Should you opt out of AI resume screening?
Opt out when the employer offers it and your experience is hard to match by keywords, such as after a career change. Opting out means a person reviews your application without an AI score; it is no advantage in itself.1
Written 5 October 2026. CitedCV. How we write our guides
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What opting out of AI resume screening means
Many employers now let software compare each application with the job's requirements before a recruiter reads it. Opting out means asking the employer to have a person review your application without that AI step. It is a request, not a setting you control: the employer decides whether to offer it, and in some places the law says what the employer must tell you.
What the AI does at two large vendors
Two applicant tracking system vendors document their screening features in public help pages, read on 5 October 2026. Both describe a ranking aid for recruiters, not an automatic rejection.
| System | What the AI produces | Does it reject on its own? | Opt-out in the documentation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenhouse Talent Matching | A match score against the recruiter's weighted criteria, shown in groups from Strong match to Limited match | No. Greenhouse says it does not automatically advance or reject candidates; recruiters and hiring managers make the decisions | Yes, if the employer turns it on: candidates request manual (non-AI) review for specific jobs through a link in the job post disclaimer |
| Workday HiredScore | A grade from A to D: A meets all basic and most preferred qualifications, D does not meet most basic ones | The grade page does not say; it describes the grades as a view for recruiters | Not covered on the grade page |
Opting out is not the same as a failed parse
Greenhouse puts three kinds of candidates in a group called Needs manual review: those whose resume the AI could not process, those applying to a job with AI turned off, and those who chose manual review. All three are assessed by people using the employer's standard review process. So a resume the AI could not read ends up with a person anyway, without any request from you.
What to do in the first minute
Read the application page for an AI notice before you upload anything. Greenhouse lets employers add one to job posts, and its sample text gives candidates a contact for requesting an alternative evaluation method. While you decide, run the CV you plan to send through the free checker at the top of this page: it runs in your browser with no account and shows the plain text any reviewer starts from.
- Look for an AI notice on the job post or the application form, often near the submit button or behind a 'Learn more' link.
- If it offers manual review, decide with the situation table further down this page.
- Make the request through the link or address the employer gives, in writing, and name the job.
- Check the file you send: the parser view in the checker shows whether your name, jobs and dates come out in order.
When you can opt out: the employer and the law
Whether you can opt out depends first on the employer, then on where the job and you are. What follows summarises the official texts we read on 5 October 2026. It is general information, not legal advice: for a decision that affects you, ask a lawyer or the data protection authority where you live.
When the employer offers it
Greenhouse describes candidate AI opt-out as a control an organisation turns on when its legal team requires it; candidates can then request manual review for specific jobs. Its sample disclaimer notes that California's rules on automated decision-making technology (ADMT) require a statement that the employer will not retaliate against candidates for exercising their rights.
New York City: Local Law 144
New York City's Local Law 144 of 2021 covers automated employment decision tools: software that substantially assists or replaces discretionary decisions to screen candidates. An employer using one for a job in the city needs a yearly bias audit and must notify candidates who live in the city at least 10 business days before use, naming the qualifications the tool will assess. The notice must allow a candidate to request an alternative selection process or accommodation; the city's rules add that nothing in them requires the employer to provide that alternative.
European Union: GDPR Article 22 and the AI Act
Article 22 of the GDPR gives you the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing with legal or similarly significant effects; Recital 71 names e-recruiting without any human intervention as an example. Exceptions cover decisions necessary for a contract, authorised by law, or based on your explicit consent. In the contract and consent cases, the employer must at least let you obtain human intervention, express your view and contest the decision. Article 15(1)(h) lets you ask whether it is used and for meaningful information about its logic.
The EU AI Act (Regulation 2024/1689) lists AI used to recruit or select people, in particular to analyse and filter applications and evaluate candidates, as high-risk in Annex III. An employer using it must assign human oversight to competent people (Article 26(2)) and inform the people it is used on (Article 26(11)). Regulation 2026/1744, published on 24 July 2026, moved these obligations for such systems to 2 December 2027. None of these articles gives candidates a general right to opt out.
