Keyword tools look for exact terms, so a CV that says stock control may be missed for a role asking for inventory management. AI screening reads for meaning instead, recognising equivalent job titles, inferring skills from described work and weighing the length and recency of experience. A good system shows its working, quoting the line of the CV that supports each requirement so a recruiter can check a score in seconds.
Large applicant volumes make full manual review impractical, and quick skims tend to favour familiar names and formats. AI screening can give every CV the same careful read against the same criteria. Its value depends on sensible criteria and transparency: recruiters should see the evidence behind each score, spot-check results regularly and make progression decisions themselves rather than treating a score as the answer.