AI has moved quickly into recruiting. It drafts job descriptions, summarizes résumés, schedules interviews and answers candidate questions. Used well, these tools give hiring teams time back. Used carelessly, they can screen out great people, frustrate candidates and create legal risk.

Be clear about the job you want AI to do

Start with the bottleneck, not the tool. Common, lower-risk uses include:

  • Drafting and improving job descriptions (with human review).
  • Scheduling and coordinating interviews.
  • Answering routine candidate questions about process and timing.
  • Summarizing interview notes for the hiring team.

Higher-risk uses, such as automatically ranking or rejecting candidates, deserve more scrutiny, testing and oversight.

Keep people in the decisions that matter

Automated tools can surface information. People should make the decisions. Make sure a qualified person reviews any recommendation that affects whether a candidate moves forward, and that reviewers understand what the tool does and doesn’t consider.

Check for fairness and accuracy

AI systems learn from data, and historical hiring data can reflect past bias. Before relying on a tool:

  • Ask the vendor how the tool was built, tested and monitored for adverse impact.
  • Test it on your own roles and review the results.
  • Watch for proxies, such as gaps in employment, school names or zip codes, that can disadvantage qualified people.

Know the rules where you hire

Laws covering automated employment decisions continue to develop and vary by location. Some jurisdictions require notices, bias audits or alternatives for candidates. Work with your legal team to understand what applies to you.

Be transparent with candidates

Candidates increasingly use AI too, to write résumés, prepare for interviews and search for roles. Tell candidates where and how you use AI in your process, and give them a way to ask questions or request accommodations.

Measure what matters

Track whether the tool is improving outcomes you care about: time to fill, candidate experience, quality of hire and the diversity of your candidate pools. If it isn’t, change course.

The bottom line

AI is most valuable when it removes busywork so recruiters and hiring managers can spend more time with people. Pair the technology with clear goals, human judgment and regular review.

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