Inclusive AI at Work: Unconscious bias and artificial intelligence in recruitment and selection
AI in recruitment: friend or foe?
DCA has partnered with Hudson RPO and Monash University to research the impact of unconscious bias on recruitment and selection decisions using AI and offer interventions to minimise or remove the influence of unconscious bias in recruitment.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has incredible potential to positively influence the diversity of new hires as well as reduce bias in recruitment. But, like any tool, it’s not failproof. How effective is AI at reducing bias? How can human recruiters work with AI to improve diversity outcomes? And how much technical expertise is needed to select and use AI properly?
In this first stage of the three year study, AI: Friend or Foe?, we asked hiring professionals, AI developers, academics and industry experts to share their insights into the use of AI tools in recruitment and their impact on diverse people.
What we heard was that while AI can be an efficient, convenient, supportive, and objective tool that is capable of analysing bias in recruitment. For AI to support inclusive recruitment, there needs to be more support for people – recruiters, HR professionals and developers – on how to use these tools to eliminate rather than amplify bias. This means developers applying a D&I lens during the design and testing of these tools, and recruiters and HR professionals applying a D&I lens when AI tools are being deployed.
Explore and share the findings
Download and share the preliminary findings through our informative 4-page infographic. We list concrete examples of how AI is helping or harming inclusion in recruitment processes, as well as steps you can take to prevent bias when selecting and deploying AI tools.
What can your organisation do?
Use AI to eliminate bias rather than amplify it:
- Ask for evidence that your AI tool is bias-free before deploying it.
- Consider job design through a D&I lens before deploying AI.
- Make sure you incorporate vendor advice about training recruiters and HR professionals in using AI tools.
- Use AI to identify bias in new hire patterns.
- Use AI recommendations as just one data point.
- Ensure that staff using AI tools have adequate training.
Blog by Hudson RPO CEO Kimberly Hubble
Kimberly Hubble, CEO of Hudson RPO, shares further insights on using inclusive AI in recruitment and ensuring it adds value.
Stage 2: The current state-of-play of AI in recruitment
The second stage of this project gives an in-depth overview of the current usage of AI in recruitment in Australia.
Stage 3: Practical guidelines for organisations
Explore the employer guidelines to help you ensure that your AI-powered recruitment tools are inclusive and free from bias.
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Suggested citation: Monash University/Diversity Council Australia, AI in recruitment: friend or foe?, Sydney, Diversity Council Australia, 2022.
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