When AI Goes Wrong: Trust & Candidate Experience

Talivity Editorial TeamBy Talivity Editorial Team
September 9th, 2024 • 3 Minutes

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AI in recruitment marketing is appreciated for its ability to streamline processes, reduce biases, and enhance candidate experiences.

Companies like Avanade have shown us AI has the ability and potential to help us create and sustain hyper-personalized communication with candidates, enhancing engagement.

However, when AI goes wrong, it can significantly undermine trust and negatively impact candidate experience, leading to broader ethical and operational challenges for organizations.

The Pitfalls of AI in Recruitment

One of the key issues with AI in recruitment is the reliance on algorithms that may inadvertently reinforce biases.

A study highlighted by Fast Company reveals how AI tools, such as applicant tracking systems (ATS), can filter out candidates based on keywords and past hiring data, potentially perpetuating biases that exist in historical hiring practices.

Automated filters may exclude qualified candidates based on the algorithm’s criteria, often confusing both candidates and recruiters about why the system rejects certain applications.

Another issue is the lack of transparency in AI decision-making processes.

Algorithms often screen out candidates, leaving them frustrated and confused because they receive no feedback or explanation for the rejection. This opaque process erodes trust and can damage the employer brand, as job seekers may perceive the organization as unfair or overly reliant on impersonal technology.

Moreover, a job seeker demonstrated the unintended consequences of AI misuse by creating a bot to apply to thousands of jobs to understand how AI filters applications.

The results, as documented by Fast Company, showed that these automated systems can be easily manipulated, leading to inefficiencies and a breakdown of trust in the recruitment process.

Impact on Candidate Experience

AI’s impact on candidate experience can be both positive and negative. When implemented correctly, AI can enhance the recruitment process by providing timely responses, personalized communication, and a streamlined application journey.

However, when AI fails, it can lead to a dehumanized experience. Candidates may feel like they are interacting with a machine rather than a person, which can decrease engagement and satisfaction.

According to another report, the misuse of AI has led to a surge in hiring discrimination in some U.S. companies. The report showed that companies with less formalized hiring processes were more likely to exhibit biases, suggesting that AI tools, if not properly monitored and calibrated, could perpetuate inequality and unfair hiring practices.

This has serious implications for candidate experience, as those who feel discriminated against or unfairly treated are unlikely to apply again or recommend the company to others.

Building Trust with Ethical AI Practices

To mitigate these risks and build trust with candidates, companies must adopt a more transparent and human-centered approach to AI in recruitment. This includes:

  1. Regular Audits of AI Systems: Regularly review and update AI algorithms to prevent bias and maintain fairness in the hiring process. This proactive approach helps identify and address any biases unintentionally built into the system.
  2. Providing Transparency and Feedback: Candidates should be given clear information about how AI is used in the recruitment process and, where possible, feedback on why they were not selected. This openness can help demystify the AI process and build trust.
  3. Maintaining a Human Element: While AI can handle many aspects of recruitment, it’s important to keep human judgment as part of the process. This hybrid model uses AI to support recruiters rather than replace them, preserving the personal touch that candidates value.
  4. Ethical Training for AI: Companies should ensure that the data used to train AI systems is diverse and representative. This helps prevent the AI from developing biased decision-making patterns and ensures a fairer recruitment process.

By addressing these challenges and implementing best practices, companies can harness the benefits of AI in recruitment while safeguarding candidate trust and enhancing the overall candidate experience.

How are you addressing trust and transparency in candidate experience within your recruitment marketing program? Let us know or better yet, contribute to our publication! For more tools to help your employer brand and AI  efforts, visit our marketplace now. Happy hiring!

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