Is Generative AI Making Job Applicants' Entry Sheets Look the Same? The Current State of Recruitment with the Abolition of Document Screening —— How is the Evaluation Axis Shifting from "Writing" to "Dialogue and Demonstration"?

1. The "Homogenization of ES" Happening in the Recruitment Field Now

The entry sheet, which is the gateway to job hunting, has long functioned as the "first sieve." Motivation for applying, self-promotion, and what you focused on during your student days (commonly known as "Gakuchika")—can you create a coherent story within a limited number of characters? Companies have tried to read the structure of thought, writing skills, enthusiasm, and values from this.

However, the situation changes with the widespread use of generative AI (such as ChatGPT).
Job seekers input the "content they want to write," shape it into polished Japanese, optimize the structure, fill in the gaps, and rephrase it into impactful expressions. Such actions are no longer special skills but have become everyday tasks that can be done on a smartphone.

As a result, while the average quality of ES has improved from "poor writing" to "good writing," the side effect of an increase in "similar writing" is becoming noticeable.

• The structure of introduction, development, turn, and conclusion is the same

• The keywords used are similar (challenge, growth, initiative, involvement, PDCA...)

• The narrative style of leadership experience is similar (problem → hypothesis → execution → improvement → results)

• The way of writing reflections is similar (failure → learning → prevention → applying next time)

"Readable, but whose story is it?"—this is the discomfort felt by the recruiters. The more polished the writing, the harder it is to see individuality. This is not so much the fault of the job seekers as it is a phenomenon where the writing itself becomes "optimized," erasing differences.

2. The Turning Point Symbolized by the Abolition of Document Screening — Rohto Pharmaceutical's "Entry Meet Recruitment"

This change is symbolized by Rohto Pharmaceutical's policy shift. Rohto Pharmaceutical announced that from December 15, 2025, for new graduate recruitment for April 2027 entry, they willabolish document screening through entry sheets and introduce "Entry Meet Recruitment," placing a15-minute dialogue with HR personnel as the first step in the recruitment process.Rohto Pharmaceutical+1

Rohto has clearly stated the following awareness of the problem:

• With the spread of generative AI, the content of application documents is becoming homogenized, making it difficult to capture individuality with traditional methods.Rohto Pharmaceutical

• AI interviews are effective, but it is necessary to question whether the recruitment process itself is optimal.Rohto Pharmaceutical

• As the ease of applying increases, so do the entries, but companies tend to pursue efficient selection, which can lead to burdens and mismatches for students.Rohto Pharmaceutical

"Entry Meet" will be implementedfrom January 16, 2026, at eight locations nationwide, with a design that is primarily face-to-face (considering online options if necessary).Rohto Pharmaceutical+1
Moreover, this is not merely an "increase in interviews," but a change in the philosophy of the entrance. Instead of rejecting through documents, the approach is to first meet and dialogue to increase the density of mutual understanding—bringing recruitment closer to "alignment" rather than "examination."

Additionally, Asahi Shimbun reported onDecember 28, 2025, stating "Generative AI is homogenizing job seekers' ES" and "Some companies are switching to a format where all applicants are interviewed instead of document screening."Asahi & Nikkan Sports
The premise that "document screening is a given" is quietly beginning to crumble.

3. What Do Companies Gain and Lose by Abolishing Document Screening?

The abolition of document screening involves not only ideals but also real costs. By calmly breaking down the benefits and challenges, the focus of the discussion becomes clear.

3-1. Benefits for Companies

(1) Reducing the discrepancy that writing skills = selection skills
In an era where generative AI polishes writing, selecting "people who can write" does not easily align with selecting "people who can work." By shifting the entrance to dialogue, it becomes easier to gather information such as values, thought patterns, and ways of responding, rather than the "processing" of writing.

(2) Early detection of "mismatch seeds"
ES is a medium for "looking good." On the other hand, the more you try to look good in a short dialogue, the more "strain" appears. There is a possibility of noticing discomfort at an early stage.

(3) Improvement of Candidate Experience (CX)
When recruitment becomes too much of a "filtering test," students tend to optimize towards creating "passing templates." With dialogue as the entrance, they can proceed to the next stage with a deeper understanding of the company. Rohto also emphasizes "mutual understanding."Rohto Pharmaceutical

3-2. Challenges for Companies

(1) A massive increase in workload (scalability issue)
To interview all applicants, interview slots, personnel, and operational design are necessary. For large companies, "meeting everyone" is difficult, and systematization becomes essential.

(2) Ensuring fairness becomes more difficult
While dialogue provides a lot of information, it is also prone to the interviewer's subjectivity. Standardizing questions, sharing evaluation perspectives, and recording methods require mature operations.

(3) The risk of overvaluing "those who are good at talking"
The dialogue entrance tends to favor those who are good at communication. However, this depends on the design. Rohto talks about an operation that draws out axes and sincerity rather than "skill" within the short 15 minutes.Port Inc.

4. Abolishing Documents Does Not Mean Rejecting AI — A Perspective of "Redesigning Recruitment in the AI Era"

The important point is that the abolition of document screening is not because "AI is disliked," but rathera movement to rearrange evaluation criteria in a world where AI has become the norm. Rohto also acknowledges the effectiveness of AI interviews while questioning the overall optimality of the recruitment process.Rohto Pharmaceutical

In other words, the point of discussion is,

• AI polishes application documents → The difference in documents disappears

• Therefore, "judge" with AI → Further black-boxing
  is not the case, but rather,

• AI erases differences → Shift the entrance to "dialogue, demonstration, experience"
  there is another path.

In fact, there have long been attempts to view elements that cannot be measured by resumes through other media. For example, there are unique approaches like "Instagram document interviews," where Instagram posts are used as a portfolio.HR Department
"What to measure with" is not fixed and moves according to the job type and era.

5. Global Trend: As AI Recruitment Becomes "Convenient," Regulations and Responsibilities Increase

As AI becomes more involved in recruitment, "transparency," "discrimination," and "accountability" become focal points in various countries. This may seem like a story in the opposite direction of the homogenization of job seekers' ES, but it is actually continuous. This is because,as the information at the entrance becomes homogenized, companies want to create a "different axis for filtering."When AI is used for this, efficiency increases, but so does responsibility.

5-1. EU: Recruitment is Treated as "High-Risk AI"

In the EU's AI Act, the use of AI related to employment and recruitment is included in the "high-risk" area, and additional obligations are imposed.Digital Strategy+1
Operators of high-risk AI are required to have obligations such as human oversight, logging, and information provision, with provisions related to workplace use also indicated.EU Artificial Intelligence Act
In other words, the world view is not "win by streamlining with AI," but "have explainability if you choose with AI."

5-2. USA (NYC): Demanding "Bias Audits" and Notifications for Recruitment AI

In New York City, a framework has been officially announced that requires bias audits, publication of results, and notification to candidates for automated tools (AEDT) used in employment decisions.New York City Government
Furthermore, the effectiveness and operational challenges of audits are continuously discussed.OECD AI Policy Observatory
It is becoming socially unacceptable for "AI recruitment = invisible judgment."

5-3. Japan: The Intersection of Guidelines and Personal Information Protection

In Japan, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has published AI guidelines for companies, organizing the importance of risk reduction and governance throughout the lifecycle.Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry##HTML_TAG