door in the first place."

That distinction matters. The CV and LinkedIn profile serve fundamentally different purposes in the UK hiring process, and confusing the two is one of the most common mistakes job seekers make.

How UK Recruiters Actually Use Each One

Talk to enough recruiters and a clear pattern emerges. LinkedIn and CVs occupy different stages of the hiring pipeline, and recruiters switch between them depending on what they need at any given moment.

LinkedIn: The Discovery Phase

LinkedIn is where recruiters go to find people. With roughly 47.6 million UK users as of early 2025 — representing around 82% of UK adults — it's the largest professional database in the country by a wide margin. The platform grew by 15.4% year-on-year, adding six million new UK users between early 2024 and early 2025 alone.

For recruiters, LinkedIn is primarily a sourcing tool. Research from LinkedIn's own Future of Recruiting report and various industry surveys consistently shows that around 87% of recruiters use LinkedIn regularly for sourcing candidates. Some estimates put it even higher — up to 97% of recruiters use the platform to find potential candidates at some point in their process.

David Okoro, an in-house recruiter at a FTSE 250 firm (composite, illustrative), describes his typical workflow: "I start on LinkedIn. I'll search by job title, skills, location — whatever the brief demands. I'll look at someone's headline, their current role, maybe skim their activity. If they look promising, I'll send an InMail or connection request. Only when they're interested do I ask for a CV."

This is the crucial point. LinkedIn is a top-of-funnel tool. It's how recruiters discover candidates who might not be actively looking for work. The CIPD's 2024 report noted that private sector organisations were more likely to include "direct targeting of passive jobseekers" among their effective attraction methods — and LinkedIn is how most of that targeting happens.

The CV: The Evaluation Phase

Once a recruiter has identified a potential candidate, the CV takes over. This is the document that gets scrutinised in detail. It's what goes to the hiring manager. It's what gets loaded into the applicant tracking system. It's what the interview panel has in front of them when they're deciding whether to invite you in.

Priya Sharma, a recruitment consultant specialising in finance and professional services (composite, illustrative), is blunt about it: "I could have the best LinkedIn conversation with someone, really rate their profile, but if their CV is a mess — poor formatting, vague descriptions, no quantified achievements — I can't send it to my client. The CV is the product I'm selling to employers. LinkedIn is how I find the product."

UK recruiters typically spend between 17 and 46 seconds on an initial CV review. In that window, they're looking for specific things: relevant job titles, recognisable employers, key skills, and — importantly — whether the career history makes sense as a coherent narrative. A LinkedIn profile might get away with gaps or vague descriptions. A CV can't.

What LinkedIn Does Better Than Your CV

There are things a LinkedIn profile can do that a CV simply can't, and smart candidates take full advantage of them.

1. Social Proof and Endorsements

Your CV says you're an expert in project management. Your LinkedIn profile shows that 47 people have endorsed you for it, and your former operations director has written a recommendation saying you delivered a £2.3 million infrastructure project on time and under budget. One of these carries more weight than the other, and it's not the one you wrote yourself.

LinkedIn recommendations and endorsements function as a form of professional reference that sits right on your profile. Recruiters notice them — particularly written recommendations from senior people or well-known figures in your industry.

2. Content and Thought Leadership

LinkedIn's feed has become a genuine professional publishing platform. If you're regularly posting about your area of expertise — sharing insights, commenting on industry developments, engaging with relevant content — you're building visibility and credibility that no CV can match.

The algorithm changes in 2026 have made this trickier. According to industry analysts, organic reach has been cut by roughly 50%, which means your posts are being shown to fewer people than they were a year ago. But this actually works in your favour as a job seeker: the 99% of LinkedIn users who never post are invisible in the feed. Even occasional, thoughtful posting puts you ahead of the vast majority.

3. Network Visibility

When a recruiter searches for "Senior Marketing Manager, Manchester," LinkedIn's algorithm doesn't just match keywords. It factors in your network connections, your engagement history, your profile completeness, and whether you share mutual connections with the recruiter. Your headline carries more algorithmic weight than any other profile field — profiles with exact-match keywords in the headline rank highest in recruiter searches.