Turkey: KVKK Article 11
Turkey's Personal Data Protection Law (KVKK, Law No. 6698), Article 11(1)(g), gives everyone the right to object to a result against them that arises from analysing their data exclusively through automated systems. You apply to the employer in writing (Article 13), and it must conclude the request within 30 days at the latest, free unless the process has a separate cost. This is an objection after a result, not an advance opt-out.
| Where | Official text | What it gives a candidate | What it does not |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City | Local Law 144 of 2021 and the DCWP rules | A notice at least 10 business days before use, the qualifications assessed, and instructions to request an alternative process or accommodation | A duty on the employer to provide an alternative process |
| European Union | GDPR Articles 22 and 15(1)(h) | No solely automated decision with significant effects, except for a contract, a law or consent; then human intervention, your view and a challenge | Article 22 covers decisions based solely on automated processing, not every tool that assists a person |
| European Union | AI Act, Annex III and Article 26 | Recruitment AI is high-risk: human oversight and information for the people it is used on, from 2 December 2027 | A general right to opt out |
| Turkey | KVKK Articles 11(1)(g) and 13 | An objection to a result against you from solely automated analysis, answered within 30 days | Opting out before the screening |
General information from the official texts listed under Sources, not legal advice. Laws change and apply differently by employer, job location and where you live.
What opting out changes, and what it does not
- It removes the AI score from your application. At Greenhouse you are grouped under Needs manual review and assessed with the employer's standard process.
- It does not change who decides. Greenhouse says recruiters and hiring managers remain responsible for all hiring decisions, scored or not.
- It does not change what is read. The reviewer still starts from your CV, so a file that parses badly or buries your evidence is weak with or without AI.
- It may change timing. This is reasoning, not a measured figure: a manual queue depends on the team, while Talent Matching works at the first Application Review stage.
Will opting out hurt my chances?
None of the vendor pages or legal texts cited here says that opting out lowers your standing, and none says it raises it. Greenhouse points employers to the California rule on stating that they will not retaliate. If you are unsure, ask the recruiter how manual reviews are handled for that job.
Should you opt out? It depends on your situation
| Your situation | Suggested move | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Your CV uses the posting's own terms and your titles match the role | Staying in is reasonable | The AI compares you with the recruiter's criteria; a clear match is what it is set up to find, and a person still decides |
| You are changing careers, or your skills have other names in your field | Consider opting out, and add a short note on how your experience maps to the role | A score against weighted criteria can miss experience described in other words |
| A gap, non-traditional education, or job titles from another country | Consider opting out, or stay in and explain in a cover letter | A person can weigh context that a criteria list does not hold |
| A disability or condition the assessment may not account for | Ask for a reasonable accommodation | New York City's rules require the notice to explain how to request one under other laws |
| The application form filled in badly from your file | Fix the file first | At Greenhouse a resume the AI cannot process already goes to manual review; a person then reads the same flawed file |
| You were rejected and believe no person looked | In the EU, ask for human intervention and information (GDPR Articles 22 and 15); in Turkey, object under KVKK Article 11 | These rights concern decisions made solely by automated means |
The 'consider' rows are judgement, not measured results: no source cited here compares outcomes for candidates who opted out with those who did not.
Make your CV readable for both kinds of review
Whichever way you go, the review starts from the same text. Two things help with a person and with an AI alike: a file that parses cleanly, and lines that state evidence.
- It parses cleanly: one column, contact details in the body, standard headings such as Experience and Education, dates in one format.
- It states evidence: the posting's terms where they are true for you, tools named in context, and a number where you have one.
- It is honest on the page. Hidden keywords or instructions to the AI can be detected and read as dishonesty; the page on hidden text in resumes explains why.
Where CitedCV fits
The free checker at the top of this page reads a PDF, DOCX or TXT of up to 5 MB in your browser, with no account, and reports contact, heading, date, length and layout problems, plus a parser view of every line it extracted. It does not run any employer's AI, so it cannot predict a Greenhouse or Workday score. If you rebuild, CitedCV writes a CV only from facts you give it, ties each line to those facts and drops lines it cannot verify.
