The rise of AI across different industries shows no signs of slowing down. On the other hand, recruitment industries have now begun to embrace AI to perform HR roles better.
Despite the negativity surrounding such a topic, such as human jobs being taken over by these technologies, the truth is actually far from what most people have imagined.
Furthermore, when talking about AI, there are considerable reasons why it’s worth discussing, even if it has more benefits than disadvantages. Or is it just what we thought?
Let’s dissect each of them in this article and focus the lens on the dark side of AI in recruitment.
What is AI in recruitment?
Using artificial intelligence (AI) in recruitment speeds up the hiring process and helps companies get top talent in no time. Automation, personalisation, algorithms, or the “human touch”—you name it. These are only a few of the reasons why big or small companies invest in AI. In fact, Forbes reports that 84% of business executives consider artificial intelligence (AI) as the future trend that will provide them with a competitive edge and job market advantage.
For example, Nick Mailey, the Vice President of Talent Acquisition at Intuit, is responsible for bringing in over 6,000 new employees every year. Nick had a great idea: to incorporate AI technology into his recruitment process. By using AI algorithms to evaluate and rank job applicants based on the characteristics of the company’s most successful employees, Nick found that he was able to attract higher-quality candidates and fill vacancies much faster. Thanks to this cutting-edge approach, Nick can now make hiring decisions in less than a month from a select pool of top candidates, compared to the traditional 2-month wait from a larger pool of applicants.
AI as a double-edged sword: why ethical considerations need to be addressed
AI is arguably a double-edged sword, as almost all things are. Let’s first discuss its benefits, and then we’ll jump over to the disadvantages of using such technology.
Potential benefits of AI in recruitment
Here are some of the current uses of AI in the recruitment industry.
Automation of repetitive HR tasks: Automation of repetitive tasks gives HR people more time to do other important things rather than just focus on menial tasks. Some of these tasks include updating the database of talents, tracking manually, background checking, and even filtering candidates.
Easy personalisation of messages: Writer’s block will always be in the corner, ready to strike. Now, what if there are many candidates that you need to update regarding the status of their application? It’s 2023, and general and bland messages are, of course, a big no-no! However, with AI tools like Chat GPT with data insights integration, writing personal messages is easy.
Data insights: Data insights allow recruiters to spend more time on top candidates through easy access to reliable information. Some of its practical applications include finding new and existing job candidates easily, using crowd-sourced suggestions, understanding candidate motivation, tracking pipeline trends, and seeing changing talent pools.
Control biases: Despite all the training recruiters have undergone, unconscious biases will still be around. However, with the use of AI, it focuses on nothing but relevant skills and experiences.
The dark side of AI in recruitment
While there are many benefits to using AI in recruitment, it also has its disadvantages. Some of these “dark sides” are what keep some companies from fully adopting AI.
The potential for bias: While this item is being mentioned as one of the potential benefits of using AI, ironically, it can also lead to bias. At this point, it’s worth noting that AI uses algorithms to produce results. If the data inputs were already biased and prejudiced in some categories, such as feminine, pleasing personality, or any word describing such an ideal candidate, it could complicate results that are biased.
Lack of transparency in the decision-making process: Transparency is a hot topic in the HR decision-making process when using AI. With complex algorithms behind who to hire and who not, it’s often a black box, meaning it’s difficult to understand how they arrived at their decision.
The potential for privacy violations: AI recruitment tools often rely on large amounts of data, such as resumes, social media profiles, and even video interviews. However, collecting and processing this data raises privacy concerns. The possibility of using this data apart from its intended purpose is a clear violation of privacy concerns.
The risk of perpetuating existing inequalities: The thing about AI is that what you feed it is what you get. If there’s clearly existing inequality during the hiring process, it could perpetuate unless there’s intervention. And at this point, using AI in recruitment has already done more harm than good.
Ethical considerations for using AI in recruitment
With each side discussed, let’s dig deeper into the ethical considerations when using AI in recruitment. Being mindful and informed when using AI could go a long way toward making better decisions.
The importance of fairness and transparency in recruitment
Recruitment should always be fair and transparent. That should be what all this technology is for, to avoid causing further confusion. Recruitment processes must be reviewed occasionally. HR people must also receive relevant workshops and training regarding recent developments specific to AI in the recruitment process.
The need for accountability and responsibility in AI-driven decision-making
Even if the AI has already arrived with top-ranking candidates, recruiters should thoroughly review these candidates before proceeding to the next step. This won’t take long anyway because applicants were already filtered out, and all the recruiter has to do is confirm. If there are questions raised, it will be easy to answer them truthfully. Hence, accountability and responsibility are addressed.
The importance of privacy and data protection
Recruitment processes often involve the collection and processing of sensitive personal data, such as a candidate’s resume, social media profiles, and interview recordings. Employers must ensure that this data is collected and processed in compliance with data protection laws. Additionally, employers should ensure that their AI-driven recruitment tools are designed to protect candidates’ privacy and prevent the misuse of their personal data.
Ensuring that AI tools are designed and implemented in a way that is ethical and responsible
This means taking steps to mitigate the risk of bias, ensuring transparency and accountability, protecting candidates’ privacy, and ensuring that the AI system is designed to prioritise fairness and equality. It’s also important to regularly review and evaluate the performance of AI-driven recruitment tools to ensure that they meet ethical and legal standards and address any issues that arise.
The bottom line
Despite the many benefits AI offers and the importance of talking about it, the same should be done when discussing its dark sides. AI in recruitment doesn’t mean “all AI and no humans,”. Rather, “AI and humans” should work collaboratively to achieve the company’s goal. Start reviewing your recruitment processes’ ethical considerations one step at a time now!
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