Artificial intelligence has become increasingly integrated into how organizations recruit and hire employees.
AI tools can quickly screen large numbers of applications and identify candidates who meet specific job requirements. However, there are growing concerns about bias, transparency and accountability, about whether AI can be designed and used in ways that are both effective and fair.
To investigate this question and how various factors contribute to credible AI staffing systems, Professor Qian Zhang has been awarded a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Insight Development Grant for her project titled “Balancing efficiency, equity, and voice: Building legitimate AI staffing systems in organizations.”
Zhang will investigate how organizations can develop AI hiring systems that are both effective and trustworthy.
“How can organizations use AI responsibly in personnel selection?” Zhang asks. “This question matters because hiring decisions shape who gets an opportunity and who talent organizations may overlook.
“I hope this research will help build better workplaces and thriving organizations, in keeping with Telfer’s vision.”
Balancing innovation, fairness and accountability
By examining how AI hiring systems can be implemented in ways that are effective, fair and trustworthy, the project could help guide responsible use of AI in recruitment and support more inclusive hiring practices.
It could also develop a model for AI staffing systems that balance efficiency, ethical considerations and employee opinion. As well, it could provide insight into how institutional frameworks, governance structures and stakeholder involvement influence adoption of AI in hiring. Finally, the project will support student learning, with findings integrated in future human resources management courses.
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