A growing trend is the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in recruitment. Yes, AI appears to be taking over all aspects of our lives, but there are productive ways to use the technology to improve your hiring processes.
Today, the use of AI when recruiting your job candidates can automate stages of hiring, from sourcing to onboarding. It can also improve efficiency, reduce bias and enhance the overall hiring experience for both recruiters and candidates. We have investigated multiple sources on this growing phenomenon, and here’s a few tips to consider
- Choose carefully: Assess whether to use “off the shelf” AI or those tools trained on your own data. There are pros and cons to both in terms of speed and embedded bias. Due diligence is a must on both the tool and the training data before putting to use.
- Prioritize data quality: Understand the data used to train the tool. Poor quality, untrustworthy or biased data can lead to discriminatory outcomes. Ensure regular monitoring for fairness.
- Transparency and definitions: Provide clear explanations to candidates about how AI is used in recruiting and how it may affect their application. Be able to define, in understandable terms, the logic and principles behind AI-driven decisions. This will be essential if challenged by candidates.
- Regulatory landscape: Be aware of the varying compliance requirements. Some tools may be designed for U.S. laws. But some regulations outside of the U.S. differ. Think about where the recruitment process impacts candidates, not just where your business is based.
- Governance and accountability: Establish clear roles and responsibilities for AI oversight. Develop comprehensive policies and supporting processes covering AI development, deployment, monitoring and review. Maintain records of testing, validation, and any changes made to AI systems.
- Human oversight: Guard against automation bias, where humans may defer too readily to AI recommendations. Foster AI literacy within your HR teams to ensure proper use of the technology. Assign responsibility for final decisions to trained individuals who can critically assess AI outputs.
- Regular audits: Conduct regular audits of AI tools, both before and after deployment, to identify potential bias and ensure tools remain fair and effective. Ensure that any criteria used by AI do not simply replicate historic bias.
- Ethical and privacy considerations: Be transparent with candidates about the use of AI. Obtain appropriate consent, especially when using tools that analyze personal or sensitive data. Provide alternative processes for candidates who may be disadvantaged by AI tools, such as chatbots or video assessments.
- Entire recruitment process: Audit the entire recruitment process, including where and how job ads are placed and targeted, to ensure all stages are free from bias and don’t result in indirect discrimination.
The information and opinions expressed are for educational purposes only and are based on current practice, industry-related knowledge and business expertise. The information shall not be construed as legal advice, express or implied.