Is the résumé dead? Probably not, but it may be ailing

The changing workplace has been a hot topic for some years now, and one area sparking discussion lately centers on the recruiting/job search staple: the résumé. Some call it outmoded, irrelevant, and designed for a different era. Others say a résumé—if done right—is still the best way for candidates to introduce themselves and for employers to learn about candidate qualifications. The truth may depend on the employer’s and candidate’s objectives and the role needing to be filled.

Why relevance is questioned

The purpose of a résumé is to communicate to a potential employer what candidates can do and whether they fit the role. A résumé paints a word picture of a prospective employee for HR pros and hiring managers.

But when employers feel like they’re drowning in a sea of résumés—many of them sounding suspiciously like they came straight out of an artificial intelligence (AI) program—they aren’t as helpful as they should be.

And when jobseekers feel like their carefully thought-out and precisely worded résumés are trapped in the black hole of an applicant tracking system (ATS), they do no one any good.

In March 2026, Criteria Corp., a company that provides assessments for employers to use in hiring, released research showing that 68% of 2,500 candidates surveyed are open to forgoing a traditional résumé in favor of a process that focuses on science-based assessments and structured interviews.

Résumés still seen as necessary