A complete profile (what LinkedIn calls "All-Star" status) gets up to 21 times more profile views and 36 times more messages than an incomplete one. Your CV doesn't have an algorithm working for or against you. LinkedIn does.

4. Passive Candidate Signalling

The "Open to Work" feature, despite its mixed reputation, does work. More subtly, you can set your profile to signal availability to recruiters only, without broadcasting it to your current employer. Your CV can't do that — it sits in a drawer until you actively send it somewhere.

What Your CV Does Better Than LinkedIn

For all LinkedIn's advantages, there are critical things that only a well-crafted CV can deliver.

1. Tailoring

This is the big one. You can — and should — tailor your CV for every role you apply for. Adjust the personal statement, reorder your bullet points, emphasise different skills and achievements depending on what the specific job demands. Your LinkedIn profile is a single, static version of your professional story. Your CV is the bespoke version.

James Whitaker, a former HR director turned careers adviser at a Russell Group university (composite, illustrative), makes this point forcefully: "Students come to me saying, 'My LinkedIn is sorted, why do I need a CV?' Because your LinkedIn profile is a shop window. Your CV is the tailored pitch for one specific customer. You wouldn't send the same sales proposal to every prospect."

2. Detail and Precision

A CV lets you go deep on specific roles, achievements, and qualifications in a way that LinkedIn's format doesn't encourage. You can include exact dates, specific metrics, detailed project descriptions, and nuanced information about your responsibilities. LinkedIn profiles tend to be broader and more summary-level.

UK employers, particularly in sectors like finance, law, engineering, and the public sector, still expect a level of detail on a CV that a LinkedIn profile simply doesn't provide. If you're applying for a civil service role through the gov.uk portal, or submitting to a professional services firm through their graduate scheme, they want a CV — and they want it to be thorough.

3. ATS Compatibility

Conservative estimates suggest around 70% of large UK companies and 20% of SMEs use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to filter incoming applications, though more recent surveys put adoption even higher. The ATS parses your CV for keywords, qualifications, and other criteria before a human ever sees it. LinkedIn profiles don't go through this process — they live on LinkedIn's own platform with its own search algorithm.

This creates a specific challenge: your CV needs to be formatted for machine readability. Clean layouts, standard section headings (Education, Experience, Skills), no text boxes or embedded tables, and — critically — the right keywords drawn from the job description. If you're spending hours perfecting your LinkedIn profile but submitting generic, un-optimised CVs, you're wasting your effort where it matters most.

4. Formal Record

In many UK industries, the CV remains a legal and contractual document. When an employer makes an offer, it's typically conditional on the accuracy of the information in your CV and application form. Misrepresenting qualifications on a CV can constitute grounds for dismissal — and with the Employment Rights Act 2025 reducing the qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims from two years to six months (taking effect from January 2027), employers are paying closer attention to verification than ever.

Your LinkedIn profile is, by contrast, informal. Recruiters know that profiles are often approximate, slightly optimistic, or out of date. They extend a degree of grace to LinkedIn that they don't extend to a CV.

The Alignment Problem (And Why It Trips People Up)

Here's where things get uncomfortable for a lot of candidates. Recruiters regularly compare your CV and your LinkedIn profile — and when the two don't match, red flags go up.

Research by StandOut CV found that discrepancies between CVs and LinkedIn profiles are a frequently cited reason recruiters reject candidates at the screening stage. The most common discrepancies? Different job titles, different employment dates, and skills listed on one but not the other.

Sarah Kessler (our composite recruiter from earlier) puts it plainly: "If your CV says you were a Senior Account Manager from 2021 to 2024, but your LinkedIn says Account Manager from 2020 to 2023, I'm going to wonder what else doesn't add up. It might be an innocent oversight. But I've got 200 other applicants who didn't make me wonder."

