Hiring in the age of AI
The hiring process has entered an era where automation and artificial intelligence influence every stage of recruitment. While these technologies offer new efficiencies, they have also introduced new vulnerabilities. A growing challenge for companies today is dealing with candidates who game the system. From inflated resumes to fake portfolios, deception in hiring has become more sophisticated.
AI has made these exploitative tactics easier and more accessible. Resume builders powered by large language models can generate convincing application materials with little effort. These tools lower the barrier for dishonesty, making it harder than ever for recruiters to filter out unqualified applicants.
How Candidates Scam Recruiters and HR
Candidates today have more tools than ever to misrepresent their skills. Common tactics include outsourcing live coding challenges to AI via platforms like Interview Coder, or Cursor help candidates pass live coding challenges and interviews, using AI-powered auto-suggestion tools during assessments, and leveraging ChatGPT or similar models to generate project descriptions and interview responses in real time. Some candidates rely on portfolio builders that recycle existing work found on GitHub, while others utilize AI tools to create fake website designs and mockups.
The result is wasted time, damaged team performance and missed opportunities. When a hire fails to deliver on promised capabilities, the costs are felt across the organization.
Why Proof of Work Matters
To avoid being misled by surface-level signals, companies need better ways to verify skills. Authentic proof of work and past-performance-based validation are essential. Rather than relying on self-reported claims, recruiters should be able to see real examples of how candidates perform in practical scenarios.
This is the age of the generalist, the design engineer, the full stack developer, the age of people who wear many hats.
One of the most important shifts companies need to make is moving away from hiring specialists who simply clock in and work on assigned tickets. The future belongs to generalists and builders—people who think beyond the scope of individual tasks and contribute across disciplines. Builders are the ones who identify gaps, take ownership of outcomes and create solutions without waiting for permission or rigid specifications. Working on tickets alone is not enough. Businesses need contributors who can navigate ambiguity, experiment with new approaches and solve real problems end to end. Hiring for these qualities means prioritizing initiative, creativity and the ability to build, not just the ability to follow instructions.
How 0cred helps
0cred addresses these challenges by offering a platform where candidates prove their skills through validated, real-world achievements and projects. Instead of focusing on resumes and credentials, 0cred verifies what candidates have actually done. Work samples, contributions and performance metrics are transparently recorded, removing the guesswork from hiring.
For businesses, this means hiring with confidence. No more relying on inflated claims or unverifiable portfolios. With 0cred, companies gain access to a trusted network of talent where ability is proven, not assumed.
Philipp Parzer
Philipp is a fullstack software engineer, designer, entrepreneur and co-founder of 0cred. Philipp has extensive experience hiring outstanding international talent for big companies. He built 0cred to fix his own hiring needs.