Hong Kong employers and jobseekers are rapidly embracing artificial intelligence across the recruitment process, with 67% of employers using AI for CV screening and analysis and 79% of candidates using AI to write or refine their CVs and cover letters, according to Morgan McKinley’s 2026 Global AI Report. The findings, released on 29 September 2026, highlight how AI has moved from experimentation to routine use in hiring and working life in the city.
Two-thirds of Hong Kong employers surveyed say they permit candidates to use AI during the recruitment process, while 33% use AI for talent sourcing. Candidates are similarly active: 58% use AI for interview preparation, 45% to optimise their CVs for applicant tracking systems (ATS) and 50% to accelerate applications and apply for more jobs; only 6% say they do not use AI in their job search.
This high level of adoption is reflected in candidate attitudes. Just 10% of Hong Kong candidates say they would be significantly less likely to apply to an employer using AI screening, compared with 23% globally. Meanwhile, 60% trust AI when it is used alongside human oversight, while just 9% say they do not trust AI in recruitment decisions, compared with 22% globally. Half say employer AI screening would not affect their decision either way.
“AI is rapidly becoming part of everyday working life, and our findings show that Hong Kong is already embracing AI across the recruitment process, with both employers and candidates actively using the technology,” said Marlon Mai, managing director, Morgan McKinley Greater China.
“Candidates are using AI to improve their applications and prepare for interviews, while employers are increasingly using it to support screening and talent sourcing.” Marlon Mai
Globally, 62% of employees use AI daily at work and a further 15% weekly, across chatbots, meeting and scheduling tools, document and presentation tools, and coding and data analysis. Seventy per cent say AI makes their work easier, with 27% spending more time on strategic planning and decision-making and 24% more time reviewing and validating AI-generated output.
Concern about job replacement remains high, with 46% of employees worried AI could replace their role. [press release] However, among employers surveyed, 64% said AI has had no effect on headcount, while 7% reported reductions and 13% said it had slowed planned expansion. A further 43% describe their long-term approach as “people-first”, using AI to augment rather than replace human talent.
Investment in AI skills is yet to keep pace with adoption. Only 25% of employees said their employer was investing adequately in their AI upskilling, while 68% said they were receiving either inadequate or no AI training.
Globally, 78% of candidates use generative AI during the recruitment process, but just 5% trust AI to make hiring decisions independently, compared with 44% who trust it when used alongside human decision-making.
“As AI becomes more embedded in recruitment and the wider workplace, organisations will need to ensure that adoption is supported by appropriate governance, transparency and investment in skills,” Mai added. “Maintaining human oversight will be important as employers and candidates navigate new ways of working and hiring.”