What to Put on LinkedIn but NOT on Your CV

• Volunteer work and causes you care about. LinkedIn has dedicated sections for these. They signal values and community engagement without cluttering a two-page CV.
• Recommendations and endorsements. These only exist on LinkedIn and they're worth collecting.
• Content and articles you've published. If you've written anything relevant to your field, LinkedIn is the place to showcase it.
• A broader career narrative. Your LinkedIn "About" section can tell a story — who you are, what drives you, what you're looking for — in a way that a CV personal statement doesn't have space for.
• Professional group memberships. The CIPD, CMI, ICE, RICS — list them on LinkedIn even if they don't make the cut on a tight CV.
• Multimedia. Presentations, portfolio pieces, video introductions — LinkedIn supports rich media that a Word document can't.

What to Put on Your CV but NOT on LinkedIn

• Tailored personal statements. Each CV should have a specific opening paragraph targeted at the role. LinkedIn's summary should remain general.
• Detailed achievements with exact figures. "Reduced procurement costs by 14% (£340K annual saving)" belongs on your CV. LinkedIn can be broader: "Significant cost reductions across procurement."
• Referee details. Never put referees on LinkedIn. "Available on request" on your CV; specific names and contact details only when asked.
• Role-specific keywords from job descriptions. You're optimising each CV for a particular ATS. LinkedIn keywords should match your general area of expertise.
• Exact qualification grades. If the job spec asks for a 2:1 or above, put your classification on your CV. LinkedIn can just list the degree.
• Security clearances or sensitive information. SC, DV, CTC — if relevant, put them on your CV. Not on a public LinkedIn profile.

The ATS vs LinkedIn's Algorithm: Two Different Gatekeepers

Understanding how both systems filter candidates is essential, and most job seekers don't think about this enough.

How an ATS Filters Your CV

An applicant tracking system — and the big ones in the UK include Workday, Taleo (Oracle), SAP SuccessFactors, iCIMS, and Greenhouse — works by parsing your CV into structured data. It extracts your name, contact details, employment history, education, and skills, then scores you against the requirements set by the recruiter.

The critical things the ATS looks for:

• Keyword matches. Job title, specific skills, qualifications, software proficiency. If the job ad says "ACCA qualified," your CV needs to say "ACCA qualified" — not "part-qualified accountant" or "studying towards ACCA."
• Formatting. Complex layouts, graphics, columns, headers/footers, and unusual fonts can confuse ATS parsers. A clean, single-column Word document or PDF with standard headings is safest.
• Recency. Many ATS systems weight recent experience more heavily. Your most recent role should have the most detail.
• Completeness. Gaps in employment history can trigger automatic rejection in some systems. If you have gaps, address them.

If you're building your CV with a tool like SpeedCV, make sure the output is clean, ATS-compatible, and free of the formatting quirks that trip up automated parsers. A beautifully designed CV that can't be read by an ATS is worse than a plain one that can.

How LinkedIn's Algorithm Ranks Your Profile

LinkedIn's search algorithm works differently. When a recruiter searches for candidates, the platform uses a multi-signal approach:

• Headline keywords. This is the single most important field for search visibility. Make it count.
• Profile completeness. LinkedIn explicitly boosts complete profiles. Every empty section hurts your ranking.
• Skills section. LinkedIn matches skills to job postings. Having 50 generic skills is less effective than having 15-20 targeted, relevant ones.
• Engagement signals. Posting, commenting, and being active on the platform tells the algorithm you're a credible professional worth surfacing. Only about 1% of LinkedIn users post regularly — being one of them gives you an outsized advantage.
• Network proximity. Shared connections with the recruiter boost your visibility. This is why accepting connection requests from recruiters in your industry — even if you're not looking right now — is a smart long-term play.
• Location. LinkedIn gives preference to candidates in or near the location the recruiter specifies. If you're open to relocating, mention target locations in your profile.

The fundamental difference? An ATS screens you out. LinkedIn's algorithm tries to surface you up. The ATS is a gatekeeper looking for reasons to reject. LinkedIn's algorithm is a matchmaker trying to connect. Your CV needs to survive the former; your LinkedIn profile needs to thrive in the latter.

