Archive · 4 Sep 2026
Indian Jobseekers Prefer Skills Tests Over Resumes, Indeed Finds
Many Indian jobseekers think skills tests show their abilities more fairly than resumes.
Indeed gave India a hiring confidence score of 58 out of 100.
Candidates are frustrated when employers do not respond after applications.
They also dislike long waits between interviews and not receiving feedback.
Jobseekers want clear information about salaries, timelines and selection rules.
Employers say it is difficult to stop relying on resumes and consistently measure skills.
They also face delays from hiring managers and large numbers of applications.
Many employers say AI makes hiring more efficient.
Candidates want people to remain involved in final decisions and want employers to explain how AI is used.
Fifty-four percent of Indian jobseekers say skills tests are fairer than resumes.
India scored 58 out of 100 on Indeed’s inaugural Hiring Confidence Index.
Candidates cited no response, interview delays and missing feedback as major frustrations.
Employers said resume dependence, inconsistent skills evaluation and assessment resources hinder skills-based hiring.
Employers see efficiency gains from AI, while candidates want human oversight and clearer explanations.
- Who
- Indian jobseekers and employers, with findings from Indeed’s Hiring Confidence Index; Indeed Talent Strategy Advisor Rohan Sylvester commented on the results.
- What
- A survey found that 54% of Indian jobseekers consider skills tests fairer than resumes and identified concerns about transparency, communication and AI in hiring.
- Where
- India.
- Why
- Candidates are seeking greater clarity and fairness in hiring, while employers face practical and communication challenges in delivering those expectations.
Candidate Expectations
Employer Challenges
Assessment methods
Candidate Expectations
Jobseekers say skills tests can assess their abilities more fairly than resumes.
Employer Challenges
Employers say continued dependence on resumes is the biggest hurdle to adopting skills-based recruitment.
Communication and transparency
Candidate Expectations
Candidates want clear salaries, timelines, selection criteria, role expectations and updates during the process.
Employer Challenges
Employers cite delayed hiring-manager feedback, high application volumes and shifting business priorities as barriers to timely communication.
Use of AI
Candidate Expectations
Candidates want explanations of how AI evaluates them and prefer human oversight in final decisions.
Employer Challenges
Employers increasingly view AI as useful, with 58% saying it has improved hiring efficiency.
- Hiring confidence score
- India scored 58 out of 100 on Indeed’s inaugural Hiring Confidence Index.
- Skills-test preference
- 54% of Indian jobseekers said skills tests are fairer than resumes.
- Top candidate frustration
- 29% said receiving no response after applying was the most frustrating part of the hiring process.
- Salary transparency
- 37% of candidates identified clear salary expectations as an important confidence signal.
- Employer hiring hurdle
- 40% of employers cited continued dependence on resumes as the biggest obstacle to skills-based recruitment.
- AI efficiency
- 58% of employers said AI has improved hiring efficiency.
- Human oversight
- 42% of candidates said they are more comfortable with AI-enabled hiring when final decisions include human oversight.