Who this page is not for
- You need advice on a specific rejection or dispute. This page is general information; ask a lawyer or your data protection authority.
- You want to know how AI CV builders write CVs. That is a different question, covered on the pages about AI CV builders.
- You want to get past AI screening by hiding text in your file. It can be detected and can cost you the application; the page on hidden text in resumes explains why.
Other routes than opting out
Opting out is one option. These work alongside it, or where it is not offered.
| Route | What it does | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Contact the recruiter | Puts your case in front of a person directly | Not every posting names one |
| A cover letter or short note | Explains a career change, a gap or a title that does not translate | Some forms have no field for it |
| A referral | An employee passes your CV to the hiring team | Depends on your network |
| Tailoring the CV to the posting | Uses the posting's terms where they are true for you | Takes time for each application |
| A data request | GDPR Article 15 covers whether automated decision-making was used; KVKK Article 11 covers whether and why your data was processed | It comes after the decision, not before |
Questions people ask
Should I opt out of AI resume screening?
Only if the employer offers it and your experience is hard to match by keywords, such as after a career change. Opting out means a person reviews you without an AI score; it is not an advantage in itself.
Does AI automatically reject resumes?
Not according to Greenhouse: it says Talent Matching does not automatically advance or reject candidates and recruiters decide. Workday's HiredScore grade page describes grades for recruiters and does not say a grade rejects anyone.
Can I request a human to review my application?
Yes, where the employer offers it or a law requires it. Greenhouse employers can enable manual review requests, New York City notices must explain how to ask for an alternative, and GDPR Article 22 gives human intervention for some solely automated decisions.
Does New York City law require employers to offer an alternative to AI screening?
No. Local Law 144 requires a notice that lets candidates request an alternative selection process or accommodation, but the city's rules say nothing in them requires the employer to provide an alternative process.
Is AI resume screening legal in the EU?
Yes, but it is regulated. The AI Act lists recruitment AI as high-risk, with human oversight and information duties from 2 December 2027, and GDPR Article 22 limits decisions made solely by automated means.
Will opting out of AI screening hurt my chances?
No source cited here says it does, and none says it helps. Greenhouse's sample notice mentions California's rule that employers state they will not retaliate; ask the recruiter how manual reviews are handled.
How do I know if a company uses AI to screen resumes?
Look for a notice on the job post or the application form. Greenhouse employers can add an AI disclaimer, New York City requires notice to candidates who live there, and the EU AI Act requires informing people from 2 December 2027.
What does Turkish law say about automated CV screening?
KVKK Article 11 lets you object to a result against you that comes solely from automated analysis of your data. Apply to the employer in writing; it must answer within 30 days at the latest.
Sources
- Greenhouse Support, Talent Matchingsupport.greenhouse.io/hc/en-us/articles/41396009937307-Talent-Matching
- Workday documentation, HiredScore: Reference: Candidate gradesdoc.workday.com/hiredscore/en-us/workday-hiredscore/recruiter-productivity-/reference--candidate-grades.html
- NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, Automated employment decision toolswww.nyc.gov/site/dca/about/automated-employment-decision-tools.page
- NYC DCWP, Automated employment decision tools: frequently asked questions (PDF)www.nyc.gov/assets/dca/downloads/pdf/about/DCWP-AEDT-FAQ.pdf
- New York City Council, Local Law 144 of 2021 (Int. 1894-2020), textlegistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4344524&GUID=B051915D-A9AC-451E-81F8-6596032FA3F9&Options=ID%7CText%7C&Search=
- NYC DCWP, Notice of adoption of final rule on automated employment decision tools (PDF)rules.cityofnewyork.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/DCWP-NOA-for-Use-of-Automated-Employment-Decisionmaking-Tools-2.pdf
- EUR-Lex, Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR)eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32016R0679
- EUR-Lex, Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (AI Act)eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32024R1689
- EUR-Lex, Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 (Digital Omnibus on AI)eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32026R1744
- Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi, Law No. 6698 on the Protection of Personal Data (KVKK), official Turkish textwww.mevzuat.gov.tr/mevzuatmetin/1.5.6698.pdf