CV vs LinkedIn: A Quick Comparison

Feature	CV	LinkedIn Profile
Primary purpose	Application for a specific role	Professional visibility and discovery
Tailoring	Customised for each role	One version, broadly targeted
Length	2 pages (UK standard)	No strict limit
Audience	Hiring manager + ATS	Recruiters, peers, network
Tone	Formal, precise	Professional but personable
Keywords	Matched to specific job description	Matched to your field/industry
Social proof	References (on request)	Endorsements, recommendations, activity
Multimedia	No	Yes (presentations, links, portfolio)
Update frequency	Per application	Ongoing
Format control	Full control	Limited to LinkedIn's template
ATS compatibility	Critical	Not applicable
Algorithm optimisation	Not applicable	Critical
Shelf life	Sent once, evaluated once	Always visible, always searchable

The Elephant in the Room: AI-Generated CVs and Profiles

We'd be ignoring reality if we didn't address this. The rise of generative AI tools has created a new headache for UK recruiters. A report by Willo found that the increasing use of AI-generated CVs was one of the factors driving employers towards skills-based hiring — not because AI CVs are bad, per se, but because they make it harder to distinguish between candidates on paper.

The CIPD's 2024 report noted that 31% of UK organisations are now using AI or machine learning in their recruitment process, up from 16% in 2022. Recruiters are fighting fire with fire — using AI detection tools to spot AI-generated applications, while simultaneously using AI themselves to screen and rank candidates.

The practical implication? Whether you use AI to help draft your CV or not, the final product needs to sound like you. Recruiters are increasingly savvy at spotting generic, AI-flavoured language — the kind that opens with "Results-driven professional with a proven track record" and closes with "I am passionate about delivering value in a fast-paced environment." If you've read that sentence and thought "that sounds like my CV," it's time for a rewrite. If your CV reads like every other CV, it won't stand out — regardless of how it was written.

The same applies to LinkedIn. A summary section full of vague, committee-speak language ("I thrive in collaborative settings where I can add meaningful value") tells a recruiter precisely nothing. Compare that with something specific: "I've spent eight years in NHS procurement, most recently leading a £12M category management programme across three trusts." One sounds like it was generated by a chatbot. The other sounds like a person who's done the work.

It Depends on Your Industry (More Than You'd Think)

The relative weight of CV versus LinkedIn varies enormously by sector, and it's worth being honest about that. In technology and digital roles, LinkedIn carries outsized influence — many tech recruiters will source entirely on LinkedIn and won't look at a CV until the final interview stages. In contrast, law firms, accountancy practices, and the civil service still run heavily on formal applications where the CV is king. If you're applying through the Civil Service Fast Stream or a Magic Circle training contract, your LinkedIn profile is a footnote. Your CV and application form are everything.

Creative industries split the difference. A graphic designer's LinkedIn portfolio section might matter more than their employment history, while a copywriter's CV still needs to demonstrate writing ability in its own right. In the NHS and wider public sector, structured application forms often replace CVs altogether — but LinkedIn is still how many hiring managers quietly check candidates before interview day.

The point is: know your industry's norms. Ask recruiters in your sector which they look at first. Don't assume that what works in tech works in teaching, or that a partner at a City firm will be impressed by your LinkedIn engagement rate.

What the Employment Rights Act 2025 Means for Your CV

It's worth flagging a regulatory change that's affecting how employers approach hiring in 2026. The Employment Rights Act 2025 reduced the qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims from two years to six months (with the change taking effect from January 2027). According to the CIPD's Labour Market Outlook for Winter 2025/26, 37% of employers plan to hire fewer permanent staff as a result of reforms to unfair dismissal, statutory sick pay, and zero-hours contract regulations.

What does this mean for job seekers? Employers are being more cautious and thorough in their hiring decisions. The net employment balance hit +7 in the Winter 2025/26 outlook — the lowest level on record outside the pandemic. With fewer roles available and employers scrutinising candidates more carefully, the quality of both your CV and LinkedIn profile matters more than ever.

