Where at the end of 2024, 3.5% of the Dutch indicate using Large Language Models like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini to find job vacancies, that number rises to 7.6% a year later. Coenraad Sassen, labor market analyst who conducted the research, comments on the trend: 'What we are seeing now is just the beginning. Many job seekers currently use AI primarily as a 'smart search bar', but once people discover how easy it is to prompt an AI agent that remembers your preferences and automatically alerts you to suitable vacancies, adoption will rise steeply. We expect a surge in 2026 and 2027: the AI job seeker will become a serious source of candidates for employers. It can take the place currently held by job boards and social media.'
Three-quarters of employers are not yet responding to the trend
Employers are preparing for this change, but not on a large scale yet. In the State of Recruiting 2026, 28% of recruitment professionals from organizations indicate they are working on online visibility to feed AI models, better known as GEO (Generative Engine Optimization). This includes optimizing job vacancy content on a job site, encouraging positive reviews, and ensuring visibility on websites outside their own channels.
Tamara de Man from the Academy for Labor Market Communication, who is also the client for the research: 'That 28% is currently working on GEO is a reasonable percentage. But it also means that almost three-quarters have not yet put this on the agenda, while it is a huge opportunity for employers. Those who are easily found in AI responses can attract more direct applications from the market, without relying on traditional job boards and without advertising budgets on expensive social media. Early adopters are gaining an advantage here.'
Also read: Netherlands ranks tenth worldwide in employment expectations for the second quarter of 2026
AI maturity in recruitment
The urgency is increasing because AI is becoming increasingly visible not only to recruiters but also to candidates. In the State of Recruiting 2026, 91% of recruitment professionals say they are using AI, primarily for writing and improving job descriptions and automating administrative tasks. At the same time, 65% see AI-generated cover letters and 46% notably polished CVs from candidates.
Also read: What is a job house and how do you build it?
Download the report and get started
Employers who want to make their job site and job content AI-friendly can participate in the 'Seminar GEO: get ready for the AI job seeker' on March 23, 2026.
The research report 'State of Recruiting' can be downloaded for free from the website of the Academy for Labor Market Communication. The report is based on an online survey completed by more than three hundred recruitment professionals from profit and non-profit employers (80%) and agencies (20%).
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