# More graduate employers report misconduct as AI use grows

> The Institute of Student Employers says 92% of employers suspected or confirmed misconduct by applicants, most commonly unauthorised AI use. Graduate hiring rose 4% but most of that growth came from a few large employers.

The Yoink Report (CodeYoink) | UK | Careers | News of 14 October 2026 | Published 6 November 2026

The Institute of Student Employers (ISE) said on 14 October 2026 that 92% of employers had suspected or confirmed misconduct by student applicants.

[ISE's summary](https://ise.org.uk/knowledge/insights/615/graduate_jobs_stabilise_but_ai_use_disrupts_recruitment) of its Student Recruitment Report 2026 compares that with 85% in 2025 and 78% in 2024. The figure counts employers, not candidates, so it does not show how many applicants broke the rules. The most common forms were unauthorised AI use in interviews and online assessments. [Wonkhe reported](https://wonkhe.com/wonk-corner/a-slightly-better-outlook-for-graduate-jobs/) that 66% of employers identified unauthorised AI use in interviews.

ISE says employers received 141 applications per graduate role and 96 per apprenticeship. It says 77% are reviewing or redesigning their recruitment. Measures include more personal questions, time limits and randomised questions. Some employers limit how many roles a person can apply for or close campaigns early.

Graduate hiring rose 4% after an 8% fall the year before. [A later ISE article](https://ise.org.uk/knowledge/insights/617/what_the_stabilised_graduate_market_really_looks_like) says growth falls to 0.8% without a few large employers and that the typical employer's growth was zero. It says Digital and IT grew fastest in proportion, together with the built environment, but gives no figure for either. Employers forecast 7% growth in graduate hiring for 2026/27.

For students applying now, ISE says 82% of employers give guidance on acceptable AI use, up from 55% in 2025. Applicants can look for that guidance before using AI on a test or in an interview. ISE says 16% of employers use AI in their own recruitment and 29% plan to start within a year.

[The survey](https://ise.org.uk/knowledge/research/606/ise_student_recruitment_report_2026) covers 155 employers and more than 1.7 million applications. ISE says it shows larger employers best and says less about small firms. The full report is for members and paying customers. The public summaries give no figures for software or computing roles.

> "While it’s understandable that candidates want to use AI, over-reliance can have the opposite effect."
>
> Stephen Isherwood, joint CEO, Institute of Student Employers (https://ise.org.uk/knowledge/insights/615/graduate_jobs_stabilise_but_ai_use_disrupts_recruitment)

## Sources

- Institute of Student Employers: [Graduate jobs stabilise, but AI use disrupts recruitment](https://ise.org.uk/knowledge/insights/615/graduate_jobs_stabilise_but_ai_use_disrupts_recruitment)
- Institute of Student Employers: [What the 'stabilised' graduate market really looks like](https://ise.org.uk/knowledge/insights/617/what_the_stabilised_graduate_market_really_looks_like)
- Institute of Student Employers: [ISE Student Recruitment Report 2026](https://ise.org.uk/knowledge/research/606/ise_student_recruitment_report_2026)
- Wonkhe: [A slightly better outlook for graduate jobs](https://wonkhe.com/wonk-corner/a-slightly-better-outlook-for-graduate-jobs/)

Picture: Peter Evans, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edinburgh_University_Graduation_Day_-_geograph.org.uk_-_5017473.jpg

Web page: https://codeyoink.com/news/ise-graduate-jobs-ai-misconduct