Workers want transparency over use of AI in recruitment

While workers don’t see anything wrong with using artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT, they do want to know whether it was used in the decision-making process.

Most (82%) British workers don’t mind recruiters using AI to hire people. However, three-quarters of participants in a recent survey said they want full disclosure of how recruiters used the tech in the hiring process.

According to a recent study by online job board business Totaljobs, around a third of respondents favored using AI tools to create job ads, remove biased language, or shortlist candidates.

“The research also reveals where people draw the line at having AI involved in their job-seeking journey and how face-to-face interactions are non-negotiable. Most candidates don’t think it’s acceptable for AI to conduct job interviews (86%) or help with the decision-making process after an interview (84%),” the researcher said.

Unshaken belief in the necessity for human interaction between an applicant and an interviewer is best expressed by the fact that only one in ten respondents would take part in a job interview by AI. Most (66%) believe that synthetic recruiters cannot fairly access candidates’ “wider soft skills.”

However, the survey’s respondents seemed fully aware of the likely changes that the growing use of AI will bring about. 44% said the novel tech has the potential to revolutionize their daily tasks within the next five years.

“More than half (54%) agreed that the use of AI will help cut down on manual tasks, 56% said it will empower them to learn new skills, and 46% said it will enhance their productivity,” reads the report.

At the same time, nearly half of the respondents (44%) say that AI can increase inequality and biases in the workplace, with 46% believing that AI will eventually replace their roles.

“As excitement grows, so does the fear of being replaced […] To counter the great people-shortage, employers must therefore ensure that their people are educated and upskilled to be ready for the future,” Sebastian Dettmers, CEO of Totaljobs owner, The StepStone Group, said.