At the core of FemAI’s thinktank is our Roundtable, which is a dynamic space for integrating diverse voices and connecting with our network. Our roundtables are open to all, inviting the broader community to share their experiences while also learning from subject matter experts. It is a platform where FemAI strives to blend civil society perspectives with the expertise of practitioners and specialists to enrich each conversation with practical insights, fostering deeper understanding and impactful solutions.
This blog post shares our key findings on the topic of AI used in HR processes. We compiled a questionnaire to gather high-level insights, and here is an excerpt of our findings:
- “What has changed in terms of your work content since you started using AI?” The responses differ greatly from each other, showing that this open question wasn’t as straightforward to answer as it seemed, since there is no clear measurement in most cases. This is exactly what we want to highlight: the need for deeper reflection on the impact AI has on our lives, beyond the performance figures provided by AI tools providers.
- “How much % of your workload is reduced due to the use of AI? ” The reduction in workload had a high variation – the more focus placed on individuals, the smaller the reduction in workload. The impending question is what level of scalability is truly “optimal”?
- “Where do you think AI helps recruiters the most?” Among various options like resume parsing, candidate screening and writing job descriptions, interestingly, none of the participants chose “candidate screening”. The option that ranked the highest was “writing applications” with the help of AI. What does this suggest about industry confidence in using AI for various HR processes?
- “Imagine you are a candidate. What information from the following would you not be comfortable sharing with the recruiter? ” Gender ranked highest amongst all the possible options, and while this is not surprising for us, it opens new avenues for research questions. It also prompts us to reflect on how effective the current DEI measures are and how far we still must go in achieving gender equity at the workplace.
- “Now, imagine you are a recruiter: are you willing to using a system that would blackbox “rate” an applicant for you? So you can’t “explain” the rating afterwards.” 90% of the responses were NO! The explainability of AI remains a key success factor in terms of responsibility. This demonstrates that AI awareness iimproving, and people are hesitant to use AI systems without understanding them.
Why did we focus our efforts on the topic of AI in HR?
At a time when technology development is advancing rapidly, it is crucial to recognize the potential of new HR technologies early on and to use them strategically. Our efforts aim to analyze the current technology trends in HR processes and evaluate their potential with regard to improving diversity in the workplace and securing long-term economic success. Interestingly, amongst our survey participants, the use of AI in recruitment processes was not highlighted.
At FemAI, we have identified this use case as critical to ensure an equitable and accurate use of AI until the EU AI Act becomes binding. Under this Act, recruiting software is classified as high-risk and will require certification.
Furthermore, we want to outline the need to optimally utilize the economic and social opportunities of the new technologies while successfully safeguarding the interests of the people involved. The use case of recruitment software allows a deep dive into this ideal scenario.
A recent study at the Institute of Innovation and Technology states in their “Future Report HR-Tech” published in September the following key findings
Strategic alignment and efficiency: The study highlights that an aggressive HR tech strategy is essential to maximise the efficiency of HR processes while improving the quality of HR decisions. A strategic focus on AI-based solutions offers the opportunity to establish personalized HR development programs and thus promote long-term talent retention.
Importance of employee participation: Involving the workforce in the transformation process is crucial for the success of HR technologies. Companies that take a participatory approach and involve their employees early in the introduction of new applications benefit from higher acceptance of these technologies and greater added value from them.
Challenges and risks: The use of HR technologies is certainly associated with challenges. Data protection and ethical issues are of central importance and require clear guidelines and transparent communication within the organisation. In addition, the lack of application skills, especially in small and medium-sized companies, is a major hurdle in the implementation of advanced technologies.
Our desk research on AI recruitment tools
While we see that it is an important step and need of the hour to adopt AI and other tech advancements in HR processes, we have also seen the ethical challenges that are also taking place.
Through our desk research, we were able to corroborate some of the issues like lack of transparency and explainability in HR tools that use AI, ambiguity in accountability when something goes wrong while using these systems, and the risk of missing the human element in the whole human resources process which is a by-product of over-reliance on AI systems.
Amongst all these issues, the one that is central to our work at FemAI is bias and discrimination that arises with the use of these black-box systems. We look at this challenge from an intersectional approach, recognizing that while each of us has overlapping identities, some individuals are wrongly discriminated against because of the compounding effects of these identities.
While critiquing the existing AI systems, we would also like to acknowledge the fact that all hope is not lost. Many organizations are taking steps in the right direction by implementing bias audits and establishing responsible AI guidelines. However, is this enough ? Given that each of us will likely be an applicant in the HR cycle at least once in our lives, addressing bias and discrimination is not only a moral imperative but also a sound business strategy.
Recommended Actions
We switched our focus from Deepfake Detection Tools to HR Recruiting Software just a few weeks ago. Nevertheless, we can already share helpful measures that address the need for training, data protection transparency and innovation-friendly work cultures.
Technology monitoring and strategic foresight: In order to remain ahead of the competition, it is necessary to establish systematic monitoring of technology trends and to evaluate them in a strategic foresight. This enables companies to identify the most relevant technologies at an early stage and use their potential in a targeted manner.
Collaboration with external partners: Using external expertise and technology partnerships can make the implementation process more efficient and improve the quality of the solutions used, especially for small and medium-sized companies.
Thus, we recommend organizations to carefully assess tools, processes and power before integrating an AI Recruitment software.
We will continue our efforts to provide transparency in the AI tools landscape to promote intersectional feminist values. At FemAI, we combine advocacy with research, collaborating across sectors to drive meaningful change, as working in silos only delays progress. We aim to be the bridge that fosters this necessary transformation. This is why we hope this report will enrich your work as well!
Your FemAI Team <3