Expect more rigorous reference checks. Expect employers to cross-reference your CV against your LinkedIn profile. Expect skills assessments and practical tests as standard, not exceptions. The days of blagging your way through with a shiny CV and a firm handshake are — genuinely this time — numbered.

Practical Steps: Getting Both Right in 2026

For Your CV:

1. Keep it to two pages. This remains the UK standard. Three pages only for very senior roles or academic CVs.
2. Write a targeted personal statement for each application. Three to four sentences maximum. What you do, what you're good at, what you want — specific to this role.
3. Quantify everything possible. "Managed a team" is weak. "Managed a team of 12 across three UK offices, delivering £1.8M in annual revenue" is strong.
4. Use the exact language from the job description where it's truthful. If they want "stakeholder management," use that phrase, not "dealing with people."
5. Check ATS compatibility. Submit your CV to a few roles on Indeed or Reed and see if the auto-parsed information is correct. If it isn't, your formatting needs work.
6. Include a skills section with 8-12 relevant competencies. Both hard and soft skills, but weight towards hard skills.

For Your LinkedIn Profile:

1. Write a headline that goes beyond your job title. "Marketing Director | B2B SaaS | Growth Strategy & Brand" beats "Marketing Director at XYZ Ltd."
2. Complete every section. Summary, experience, education, skills, volunteer work, certifications. LinkedIn rewards completeness with visibility.
3. Get recommendations. Ask three to five former colleagues or managers. Be specific in your request — "Could you mention the project we worked on together?" gets better results than "Can you write me a recommendation?"
4. Post something once a fortnight. You don't need to be a LinkedIn influencer. A comment on an industry article, a brief observation from your work, a reaction to sector news — all count.
5. Use the "Open to Work" feature sensibly. Turn on recruiter-only visibility if you're passively looking. Save the green banner for when you're actively searching and don't mind your current employer knowing.
6. Engage with companies you'd like to work for. Follow them, comment on their posts, connect with their recruiters. The algorithm notices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do UK recruiters prefer CVs or LinkedIn profiles?

Most UK recruiters use both, but at different stages. LinkedIn is primarily a sourcing and discovery tool — it's how recruiters find candidates, particularly passive ones who aren't actively applying. The CV remains the primary evaluation document. When a recruiter submits a candidate to a hiring manager, they send a CV, not a LinkedIn profile. According to industry research, around 87% of recruiters use LinkedIn for sourcing, but the CV is still the document that determines whether you get an interview.

Should my CV and LinkedIn profile say the same thing?

They should be consistent, but they don't need to be identical. Job titles, employers, and dates must match — discrepancies are a red flag. However, your CV should be tailored to each specific role you apply for, while your LinkedIn profile should be a broader representation of your career. Think of LinkedIn as the wide-angle lens and your CV as the close-up.

Can I get a job in the UK with just a LinkedIn profile and no CV?

In rare cases, yes — particularly in tech, startups, and creative industries where informal hiring is more common. But for the vast majority of UK roles, you'll need a CV at some point in the process. Public sector roles, large corporates, professional services firms, and any role advertised through a recruitment agency will almost certainly require one. Don't gamble your job search on being the exception. I've seen too many candidates learn this the hard way.

How often should I update my LinkedIn profile?

At minimum, update it whenever you change roles, gain a new qualification, or complete a significant project. Ideally, you should be doing small updates — adding skills, requesting recommendations, tweaking your headline — every few months. A stale LinkedIn profile suggests you're disengaged from your career, which isn't the impression you want to make on a recruiter browsing profiles at 8am on a Tuesday.

Does an ATS read my LinkedIn profile?

No. Applicant tracking systems only parse documents submitted directly through employer portals or job boards — typically your CV in Word or PDF format. LinkedIn has its own separate search algorithm that ranks profiles for recruiters searching on the platform. These are two entirely different systems, which is why you need to optimise for both independently. A strong LinkedIn profile won't help you get past an ATS, and an ATS-optimised CV won't improve your LinkedIn search ranking.

The Bottom Line

Neither the CV nor LinkedIn is going anywhere in 2026. The recruiters I've spoken to are unanimous on this: you need both, and you need both to be good. The CV is your ticket to consideration. LinkedIn is your ticket to being found. Neglect either one and you're competing with one arm tied behind your back.

The good news is that getting both right isn't as time-consuming as you might think. Start with a strong, ATS-friendly CV — use a tool like SpeedCV to build a clean, professional base — then adapt your LinkedIn profile to complement it. Keep the facts consistent, let each platform play to its strengths, and don't fall for the myth that one has made the other obsolete.

They haven't. They work in tandem. And in a UK job market where employers are hiring more cautiously, skills assessments are becoming standard, and recruiters are using every tool at their disposal, the candidates who treat both documents seriously are the ones who'll get the calls.

---

Sources

1. CIPD, Resourcing and Talent Planning Report 2024 — https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/reports/resourcing-surveys/
2. CIPD, Labour Market Outlook, Winter 2025/26 — https://www.cipd.org/uk/about/press-releases/employment-rights-act-handbrake-on-hiring-labour-market-outlook-winter-25-26/
3. LinkedIn, The Future of Recruiting 2025 — https://business.linkedin.com/hire/resources/future-of-recruiting
4. Willo, Hiring Trends Report 2026 — https://www.willo.video/the-hiring-trends-report-2026
5. Statista, LinkedIn Users in the United Kingdom 2020–2026 — https://www.statista.com/statistics/1314310/uk-linkedin-users/
6. SaleSso, LinkedIn UK Statistics 2026 — https://salesso.com/blog/linkedin-uk-statistics/
7. DemandSage, LinkedIn Statistics 2026 — https://www.demandsage.com/linkedin-statistics/
8. Acas, Employment Rights Act 2025 — https://www.acas.org.uk/employment-rights-act-2025
9. GOV.UK, Plan to Make Work Pay and Employment Rights Act: Timeline Update — https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/implementing-the-plan-to-make-work-pay-and-employment-rights-act/
10. Buffer, How LinkedIn's Algorithm Works in 2026 — https://buffer.com/resources/linkedin-algorithm/
11. Tracker RMS, Applicant Tracking System Statistics 2026 — https://www.tracker-rms.com/blog/applicant-tracking-system-statistics/
12. Indeed Flex UK, What Employers Look For in 2026 CVs — https://indeedflex.co.uk/blog/for-workers/2026-cvs-what-employers-look-for/
13. PurpleCV, What Does a Good CV Look Like in 2026? — https://purplecv.co.uk/blog/what-does-a-good-cv-look-like-examples
14. Charle Agency, LinkedIn Statistics for 2026: UK & Global Data — https://www.charle.co.uk/articles/linkedin-statistics/
15. People Management, 2026 Labour Market Trends: Hiring Slowdown and AI Disruption — https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1943835/2026-labour-market-trends-hiring-slowdown-ai-disruption
16. Akin Gump, UK Employment Rights Act 2025 – April 2026 Changes — https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/uk-employment-rights-act-2025-april-2026-changes-what-employers-need-to-know
17. RSM UK, CIPD Labour Market Outlook: Key Takeaways — https://www.rsmuk.com/insights/employment-matters/human-resources/cipd-labour-market-outlook-the-key-takeaways
18. TestGorilla, The State of Skills-Based Hiring 2025 Report — https://www.testgorilla.com/skills-based-hiring/state-of-skills-based-hiring-2025/
19. Onrec, Hiring Trends Report 2026: AI pushing employers away from traditional CVs — https://www.onrec.com/news/news-archive/hiring-trends-report-2026-study-finds-ai-pushing-employers-away-from-traditional
20. StandOut CV, Recruitment Statistics in the UK 2026 — https://standout-cv.com/stats/recruitment-statistics-uk